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Kenyatta: Gay Rights a Non-Issue; Gunman had History of "Extreme Erratic Behavior"; Hillary Clinton to Testify on Benghazi in October; Calls to Remove KKK Mural; Obama Warns on Threat from Al- Shabaab; Houser Had History of Mental Illness, Personal Issues; Why Tom Brady's Appeal Ruling Taking So Long? Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired July 25, 2015 - 11:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is the 11:00 Eastern hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The NEWSROOM starts now.

All right, let's begin with more news out of Kenya. President Barack Obama on his trip there defying the Kenyan president on the issue of gay rights. Kenya has come under criticism for its laws that threaten gays in the country with imprisonment. Here is part of what the president, President Obama, had to say at a news conference just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[10:59:37] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When you start treating people differently, not because of any harm they are doing anybody, but because they are different, that's the path whereby freedoms begin to erode. And bad things happen. And when a government gets in the habit of treating people differently, those habits can spread.

And as an African-American in the United States I am painfully aware of the history of what happens when people are treated differently under the law. And there were all sorts of rationalizations that were provided by the power structure for decades in the United States for segregation and Jim crow and slavery. They were wrong.

So I'm unequivocal on this. If somebody is a law abiding citizen who is going about their business and working in a job and obeying the traffic signs and doing all the other things that good citizens are supposed to do, and not harming anybody, the idea that they are going to be treated differently or abused because of who they love is wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Meantime President Uhuru Kenyatta did offer a reply to President Obama's remarks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UHURU KENYATTA, PRESIDENT OF KENYA: It's very difficult for us to impose on people that which they themselves do not accept. This is why I repeatedly say that for Kenyans today the issue of gay rights is really a nonissue. We want to focus on other areas that are day to day living for our people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's Jim Acosta is with the President.

So Jim, the President made those remarks because one of the reporters asked him a question as it pertained to sexual orientation and gay rights. Was this an awkward moment for the President knowing the history of Kenya as far as how it treats gay people?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I don't know if it was an awkward moment, Fredricka, but it certainly was a moment where you saw some big differences between President Obama and President Kenyatta.

You know earlier in the week, White House officials were telling us that the President was going to feel free to make his feelings known on the subject. And as you know because of what has happened at the Supreme Court in the United States with respect to same-sex marriage the White House, you know, was lit up in rainbow colors not too long ago.

The President felt like when he came to Kenya he was going to be able to speak out on this issue. Now the White House was not putting together events for the President to go out and deliver those remarks sort of in your face to the Kenyan people. But they knew that the question might come. And Reuters' Jeff Mason asked the question at the press conference and the President responded pretty forcefully there comparing the experience of gays and lesbians to African- Americans who lived under Jim Crow laws in fact in the United States. That's about as forceful as you can get.

And you saw President Kenyatta, when he disagreed with the President, you know, he received applause during that press conference from some of his supporters there saying that not only is it a nonissue in Kenya. He said that the culture of Kenya simply is just in a different place than the United States. And so he is getting roundly applaused for much of what he said during those remarks.

But, you know, it was one area of disagreement in a news conference where there is lots of agreement -- Fredricka. They both talked about security issues, the fight against al Shabaab and at one point President Kenyatta said the fight against al Shabaab is an existential fight for the people of Kenya and the President went on to say that they're going to be working more cooperatively down the road. That the President expects there to be more strikes against al Shabaab to try to root out this very big terrorist problem in this part of the world.

But no question about it. It was one of those uncomfortable moments between two heads of state that you don't see very often at a news conference.

WHITFIELD: All right Jim. And also joining us in this conversation Ron Brownstein, CNN political analyst and Jason Johnson, professor of political science at Hiram College. Ron, if I could ask you, while as we heard Jim say, the White House was prepared -- preparing itself for a question like this knowing Kenya's stance on this. The President's remarks in large part for the American audience and less so of the Kenyan audience? What's your point of view?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I actually don't think so. I think that -- you know, I don't think they were anticipating, you know, an immediate conversion by the Kenyan leadership. But I thought by framing the argument in the way that he did he was trying to introduce an idea into sort of the Kenyan dialogue.

[11:05:04] I mean by equating gay rights to the U.S. struggle for racial equality I thought was the most powerful argument, the most powerful framing he could have made for this in an African context both because of the, you know, kind of the emotional resonance of that idea but also because it does not come across as the U.S. simply lecturing from a position of superiority. He kind of grounds this in our own struggles on many fronts over a long period of time.

