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New Day Sunday

Church Reopens For First Time After Shootings; Apparent Manifesto Reveals Racist Images, Rant; "Credible Sighting" of Killer Fugitives; Pope to Visit Prisoners & the Sick. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired June 21, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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

SUZAN JOHNSON COOK, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR: So, I think there's a call to action.

(CROSSTALK)

[07:30:03] COOK: I'm sorry. Yes?

The business leaders --

(CROSSTALK)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I want to jump in because we have -- we have about a minute left, Ambassador Cook.

And I want to ask you, you mentioned 22 years ago asking a similar question. There are people who've been asking these questions for 52 years we have had these conversations throughout the week. After tragedies much like this one, how does this turn into some long- lasting change? Is there a step? Is there a formula?

COOK: Very much so. I think, you know, South Africa gave us the formula, the reconciliation commission, that we have to be able to sit down at the table together, and people who have been hurt need to talk to those who have hurt them, and that we have to begin to put the conversation really on the table.

So, my call to action is for business leaders, faith leaders, concerned human beings in America, to really form a strategic plan in terms of how do we go forward, not just ask the question, but how do we begin to answer the question. And I think it's time for us to go to our nation's capital and begin to have that conversation.

BLACKWELL: All right. Ambassador and pastor and many other titles and accolade, Suzan Johnson Cook -- always good to have you on NEW DAY.

COOK: Thank you. And thank you for the job you are doing.

All right. Let's turn now to the Reverend Randolph Miller, he's a pastor of Nichols Chapel AME, also here in Charleston.

Good to have you back. I've told you that we've had a very good conversation yesterday --

(CROSSTALK)

REV. RANDOLPH MILLER, PASTOR, NICHOLS CHAPEL AME: Good to be back with you this morning.

BLACKWELL: You know, we had the brother of Cynthia Hurd, his name is Malcolm Graham.

MILLER: Yes.

BLACKWELL: His sister was killed on Wednesday. Although we've heard messages of forgiveness, he's not there yet. And you know that you'll have in your congregation this morning people who are not at forgiveness yet. Aside that from speaking, you know, literally and figuratively to the choir -- what do you tell people who are not at forgiveness yet, they haven't reached that point?

MILLER: Well, when you haven't reached that point, you must continue to work at it. You don't stop, because they are hurting, but we must continue as pastors and Christian leaders of the community, we must continue to preach it and drive it home until they come to -- it will not happen overnight. But we can't stop teaching and preaching forgiveness, because that's what the word would want us to do.

BLACKWELL: You know, in difficult times, especially when it happens inside a church, there may be people who are in a space where pastor, I understand the word, but right now, there needs to be justice. And that's a relative definition for many people.

How do you speak to the people who are struggling even to get into the church today?

MILLER: Again, we must continue to teach them that we must place it in the hands of Almighty God, who will bring true justice one day. The words in Proverbs 3:5-6 that says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct a path."

Give it to God. And as preachers, that's all we can do, is continue to preach that word and hopefully one day it will sink in and bring about a change.

BLACKWELL: What's your level of optimism of the lasting value of what we see in front of Mother Emanuel, people of many races from all over the country standing in front of here holding each other and speaking and singing?

MILLER: Believe it or not, that was not supposed to happen. But out of all of this, that's what it brought, togetherness, unity, love, coming together.

BLACKWELL: Will it last?

MILLER: It will last if we keep working at it. Every day we have obstacles. But what do you do? You work your way around it or work your way over it, because obstacles will come.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

MILLER: As long as we're living in this world, we have trouble, we have confusion, we have situations. But we must continue to work hard and bring about change.

BLACKWELL: You've got a heavy burden today. Reverend Miller, thank you so much.

MILLER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: From Nichols AME here in Charleston.

MILLER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: As the community tries to heal and to move on into the light, we're getting a closer look into the dark mind of this confessed killer. This website listing Dylann Roof as the owner contains this racist rant, a manifesto, if you will. There are photos of him stomping on and burning an American flag. He wears a shirt with 88, a coded reference to Heil Hitler, H being the eighth letter of the alphabet. He also visits sites like the Confederate history museum, slavery era graveyard.

The site reads in part, let's put it up there if we can, "We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the Internet. Well, someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me."

[07:35:03] Let's talk about the impact of this writing. We've got CNN law enforcement analyst Cedric Alexander with us.

Cedric, I wonder, generally, what do you make of this writing?

CEDRIC ALEXANDER, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I mean, clearly, what it suggests to me, we have someone here, Victor, who is very angry and has been for some time. It would be interesting to know where this anger stems from, where did he -- how did he get to the point that he felt this way towards people and was able to mask it for such a long time, if you consider some of the statements you've heard from his friends and others who've been around him.

But the manifesto in and of itself, that whole Web site, web page, really suggests a very angry, very plan full, very determined individual to carry out his act of violence in a very monstrous way.

And I'm just glad he's in custody, as we are across this country. But it's just unspeakable. And it's very hard to find words for it, and, Victor, because we've been talking about it for a few days. But it's unreal. It's surreal in many ways.

