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Emanuel AME Church Reopens for Sunday Service; Richard Matt and David Sweat Sighted; Churches Hold Memorial Walk To Emanuel AME; Perimeter Set Up Around Town Near New York-Pennsylvania Border. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired June 21, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:00:16] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Happening now in the NEWSROOM --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many hearts are broken and tears are still being shed. Through it all, we are reminded that we serve a God.

WHITFIELD: Prayer and healing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As we find ourselves engulfed with sadness and darkness and as we find ourselves walking through the valley in the shadow of death, we can look through the windows of our faith and we see hope.

WHITFIELD: Plus, new sightings of two killers on the run.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Female passenger with dark hair with two males reported to match the description of the escaped prisoners, David Sweat and Richard Matt.

WHITFIELD: Police zeroing in on what they're calling a new hot spot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They told us stay home, lock your doors and windows.

WHITFIELD: NEWSROOM starts now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Good afternoon, everyone. And thanks for joining me. I'm Frederica Whitfield. We're following two major stories today, the reopening of the Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina following last week's horrible killings and the continuing manhunt from two escaped killers from an upstate New York prison. We're expecting a press conference at any moment and when that begins we'll bring that to you live.

But first, the doors of Charleston's Emanuel AME church reopened today for Sunday service. The healing continues at the house of worship where nine African-Americans were massacred by a white gunman. He said he wanted to start, quote-unquote, "race" war but mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston united the races this morning. We saw prayer and praise, peace and love, honoring the victims.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our loved ones who were victimized the other evening, they have gone on before us, but we are behind them. We'll be going also one day. And when we get there, what a joyful time it will be. We ask, God, that you will guide and direct and strengthen those families who have been victimized by that horrible situation. Jesus said you can lean on me

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WHITFIELD: As you can see, hundreds of people attended the service inside in addition to the overflow outside.

Let's go live now to Charleston. Our Martin Savidge was inside the sanctuary at mother Emanuel for the service.

So Martin, black and white, people of all walks in the pews. Take us there.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, you could tell it was very clear by the congregation and those you looked out upon that there were those who had been going to that church every week and then there were those who were inside that service for the very first time in their lives. A couple sitting next to me said, look, we were walking by the front of the church and felt compelled to come in. Many were like that. But the woman on the other side of them said her family had been attending this church for 100 years.

The service was described as a healing service. It was or it had a very normal feel to it. And I know that's going to sound absolutely crazy. But what I mean by that is that the prayers and the hymns and the structure of it was a very typical service, especially for a father's day Sunday.

I think what made things stand out was, of course, there were nine faces familiar to everyone in the congregation that were not there, and then you saw that the chair that would often be used by the Reverend Pinckney was not only vacant, it was covered with a black cloth. I guess the simplest way to sort of sum it up here, Fredricka, is that this was a service that touched on the tragedy. There's no ignoring it. But it didn't dwell on the tragedy. And one of the most powerful lines came from the Reverend Norvel Goff who said, you know, a lot of folks expected us to do something strange and break out in a riot. Well, they just don't know us. We are people of faith.

There was times that there was open weeping and there was times when people were up on their feet dancing in the pews. Security very tight. Police in uniform constantly circulating in the outer aisles. Many felt uplifted afterwards. One woman I spoke to who was a long- time parishioner said it helped, but the pain is still there because it simply runs too deep -- Fredricka.

[14:05:23] WHITFIELD: And, Martin, in the pews there, you had South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott and of course, the mayor of Charleston and the mayor of North Charleston. And we heard the pastor, Norville Goff thank everyone from officials and police and the FBI for their support. How important was that kind of acknowledgement and the presence?

SAVIDGE: I think it was very important. I mean, there were times, especially when they acknowledged law enforcement, that there was applause. And remember, it's not that long ago that in North Charleston you had a former police officer now, but then police officer who shot and killed an African-American male as he was leaving from a traffic violation. So this is a very different depiction at this time.

But the other important thing that was noted and it was said in the sermon is that, you know, this tragedy, this terror attack has raised a lot of conflict. People talking about a flag, people talking about gun control. This is not the time, he said, for any of that. This is the time to focus on nine families and what they are suffering through.