So I think -- I think this is actually something that he was introducing kind of into the bloodstream that without any expectation of immediate success but trying to reframe the dialogue there in a way that might not play out fully for years.

WHITFIELD: Interesting.

So Jason reframing the tie log then, the President was asked about his legacy, his extension of work into Kenya beyond his presidency. He reminded people, I have been here before. His roots with his father having been born and buried there in Kenya. And he made it clear he does plan to incorporate Kenya in his life after the presidency.

He may not be wearing a suit, as he put it. He may return to the jeans and backpack in his earlier days. Do you think gay rights or the issue of equality he said, you know, unequivocally this is the way he believes it should be -- that he will try to bring that? It will be more of an introduction perhaps in later years to insert his point of view into Kenya?

JASON JOHNSON, HIRAM COLLEGE: I don't think so. What I picked up from President Obama especially when he said, by the way, I know you guys are more excited that Michelle will be coming back and there was actually cheering. I think the President is talking about personally. I think the President's talking there are things here for education. There are things for health care. There is a lot of issues that he can speak on.

What I really found was interesting about the sort of exchange between President Kenyatta and President Obama, Obama is staying consistent. And one of the things that we always criticize presidents for in the United States is speaking with a big stick in the U.S. but then suddenly they get really quiet when they go to China, when they go to Russia, when they go to other countries. He was staying consistent.

I don't think he's going to make any changes. I don't this is going to be his mission when he leaves. But he's going to say look, I'm going to be the same man whether I'm in the U.S. or I'm in Nairobi.

WHITFIELD: And interesting, you know, Jim. Just seeing these two men together, they represent a youth in leadership because it was, you know, Uhuru's father, Jomo Kenyatta who was once president. I as a kid, given I was born there had a chance to go to the wake of Jomo Kenyatta. And this was an elder statesman.

ACOSTA: Yes. Wow.

WHITFIELD: And that was the representation of leadership in African nations. Usually it's of a different generation. Was there something behind the symbolism of seeing these two young men who are contemporaries by way of their generation leading these two nations in coming together like this -- Jim?

ACOSTA: I think definitely so although we should point out President Obama a little grayer than he was the last time he was here in Kenya. But no question about it. I thought it was sort of surprising the way the President praised Uhuru Kenyatta when it comes to combatting corruption in this country. We were not expecting the sort of full- throated endorsement of Kenyatta and the progress that he's made here on that front. You know, there was some controversy before the President came out here, well, should he be meeting with Kenyatta? You know he was being accused of some pretty serious crimes by the International Criminal Court. Those charges were dropped. But at the same time the question remains.

You know, should the President -- should he be coming to this country, considering the past that we are talking about here? And, you know, the White House was very clear about it, you know. This is not a Jeffersonian democracy in east Africa. Neither is Ethiopia by the way, where the Prime Minister recently got 100 percent of the vote.

The White House has concerns about Ethiopia as well. But they feel like coming to this part of the country -- and by the way, the first time a U.S. President has come to either Kenya or Ethiopia -- sends a very powerful signal around the world. And the President wants -- he issued this call earlier today.

Look past the stereotypes. Look past the troubled history of this continent and start making investments here. And as you know, Fredricka, the Chinese are coming in. There is a lot of investments coming into Africa. Nairobi is actually a fairly modern, prospering city.

WHITFIELD: Right.

ACOSTA: And the President is trying to get the message out there and so is President Kenyatta that this continent is on the move, and the United States better start paying attention.

WHITFIELD: And of course, the President's, you know, named entrepreneurs, American entrepreneurs who are part of this kind of ambassadorship of bringing entrepreneurship or at least assisting in the entrepreneurial spirit there in Kenya. That's taking place while the President is there in fact I have an interview with one of those ambassadors, Damon John (ph) coming up later on in our newscast.

Meantime, thanks so much to all of you. And again, the President on his way to Ethiopia after Kenya.

Jim, Ron, Jason -- thanks so much, gentlemen.

ACOSTA: Thanks -- Fred.

[11:10:00] JOHNSON: You bet.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll get to that in a moment on the tragedy taking place in Louisiana.

But first this just in to CNN. Hillary Clinton will indeed testify before the House Special Committee investigating the Benghazi consulate attacks in 2012 when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other killed.