BLACKWELL: From a law enforcement perspective, Cedric, if this had been discovered Monday night or Tuesday night before he traveled here to Charleston and went into that church, would law enforcement have been in a position to do something about this? ALEXANDER: Well, law enforcement may have depending on whether it was

just idle talk or they had some real intelligence information that he was going out and was going to do some harm. It is possible that law enforcement certainly could have gotten between him and those innocent victims in that church. But that is something we won't ever know.

But it is just unfortunate, though, that a lot of his rhetoric that he did state did not make it out into the law enforcement community or to people who could have intervened and could have stopped this heinous crime of murder.

BLACKWELL: Cedric, the great thing about having you on this morning is that you're not only an expert in law enforcement but you're a trained psychologist, and I want you to put that hat on for us. And tell us, when people walk into that church today, how can they prepare themselves for that moment? What should they look for? What should the clergy here offer them?

ALEXANDER: Well, you know, one of the most important things if we can do any time of us come under a great deal of stress is to lean to support. And support is so important. People going into that church this morning and churches across this country. It will be the topic of discussion.

But the most important thing they can do is support each other, embrace each other, show love and concern for each other as human beings regardless of who they are. And in there, you're going to find healing, real healing, because any time that we're confronted with any kind of stress, anything that is painful beyond anything we've ever experienced, such as what we've just experienced a couple of days ago, having no social support, friends, family and clergy and prayer, whatever it takes.

And when we have each other to hold and to be with us in this very, very difficult time, it makes it a lot easier for us psychologically, emotionally. And we tend to move through it. And over time, we will never forget it but we move through it and we move through it with the type of social support that we need from others.

BLACKWELL: All right. CNN law enforcement analyst Cedric Alexander. Thank you so much for joining us --

ALEXANDER: Thank you for having me.

BLACKWELL: -- and speaking to us from not only the law enforcement angle but the psychologist angle as well.

ALEXANDER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: And it's always good to have you as well.

Listen, I've got in my hands here, if we can take the shot full, guys, this morning's copy of the "Post and Courier" here in South Carolina, in Charleston. You see here nine roses here. And these are made from palm fronds. Typically on the Sunday before Easter, you receive these. This is something that's handed out in churches across the country.

Initially when I saw them, I thought they were white roses. But these are actually made from palm fronds typically handed out on Palm Sunday. And the name -- it says, in remembrance, in the names of the nine victims here on this front page in remembrance of those victims.

Then, you open it up, and you get to the news here. There are pictures here in this special edition, and fuller bios if we can see that. I don't know if I'm doing a great job of holding that up. This was just handed to me.

[07:40:00] But you see those nine smiling faces. And here, "Answering a Prayer, Emanuel AME returns today as part of the healing process." And here at the bottom, below the fold, Mayor Joe Riley talks of city race relations, a conversation that has to be had across this country.

I'm sure we'll get this to our producers back in Atlanta and they can create maybe some full screen graphics. But I just got this and wanted to show this to you. We'll continue our coverage here in Charleston throughout the morning. And we'll take a break and be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Live pictures outside of Emanuel AME as people have come here to pay their respects, to leave signs and flowers after that massacre here on Wednesday.

This morning, in about 45 minutes, church classes will begin. And then at 9:30 Eastern, the doors of the sanctuary will be open for worship services. I spoke with a man here whose sister was killed on Wednesday, and he said that he has to come, in his words, home to Mother Emanuel. We'll talk more about the healing that is at least planned for today. Hopefully that will begin today.

[07:45:00] But let's toss it back to Alison in Atlanta with the latest on this manhunt for those escaped convicts.

New information, I understand, Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: There is, Victor.

You know, the trail for these two fugitives who were serving time for murder, it went cold until now. Officials are acting on what they call a, quote, credible site in sighting. And they're now swarming a small town in southwestern New York. And they hope that it leads them to Richard Matt and David Sweat, and who escaped from prison more than two weeks.

CNN's Cristina Alesci is in Allegany County, which is considered a hot spot in the search at this point.

Cristina, have they found anything, any clue, any footprints, anything at all at this point?

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not yet, and not anything of substance. I'm standing actually at he command center for the search, and there's a lot of activity, just as the sun was coming up about two dozen vehicles left the command center to go out and resume the search. Presumably, last night was a little bit difficult. Actually, it was raining pretty heavily in this area. Also a helicopter just landed behind me.

So, we're seeing a lot of police activity and a tremendous amount of resources dedicated to this search. Police say that aviation units and canine units are out.

What is different about this search from the other searches that we've heard about over the last two weeks is that there are a lot more details. Police are saying -- you know, they're really identifying the search area. They're saying they're concentrating on an area that's close to the railway lines. They've actually found some tracks there. So, they're determining what those tracks are, if they have any relation to the escaped convicts.

The other thing that you should keep in mind, Alison, is that there's a tremendous amount of resources being dedicated to this effort. You know, 800 law enforcement. And up until this point, law enforcement was giving very generic updates.