WHITFIELD: All right, Martin Savidge, thank you so much. Still, hundreds of people continue to walk by, just want to be present there at Emanuel AME.

We now know that the murdered pastor of the church, state senator and reverend Clementa Pinckney will lie in state at the South Carolina state house on Wednesday afternoon for public viewing. The funeral is set for 11:00 a.m. Friday at the arena on the College of Charleston campus just down the street from the AME church.

And then take a look at today's "Charleston Post & courier" newspaper. Quite simply put the front page saying "in remembrance" with nine yellow roses followed by the names of each of the victims.

Let's bring in CNN commentator and former aide to President Obama, Van Jones, along with CNN weekend "NEW DAY" anchor Victor Blackwell. Good to see both of you gentlemen.

So, Victor, you first. What are people telling you about how they are coping?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST, NEW DAY: Well, I mean, I'll give you an example. We saw this Emanuel AME van drive by. And on the side it says "doers of God's word." I mean, what we saw today was faith in action for real. I mean, the idea that four days ago a man went into this church, killed nine people and the congregation is able to go back in, they say that is because of that faith.

I mean I was raised in a Methodist church. Van, you were as well. And some of this praise him in the hallway before God opens the next door, praise him in the hallway, this is a hallway moment where there is a lot of raw emotion, but still they will go back into this church.

One man I spoke with this morning said he had to go home to mother Emanuel. He delivered his Easter speech as a child in this church and there was no other place for him to be although his sister was killed here four days ago. VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it's also hard for

people who are not a part like me. There is the one of the three most famous of the black churches, you have (INAUDIBLE) in New York, you have Dexter, Dr. King's church and then this church, mother Emanuel. So this strikes right at the heart of the heart of the heart of the black community, way beyond the families. And yet again, this idea of joy, this idea of hallelujah anyway, that particular kind of African- American spirituality, a church really born in slavery, born in segregation. There is a moral strength there and you saw that on display today. But don't let anybody think when you see the people clapping and dancing that there's not great pain.

This is an Olympic level of Grace being shown by a community that knows how to suffer and how to push through, but the pain is just as raw as it would be in any other congregation.

WHITFIELD: And Van and Victor, we have a sound from Malcolm Graham, Victor, which you referred to, the brother of Cynthia Hurd.

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MALCOLM GRAHAM, CYNTHIA HURD'S BROTHER: I feel joy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joy?

GRAHAM: I feel joy that she's with the Lord today. She is not a victim of this senseless crime, she got her victory on Wednesday night. And tonight she celebrates her birthday with the Lord. She's seeing family members, my mother and my father and grandparents. She's at peace. And so I take solitude that when she lost her life last Wednesday, she lost it in the church.

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WHITFIELD: And Victor, they were ready to celebrate her birthday. And then, you know, you also hear from the family of pastor Pinckney, who were, he's a father of two who were excited and making plans for this father's day, and now these families are dealing with this. And at the same time, moving forward, trying to look ahead, trying to be hopeful not just for their own immediate families but for the family of the AME church and for this family of Charleston. It's extraordinary.

[14:10:17] BLACKWELL: Yes. When you think about the word "family" and you have people who are in their 40s and 50s, as I spoke with this morning and they talk about delivering their Easter speeches when they were five and six years old, it's not just mother, father, it is a church family. These families have been here for several generations.

And we saw today as we learned from this manifesto what this shooter wanted to start was a race war. What we saw here were not just blacks and whites but Asians, Latinos, Jewish-Americans here as well, different generations. And, van, I saw a moment and tell me what you think of this. There were several instances in which different families of different races were taking pictures together. Now for me, first glance that's kind of a Pollyanna moment, it doesn't really mean much, but this is a moment of punctuation for race relations in this city.

JONES: Absolutely. And literally in that same building you had an act of hate, an act of violence, expressing an ideology of racial hatred. You can't back away from that when he has a manifesto that says that's what it's all about. And yet, literally within four days you have a different declaration. A declaration of love, of reconciliation, two different ideologies. Both about race but one about racial hatred and the other about racial reconciliation within days of each other. And look which ideology is winning.