All right. Now, we are also learning new details today about John Russel Houser, the gunman in the Louisiana theater shooting. The investigation now uncovering a past of extreme erratic behavior. This picture surfacing of Houser flying a swastika flag outside his tavern after losing his liquor license. We also now know that he legally bought the .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol used in the attack which he purchased at a pawnshop in Alabama last year.

Joining us live now from Lafayette, Louisiana is CNN Ryan Nobles with more on this investigation -- Ryan.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka -- good morning to you.

And you mentioned we learned yesterday that John Houser was able to obtain that.40-caliber gun legally, this despite a long history of run-ins with the law and issues with his mental health. It appears because he was never convicted of a serious crime no one could stop him from obtaining that weapon. The weapon he ultimately used to kill two people and wound nine others.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES: A moment of horror inside a Louisiana movie theater.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was standing up, pointing straight down. You could see like the light from the end of his gun -- you know, almost like a flash.

[11:15:04] NOBLES: Police say this man, the 59-year-old shooter stood up in a crowded movie theater armed with a handgun and opened fire. It was 20 minutes into a showing of the comedy "Trainwreck" at the Grand 16 theater.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was blood everywhere. That's when we realized what was going on. So we ran.

NOBLES: 21-year-old Mayci Breaux and 33-year-old Jillian Johnson were shot dead and nine others injured -- one critically. The shooter fired off at least 13 rounds and left the theater before turning around, firing again then killing himself. Officials say the presence of law enforcement caused him to turn the gun on himself.

COL. MIKE EDMONSON, LOUISIANA STATE POLICE: He turned it on himself because coming up the hallway in that small theater were police officers coming in to him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get the ambulances over here now.

NOBLES: First responders raced to the scene carrying out the wounded. This cell phone video shows an officer and two civilians coming to the aid of one of the victims.

CHIEF JIM CRAFT, LAFAYETTE POLICE: There were two police officers who were actually on this property at the time the incident occurred.

NOBLES: As the gunshots rang out, that injured school teacher managed to reached up and pull a fire alarm. She is being called a hero.

Officials say one .40-caliber handgun was at the scene. And they found wigs and other disguises in the shooter's hotel room. What remains a mystery tonight is the motive.

CRAFT: This is a senseless, tragic act. Why would you come here and do something like this? And so just like the victims -- we are searching for answers, too.

NOBLES: The search for answers continues to be intense as the healing process begins.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES: And Fredricka -- you talked a lot about his erratic behavior which we are seeing many examples of as we go back through Houser's history. You mentioned the swastika on the side of the bar that he owned in protest of the local government taking away his liquor license.

More recently we have learned that after he was evicted -- forcibly evicted from his apartment in Alabama that he went back and trashed that apartment in protest. We still don't know why he ended up here in Lafayette, of all places -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Ryan -- what else are we learning about him?

NOBLES: Well, we are learning that he had many run-ins with his family as well. That his family was very concerned about his mental health. At one point they had him put in temporary protective custody, involuntary protective custody. His wife and daughter actually had a protective order out against him because they were concerned about him. His brother also said that he hasn't had much contact with him at all over the past ten years except for when he had called him recently just to ask for money.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Ok. Thanks so much. Ryan -- appreciate that. Ryan Nobles in Lafayette.

So let's talk more about this. Here now is former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam and licensed psychologist Eric Fisher.

Eric, let me address this to you first. The photo of Houser, the gunman with a swastika flag. Why would someone act out in this way after getting into trouble for doing something illegal -- if you could try to get into his brain in terms of what's the real impetus here? What's message is this person trying to send?

ERIK FISHER, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, I think what this looks like to me is somebody who probably has a history of feeling alienated. Clearly it seems like he had issues with his families. He had issues with his community. He tried to potentially fit in in different situations.

And while we can look at mental health as being a moderating factor, this is somebody who seemed to feel a lot of anger, rage and hatred and acted on that.

And that's where -- I even look at the movie that he went to. Here is a movie that people are supposed to feel happy and be having fun at and enjoying. And he seemed to want to take the joy out of others. Even his daughter's wedding.

Now going back to his family and why the restraining order. From what I read it's that it was because he had an issue with his daughter getting married to the man that she was engaged to.

WHITFIELD: And then Jonathan, what we have learned about his purchase of the gun and the act that consequently happened here. What stands out to you from, you know, a law enforcement standpoint of the kind of flags that there may have been, what we know about the concerns his family had about him?

He was denied a concealed gun permit. But apparently he illegally obtained a weapon in Alabama.