Last week, we heard these two convicts were added to the 15 most wanted list, and that there's a $50,000 reward out for them. That was the only update.

Now, we're getting more and more details. Alison, I'll bring those when I have them.

KOSIK: OK. And we will check in with you for that. Cristina Alesci, thanks.

Let's get more on this now with Lenny DePaul. He's a former commander with the U.S. marshal service regional fugitive task force for New York and New Jersey.

Good morning, Lenny.

LENNY DEPAUL, FORMER COMMANDER, U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE: Good morning.

KOSIK: You know, you look at all of these resources. You know, what's the strategy at this point? Or is it kind of like finding a needle in a haystack?

DEPAUL: Well, it's similar. But we dedicate all resources to any tips, any leads that come in. They certainly need to be vetted and prioritized. There's this one in Friendship. And, you know, they'll set up a perimeter, do their thing, K-9, aviation support is still there, and will remind.

However, you know, you have this intense manhunt, Alison, but it's also a fugitive investigation. So, the U.S. Marshals, my former task force, is supporting the New York state troopers. They've cast a pretty wide net. We're looking in other states. We're on board with Interpol, with our notices that have sent there in countries that are in question, have come up in the investigations.

So, you know, we'll leave no stone unturned, that's for sure.

KOSIK: You know, this is in a very rural area. So, you know, what resources do these search teams have at the moment and what do they really need?

DEPAUL: Well, again, with K-9, the bloodhounds. Hopefully, they pick up on fresh tracks if in fact it is them. Apparently, they were seen together with this tip that came in. It is unconfirmed on the sighting. But it's credible enough that you need to deploy certainly enough assets to the area, manpower, state of the art equipment to, you know, hopefully, like I said, they are contained in this perimeter that was set up yesterday and this goes down without incident.

And that's another question. What's the mindset on these two guys? We're over two weeks on this thing. If they're together, the lack of provisions are a factor.

You know, I'm sure they're miserable. They're wet. It's been raining. Is it suicide by cop if they're cornered? There's a lot that's going through law enforcements, as we speak.

KOSIK: And so much unpredictability in this as well. Lenny DePaul, thanks so much for that.

DEPAUL: You're welcome.

KOSIK: And still ahead, the pope visiting a religious relic that could date back thousands of years, the Shroud of Turin. And that's not all for his visit. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:53:22] KOSIK: Pope Francis is in the middle of his tour in Turin, Italy. Right now, the pope is having lunch with some prisoners. Later, he's going to be meeting with the sick and disabled at the church.

Earlier, the pope visited the Shroud of Turin, a piece of cloth that some believe is the burial wrapping of Jesus.

Here's a look at another top story we're keeping an eye on. Detroit police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened during a child's birthday party. Police say it's a miracle no children were wounded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I was scared. My heart was beating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's kids out here. I'm livid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: There were a few hundred people at the party when bullets began flying. Ten adults were shot, one victim died.

I want you to look at this picture. There's a manhunt for him, 22- year-old Travis Boyd. Police say yesterday morning while being transported to prison, he somehow freed himself from handcuffs, grabbed a weapon and shot and killed Officer Darrell Holloway. There is a $10,000 reward for his re-apprehension.

Church services are just a short time away in Charleston, as across the city they're looking for guidance from the altar as they get past the tragic shooting. We're live outside the church when we come back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's Brian Taylor Urruela's job to motivate others as a personal trainer. But not long ago, the 29-year-old needed motivation himself. In 2006, Urruela was in the army, stationed in Iraq, when his Humvee hit two roadside bombs.

[07:55:04] He survived the blast, but his right leg was severely injured.

BRIAN TAYLOR URRUELA, U.S. ARMY VETERAN: My leg was completely useless. I would never run again, never bike, never swim. We fought for two years. I had about 10 to 12 surgeries to try and fix it. They suggested elective amputation as an option.

GUPTA: After amputation surgery, Urruela had a tough time adjusting to civilian life.

URRUELA: I was planning on a 20 year career, and that was over. That's when the PTSD just hit me hard, started just trying to drink the pain away. I didn't want to die, but I didn't want to live anymore.

GUPTA: He got counseling. He hit the gym and started volunteering.

URRUELA: Took kind of the focus away from myself.

GUPTA: Urruela and two other veterans were inspired to start the nonprofit Vet Sports.

URRUELA: We help veterans transition back into civilian life through team sports and community involvement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's basically a support system. I know the guy to my right and my left has my back, just like on the battlefield.

GUPTA: It's a camaraderie that heals.

URRUELA: And I'm finally in a place where I'm genuinely recovered and happy.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Nine roses to remember those members of Mother Emanuel AME Church. This is the front page of Charleston's "Post and Courier" this morning as everybody there gets ready for a day of prayer. This church will become a house of worship again.

And as the city heals, and moves forward, we're learning shocking new details from the man behind the shooting, a Web site and manifesto of what was going on in his mind leading up to the deadly attack.