What happened here is spreading around the entire world. People cannot believe the level of Grace this congregation is showing, the level of love and forgiveness this congregation is showing. That is what is winning.

It's important, though, that we not duck from the racial hatred ideology and fail to name it because then that makes the beauty of the racial reconciliation that much more profound. So people will say well, don't talk about the racial part. We just get along nut, no. (INAUDIBLE), but he's a nut that has ideology. And the ideology of love is beating that ideology. We have to talk about both.

WHITFIELD: Right. That reconciliation not meaning ignoring, overlook but really like a remedy. A remedy for this hate displayed.

JONES: Yes, absolutely. You know, from there a theological perspective, you cannot banish demons, you cannot vanquish demons until you first face them. The big problem, the big sin is just not to face your demon. And you can't say well, my mama did it for me. My daddy did it for me. Other generations did it for me, no. You have to face those demons yourself and we as a country have to continue to face these demons. And when we do, what happens is not a riot, what happens is love. That's what you just saw today.

WHITFIELD: Van Jones, Victor Blackwell, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it right outside of the Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina.

All right, still ahead, a new sighting of two escaped convicts on the run. Police now zeroing in on a new hot spot. Our Alexandra Field is in Allegheny County, New York.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Fredricka. We are 300 miles southwest of the prison they broke out of, but hundreds of investigators are now searching in this area. Coming up we'll talk about the tip that brought them here.

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[14:17:51] WHITFIELD: New developments in the search for two escaped killers from an upstate New York prison. Right now we're waiting for a news conference to begin. You're about to see some live pictures right there about the setup. They are out of Allegheny, New York, where of course when this presser takes place, we'll take it live. They hopefully will give us the latest on the search for Richard Matt and David Sweat who have been on the run now for 16 days. The search has intensified over the last 24 hours following a third possible sighting of the two near the New York/Pennsylvania border.

Our Alexandra Field is live for us near Friendship in Allegheny County, New York. And Sara Ganim is in Dannemora where she interviewed the attorney for the corrections officer who has been placed on administrative leave.

So, Alexandra, you first. Do police feel like they were closing in? What's the expectation from the press conference?

FIELD: Look, a law enforcement official had told CNN a day ago that a credible tip had come in reporting a citing of these two men walking along a railroad line. Any time you have a credible tip you certainly hope law enforcement officers are closing in but one day later New York state police are telling us they still cannot qualify this as a confirmed citing.

There are 300 different law enforcement officers from a variety of different agencies who have set up camp in this area some 300 miles southwest of the prison that Richard Matt and David Sweat broke out of. They say that they will stay here in place trying to track down any leads until that initial tip is exhausted in their minds.

What they were told by the caller is that two men were sighted fulfilling the descriptions of Richard Matt and David Sweat walking near that railroad line. And on the sheriff's office says investigators were also shown a set of tracks near the railroad line which they were hoping would lead them in the direction of the two suspects. Again, this tip that came in a day ago, but law enforcement making every effort here on the ground to pursue any leads coming in in this area.

So Fred, what we're seeing as we drive around Allegheny County are a number of roadblocks, points where officers are asking cars to stop. They're checking the cars and we are seeing law enforcement officers on foot as well. As they get calls, as they get tips, they're being deployed to check out who is going on in those neighborhoods. Everyone here hoping that that initial sighting will lead to something, Fred.

[14:20:03] WHITFIELD: OK, Sara, let me bring you into this as well because I understand that the attorney who is representing the correction officer who has been placed on leave is talking to you. What more can be said about what may have happened? What put that person on leave?

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know that that person is now on paid leave. He's a 57-year-old corrections worker, a man. His name is Gene Palmer. And he has worked at this facility for more than 25 years, Fred. And his attorney told me this. He said one of the reasons that they were looking at him is because he received a painting from Richard Matt. And we know that Richard Matt was a painter. He painted paintings in prison and he had also given a painting to Joyce Mitchell, the prion seamstress who has been charged with bringing them some of the tools that police believed they used to escape from the jail. This corrections officer also received one of those paintings. So

police wanted to talk to him, interview him. They searched his home. That painting was the subject of that search warrant. He was also, Gene Palmer, a guard on the honor block where those two inmates were living. He knew both of them. He had daily contact with them and with Joyce Mitchell, but his attorney said over and over again he had no knowledge of this escape before it happened. Take a listen to what he told me.