JONATHAN GILLIAM, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Well, I think -- ok, one of the problems I'm having with this mental health issue and the weapons is that we are not able to look at the totality of the circumstances when it comes to mental health. This individual obviously had a very troubled life. He had multiple complaints that were logged about mental issues, about rage. We need to come up with some type of a way to look at this and categorize and catalog these types of behaviors because we do this with criminal behavior.

[11:20:04] What I don't want to see though is that somebody who has, you know, depression or somebody that has problems with their life at some point and they see a counselor that they are categorized as somebody who should never have or touch a weapon. What I do think though is that we need to start looking at long-term

behavior problems and some way to categorize those. I mean the family tried to have this guy committed for a period of time. Those are things that really need to be looked at before they sell a weapon to somebody. I think that's something that we can look at.

WHITFIELD: And then Erik, there seem to be some real common denominators when we talk about some of these massacres that have occurred in recent years. And then you hear conversations about mental fitness, sanity, insanity. But then you also see behavior that exhibits someone, this gunman and other gunmen knew that what they were about to embark on was wrong because there is an attempt to kind of clean up or kind of dust, you know, away the trail.

The license plate of this gunman and the use of the disguises found in the hotel room. All of that says that he knows there is a right and a wrong. So how does anyone kind of make sense of this? What do we do to equip ourselves as a society to identify real problems and prevent something like this from happening again?

FISHER: Well, depending on impulse control issues, somebody can be a risk in only very specific circumstances. It's very clear that he seemed to premeditate this whole event. Going far away from his home. Again I feel that he didn't want to get caught.

He went far away from his home. He had disguises. He changed the license plate on his car. All these factor that you mentioned as well that he had enough forethought to be able to plan this event.

What we are looking at is what are the specific circumstances that can start to become a forecast for somebody who might have a risk to act out. The problem is when we start to take away people's civil liberties in a way based on their mental health then you are crossing a slippery slope.

And the answer is extremely difficult and complex to resolve because clearly it is not a case of insanity. But you look at somebody with potential paranoid delusions and how he saw the government always manipulating things. And we don't know how significant he was either in a manic phase or whether he was just in a really impulse control issue -- related phase and he just acted out based on feeling like his life was going nowhere.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erik Fisher, Jonathan -- we'll leave it there. Thanks so much gentlemen -- appreciate it.

GILLIAM: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. More now on information I told you about at the top. This just in to CNN. Hillary Clinton will indeed now testify before the House Special Committee investigating the Benghazi consulate attacks back in 2012; as you recall Clinton was secretary of state. U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed.

This investigation has grown into a political fight over Clinton's e- mails on that private server. As she now is running for president as well, that issue and those questions have not gone away.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has been all over the story. So Sunlen what more are you hearing about this testimony upcoming?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Fred -- the date is finally set. The Clinton campaign confirming October 22 and Clinton will appear on the Hill in a public hearing. Now this is important because there had been much contention between the Clinton campaign and Republicans on that committee, the chairman of that committee.

Republicans really wanted her to testify twice. One in private and then another in public. Clinton has long said that she will testify once and one time only. And she wanted that to be public. You know, her role in this as secretary of state at the time has brought one of the biggest attack lines Republicans have brought against her, also a lot of scrutiny elsewhere.

So certainly the Clinton campaign eager to put some of these questions to bed. The committee also has, Fred, been scouring through a lot of those e-mails that were released from the State Department from her private server which highlighted the conversations she was having leading up to the attack in Benghazi and after the attack.

It should be noted though that Clinton has repeatedly defended herself against this saying that she had no direct role in the security decisions at U.S. facilities, the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. Certainly this will just put another spotlight on this issue though for the Clinton campaign in October, something Fred, that they do not want to be focusing on.

WHITFIELD: All right. Sunlen Serfaty -- thank you so much. Appreciate that.

Still ahead thousands are calling for a piece of art to be removed from a Florida courthouse. This mural right there depicting the KKK in Baker County. So what is the message that's being sent?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice doesn't discriminate. And yet they are going into a courthouse that says it might.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Many states are rallying to remove the confederate flag and racial tensions are bubbling up over what can be defined historic or downright racist images. Recently this mural in Idaho came under fire for depicting white settlers preparing to lynch a Native American. And now a mural in a Florida courthouse outside of Jacksonville also sparking controversy.