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ANDREW BROCKWAY, GENE PALMER'S ATTORNEY: I can 100 percent confirm that he did not know that they were planning to break out of the prison. These two people are psychopaths. They are master manipulators. They're obviously in prison for life so they have nothing but time to develop schemes to take advantage of innocent people.

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GANIM: The attorney also told me that, you know, this guard working for so long in this prison of course tried to maintain a good working relationship with the inmates for the safety of everyone in the prison, but said that he had absolutely no knowledge of wrongdoing. He said he believed police wanted to talk to him because he probably had information that would be useful to them.

He also told me this, Fred, he told me that he was actually -- Gene Palmer was on vacation the night of the escape and, again, just reiterated that he says he will cooperate. He has been cooperating and that he's actually on paid leave, to which this attorney said was a sign that authorities at this point don't have anything yet to charge him, although this attorney did leave open the possibility that charges may come in the future. Of course the district attorney also telling FOX News last night that charges were always possible -- more charges always possible.

And Fred, just a little bit more about this corrections officer. As I said, he worked at this prison for a long time. He's a grandfather and lives about a block away from here. The attorney told me he was scared the night that it happened because he lives so close. But he just told me, look, he's a father, he's a grandfather, he cares for his sick wife and reiterated that he will cooperate and he had no knowledge of this.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sara Ganim, Alexandra Field, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

All right. So let's bring in CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes to talk about these new developments in the manhunt. He's joining me right now from New York.

Tom, good to see you.

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Hi, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: All right. So the intensified search along this New

York/Pennsylvania border because now we understand according to officials three possible sightings. What does the activity yesterday and within the past few hours tell you about how significant or how credible and possible these sightings are?

FUENTES: Well, I think, first of all, since they have had nothing else that's more credible or confirmed in another location, it's the best they have to go on so they'll give it the full treatment. I'm sure they'll talk to the person that gave them this sighting and tried to verify that the person is an honest person and try to get an idea of what he saw, what, where, when, what were the lighting conditions. What direction were these two guys going, what were they carrying, what were they wearing, so they would have gotten enough detail to think, well, it's possible, it might be, and so therefore, deploy the resources that they're doing.

But the problem is it's been 24 hours since they gave that sighting or received that sighting. And this is a very rural county. They don't have a large city. The nearest town has one stoplight. So now to get hundreds of officers down there took a long time yesterday. And so, what we don't know is by the time they got a perimeter set up before darkness last night, did these two, if it was them, did they get away. We don't know. So now they're going to search and go house to house to see if maybe they went into a house to seek refuge. All of this will be, you know, a very time consuming, meticulous search but we don't know.

[14:19:58] WHITFIELD: And talk to me about the level of cooperation, the working relationship now between law enforcement and the people who live in this area. Because you just laid it out. We're talking about very rural, you know, area and there is great distance between properties and people who live in them. So talk to me about how law enforcement will either lean on or rely on, you know, their eyes and ears.

FUENTES: Well, I think the people will be more than cooperative because they stand a good chance that if these two are there and if these two invade their home, they might end up dead. So they have all the incentive in the world to help police get these people off the street and go back to a normal life. You heard yesterday many of the residents saying that they're at the highest level of fear, that they have their rifles and shot guns at hand.

WHITFIELD: And loaded.

FUENTES: And loaded. And see suspicious people. So that just makes it fearful for police officers that they have to be careful what they do. And you know, if they're going through backyards and through the woods that they don't get shot by a nervous resident. That's a distinct possibility in these kind of situations.

WHITFIELD: All good points.

All right, Tom Fuentes, thank you so much. We'll check back with you. Appreciate it. FUENTES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, churches across the country reaching out now to members of Charleston's Emanuel AME church. Alina Machado has the latest on how some are showing their support - Alina.

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, some are showing their support by coming down here to the church, but others are uniting behind an eight-word message. I'll share that with you next.

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WHITFIELD: Hello again, everyone. And thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We're continuing to follow the manhunt for two escaped killers from an upstate New York prison. You're looking at a live picture right now out of Allegany, New York where that press conference will underway momentarily. When it does, we'll take it live.

Richard Matt and David Sweat have been on the run now for 16 days. The search has intensified over the last 24 hours, following a third possible sighting of the two near the New York/Pennsylvania border. And when the news conference takes place to update us on the ongoing search, we'll take it live.

Meantime, in Charleston, South Carolina, it was an emotional, yet spirited service at Charleston's historic, Emanuel AME Church. The site of last week's senseless and tragic massacre was transformed back into what it has always meant to be there, a place of worship.

And that emotion spilled out onto the streets, since not everyone can find a seat inside the sanctuary. We spoke with a few people who felt they just needed to be there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER FERGUSON, CHURCH SERVICE ATTENDEE: I brought my chair because I thought, you know, I would get tired and then when I came up here and I saw her with a cane, I'm like, she needs the chair. I know she was tired. So I gave her the chair and then she started crying and I started crying. We weren't sure what we were crying about, but we were just glad to each one another so we took selfies together and we're going to stay in touch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here to pray to have strength for the pastor and to have peace and we bless them to have peace and we need to pray a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Nick Valencia was outside the church service. Nick, we still see a lot of activity there. Describe the feelings beyond the people that you just spoke with.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was another day where this community continues to demonstrate its incredible integrity and grace during these extraordinarily difficult circumstances here. You saw that video. Hundreds filled the pews inside Emanuel AME Church and hundreds outside as well, Fredricka.

Today was hot but that didn't make a difference for those who showed up. It was a day of reflection. Of course, there were some that were angry. Some say that anger, though, has given way to reflection, given way to solace, and really forgiveness and that seemed to be the cornerstone here at this service.

Take a walk with me here. I want to show you exactly what I'm talking about. This makeshift memorial started just hours after the shooting. It started down there at the corner with just a bundle of flowers. You can see here what it's grown to.

People we've seen in the last several days, Fred, come to write messages of support, prayer. This message right here saying "love wins." residents I've spoken to say this is what happened on Wednesday night. It's certainly not an example of this community -- I spoke to one resident who said we're not black. We're not white. We're Charleston.

It's truly remarkable to see this response and how this community has come together. How long that unity will last, that's anyone's guess. But residents here that I've spoken to really believe that what happened on Wednesday is a watershed moment in this community, one that will forever change Charleston, they say for the better. And they're using today as a day of reflection -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Charleston has always been a special, unique place and it's even more so now. Nick Valencia, thank you so much.

So the Mother Emanuel church family is not alone in its time of mourning. Members of other churches in Charleston are also holding memorials. In fact a memorial walk will be taking place to pay homage to that AME church.

I want to bring in CNN's Alina Machado in Charleston with that part of the story -- Alina.

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, what we are seeing here is the continued outpouring of love and support not just by members of the community who, as you could see, continue arriving here and bringing flowers and other items to remember the victims, but also by members of the faith-based communities.

[14:35:14] We've seen members of other Christian churches, members of the Muslim community come out here and bring flowers to the church as a way to show their respect to the victims, the nine people who lost their lives here.

Now, those nine people are being called the Emanuel nine. They were front and center during other services at other churches in town today, and we were at the Morris Brown AME Church. That's the same church where just after the massacre they held a massive prayer vigil for these victims. Now, everyone at the church, I want to show you, was given this piece of paper. And the message on this piece of paper is simple, eight words, "The doors of the church are still open."

Even though, as they put it hate and evil caused tremendous suffering, not just to the members of this church, but also to members of this community. Their secondary message, their faith, Fredricka, is still very much intact.

WHITFIELD: All right, Alina Machado, thank you so much.

All right, tonight people across Charleston will actually join hands and cross the bridge in tribute to the nine victims of last week's massacre, this after a march last night.

(VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: In fact hundreds of people walked down the streets of Charleston chanting "black lives matter." They marched to the daughters of the confederacy building where they hung a banner with the names of the nine people who were killed.

Still ahead, we're awaiting a news conference on that manhunt for the two escaped killers in New York. And now much of that search is being focused along the New York/Pennsylvania border.

How did authorities determine this latest sighting? There have been three reported possible sightings in that area. How have they determined the credibility of them? We'll ask our expert, next.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Serena Williams isn't the only tennis player halfway to the calendar slam this year. American Bethanie Mattik-Sands won the Australian and French Open women's doubles titles with her partner, Lucy Safarova. The pair gelled quickly. The Aussie tournament was the first tournament that they had never played together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The biggest thing for doubles is communication. Me and Lucy are really good friends. We're having fun and I think we are taking each match as it comes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 30-year-old has been plagued by injuries for much of her career and missed most of last season due to hip surgery.

BETHANIE MATTIK-SANDS: No, it was a tough decision to undergo another surgery. I had one in 2008 on the same hip but, you know, it was the right decision.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And her bid to win all four majors now moves on to the grass courts of Wimbledon.

MATTIK-SANDS: I definitely don't think I'm finished. I think there are still things to do. I'm feeling fresh. I feel like the time I spent at home and the time I've missed on tour, I'm adding it kind of on the back end of my career.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, new developments now in the search for two escaped killers from an upstate New York prison. Right now we're awaiting for a news conference to begin.

We'll take you right there, live pictures right now from Allegany, New York, where we're expected to hear the latest on this search for Richard Matt and David Sweat, who have been on the run now for 16 days.

Police helicopters and heavily armed officers are swarming the small town of Friendship near the Pennsylvania border after a witness with a credible sighting says they actually spotted the two escapees walking along railroad tracks.

Matthew Horace, senior vice president of FJC Security Services and former ATF executive joining me now from New York to talk about this. Matthew, the trail has been cold now.

If what is true, we heard reportedly that the sightings could have been as long as a week ago and now police made a lot of that public yesterday. So what are your concerns about this possible sighting and how investigators are looking into it?

MATTHEW HORACE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FJC SECURITY SERVICES: Well, I'm hoping that it's an actual good sighting. I'm hoping that the effort we're placing into it will eventually lead to the arrest of the suspects.

But remember, while this is going on and the focus seems to be on the manhunt, there's also that collateral investigation that might involve the interview of hundreds of employees, contractors and guards at the correctional facility and inmates.

WHITFIELD: So what are the questions that the investigators are looking into or how do they investigate these hundreds of tips coming in and how do they isolate the more credible ones and then how do they follow up on those?

HORACE: Fredricka, the FBI and other organizations that are doing this are very adept at accepting and receiving large amounts of information. They're taking it one step at a time. Keep in mind, we all agree that there had to be more than one person who helped Matt and Sweat facilitate this entire break and all the planning that went into it. So there are still a lot of questions --

WHITFIELD: And you're not talking about just within the prison. We know, you know, that one person is facing charges for helping to supply the tools. But you're saying more assistance, whether it be getting through, you know, the underground components of this prison or even on the outside? HORACE: That is absolutely right, Fredricka. As I understand it, another employee has been put on administrative leave. As Tom and I were discussing last night, I think you can start to see a domino effect coming into place eventually because someone had to help get their tools.

Someone was responsible for giving them cell phones. Someone was communicating to the prisoners. The prisoners were communicating to others. Before too long you're going to see more employees start to come into effect.

[14:45:08] And we'll hopefully understand exactly what happened here from the beginning up until the time of the escape, and also who's communicating to people on the outside right now.

WHITFIELD: So even if there was that kind of assistance, would it be odd in your view that if indeed it was a credible sighting that they would be seen alone then just walking on the railroad? That wouldn't necessarily indicate a whole lot of help. It kind of almost indicates they're on their own, does it not?

HORACE: At the end of the day, remember this, Fredricka, they are on the run. Whether they have help right now or last week or two weeks or next week, they're on the run. They might have received support ten days ago, they might not have.

All the information we're getting from the principal suspect in this case could be wrong or it could be right. They could be riding trains. They could be hitchhiking, walking, they could be hiking, any and all of the above are possible.

When we get good information, we have to compartmentalize it and treat every credible lead as a possibility that will lead us to these suspects.

WHITFIELD: All right, Matthew Horace, thanks so much.

HORACE: Have a great day and be safe.

WHITFIELD: All right, you too, thank you. All right, still ahead, controversy over the confederate flag is growing. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has more on that.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, this controversy is putting a lot of pressure on 2016 Republican candidates to weigh in. Should the flag stay up or should it be brought down? All the latest on the tricky politics coming up next.

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[14:50:44]

WHITFIELD: The massacre at the Emanuel AME church in Charleston has reignited the political fight over the confederate flag. It still flies on the grounds of the state house in Columbia, South Carolina, next to the confederate -- next to a confederate soldier monument. But after Wednesday's killings, many people are saying that flag should come down, the confederate flag, because many argue it's a symbol of hate. Sunlen Serfaty joining us live now.

So let's talk about how this argument, whether it's a symbol of hate or heritage, is now finding its way on the campaign trail in a very big way.

SERFATY: It absolutely is, Fred. It's really tricky politics for many of the Republican candidates. We've really seen them try to walk a tight rope as they respond to this issue. South Carolina is such an important state for them, a first in the south primary so they're definitely eager to stay in the good graces of many social conservatives in the state.

Many of whom believe that the flag is a rich part of their history and should stay up. But yesterday, we really saw that pressure increased on many of these candidates by Mitt Romney, who weighed in over Twitter with a strongly worded statement tweeting, quote, "Take down the confederate flag at the South Carolina Capitol.

To many, it is a symbol of racial hatred. Remove it now to honor the Charleston victims." And the tweet, of course, got a lot of attention. Also from President Obama who agrees that the flag should be taken down. He tweeted out, "Good point, Mitt."

Now all eyes, of course, are on the Republican candidates and they're really taking a cautious response as pressure increases them to weigh in one side or the other. Here's just a little bit of the responses we've seen.

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MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If the state government of South Carolina wishes to address an issue in their state, that's fine.

RICK SANTORUM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think the federal government or federal candidates should be making decisions on everything and opining on everything. This is a decision that needs to be made here in South Carolina.

MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ultimately the people of South Carolina will make the right decision for South Carolina. And I believe in their capacity to make that decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: And some state legislators say they plan to move proposals and legislation in the coming weeks to try to take the flag down. Republican Senator Tim Scott, he says he will have a voice in this debate. He has not revealed what his position is, but he says he will do so, Fred, after the funerals.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sunlen Serfaty, thanks so much in Palm Springs. We'll be right back after this.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We're just three months away from the Nautica Malibu triathlon and the CNN Fit Nation team is going strong. Six-pack member, Chip Greenwich says his biggest challenge has been time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a very busy person. I'm very involved in school activities. I'm a PhD student at Georgia State University. But if you take the time out to actually do it, you see the results.

GUPTA: Swimming, biking and running. Over the last several months, he says his bad habits have changed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the biggest change is really looking at the kind of food choices I do. A lot of times I would kind of really eat late at night and that's been a big no-no.

GUPTA: And he's getting results.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I sat back and said, wow, I'm not losing any weight, not losing any weight. I got on the scale and I said, my god, I lost 20 pounds.

GUPTA: Moving forward toward the race, he said his biggest goal is to take it all in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think my marching order is to really enjoy it. Enjoy the time and learn from the experience, but also share it with lots of my friends and family members.

GUPTA: And as for any doubts that he has about crossing the finish line --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to do it. I put my mind to it. Anything I put my mind to, I do it.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

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WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Again, we are awaiting a press conference to take place there in Allegany County, New York, to get an update on the ongoing search, the intensified search for two escaped killers who got out of that upstate New York maximum security facility.

And of course, when the press conference happens, we are now hearing that it could be 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Of course, when it happens, whether it's that time, a little earlier or even later, we will take it live.

Meantime, checking other stories now, an accused cop killer in New Orleans is captured in the city's Ninth Ward. Police arrested 33- year-old Travis Boys this morning as he was trying to board a bus. He was still wearing broken handcuffs.

Boys was being transported yesterday when he somehow freed himself from his handcuffs, grabbed a gun and allegedly shot New Orleans Police Officer Darryl Holloway and then fled the scene. Officer Holloway died at a nearby hospital. He was 45.

Gunfire rings out at a child's birthday party in Detroit killing a 20- year-old man. Nine others including three women and six men are wounded.