CNN's Victor Blackwell recently traveled there. He's with me now. So explain. How did this come to be and what is happening? VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is to be a depiction

of the history of the small county. But there are some parts of history that opponents say should be left in the past.

And specifically what you're seeing between us, the depiction of the KKK. Now, we know that for some they say that this is heritage. Others say this is an expression of hate.

We went to get answers from both sides.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: In a quiet rural county about 35 miles west of Jacksonville, Florida hangs a mural. It depicts in the artist's words, "Baker County, Florida's thousands of years of history and pre- history". And thousands of people from across the country have stopped to admire it. Some leaving notes of appreciation in its very own guest book.

"Beautiful with the accuracy of the history of Baker County" -- that's from Marion. Andre thinks "It's an extraordinary piece of art.": Then there's this anonymous message -- "Should make the KKK bigger and brighter." Yes, that KKK.

[11:30:15] JOHN PHILLIPS, ATTORNEY WITH FLORIDA JUSTICE: The Ku Klux Klan is not heritage. That is a hate group.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The simple inclusion of these hooded Klansmen on horseback is not what's riled John Phillips and other attorneys with the group Florida Justice. It's that this mural is hanging inside the Baker County courthouse.

Marquita Smith is Phillips's paralegal.

MARQUITA SMITH, PHILLIPS' PARALEGAL: If I were to walk into this courthouse for any legal matter, am I going to be getting justice? Am I going to be treated fairly?

BLACKWELL: The group has now launched a petition on Change.org to remove the mural.

SMITH: It's a pretty mural, but it should be in a place of historic value like a museum.

BLACKWELL: Not in the courthouse?

SMITH: Not in the courthouse.

BLACKWELL: The artist, local historian Gene Barber died several years ago, but in a guide explained why many of the elements were included in the mural.

The palmettos, the panther, the confederate soldiers. He described the KKK as an organization that sometimes took vigilante justice to extremes but was sometimes the only control the county knew over those outside the law. HOYLE MCINARNAY, BAKER COUNTY RESIDENT: It's a bad thing to happen. But it's part of what did happen.

BLACKWELL: Hoyle McInarnay has lived in Baker County all his life. He started a counter petition to, quote, "leave the mural alone at the courthouse."

He has collected as many signatures as the petitioners who want it to come down.

(on-camera): They are offended by the hooded Klansmen and some of the other images. You tell them what?

MCINARNAY: If that's the case, are we going to stop talking about the holocaust in schools? You have to know the history to be able to stop it from happening again.

BLACKWELL (voice-over): But the petition alleges that the mural does more than depict history. It suggests that it features white supremacist symbols hidden in plain sight.

PHILLIPS: There is symbolisms of turpentine, which was used in tar and feathering. There's a copious use of trees and low hanging limbs. There's just stuff that raises questions of whether there was a deeper meaning.

BLACKWELL: Including this woodpecker just to the left of the Klansmen. Now widely considered extinct, the bird was once a southeastern U.S. Native and, according to the petition and the anti- defamation league, a symbol embraced by skinheads.

PHILLIPS: Justice doesn't discriminate. And yet they are going into a courthouse that says it might.

BLACKWELL: Baker County seemingly settled this controversy in 2002 when the mural was dedicated. The chief judge at the time ordered it be removed from its originally intended home near courtrooms on the second floor. So it was hung on the first floor. And with its tiny confederate flag, there it has greeted every visitor for the last 13 years.

So why the controversy now? Well, because this happened. After the removal of the confederate flag at the South Carolina State House, Baker County and cities and states across America are being challenged to strike a balance and to consider finding new homes for history.

MCINARNAY: The history of Baker County. That's what people are standing for is to keep this history alive.

PHILLIPS: Now we feel like we have to look at history and heritage as a common nation, white, black, red, brown, yellow, green. And that's the issue.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, you have heard from an attorney there, residents there. Now what about elected officials? Like county officials. We heard the judge, you know, imposed some directive on where to hang it, but what about elected officials. How are they responding?

BLACKWELL: I tried to get the county manager or the county commissioners on camera. They either didn't have time, wouldn't have a comment or did not respond at all. But we did hear from the county manager through e-mail saying go back to that decision back in 2002 from the judge he decided it should be in the courthouse, which is totally inaccurate.

The order said it can't be on the second floor. He also notes that the commission wants it somewhere in the building. The commission decided to put it on the first floor right at the entrance. I mean, you go through the metal detectors, it's the fist thing you see.

Secondly, they have said although there is this petition, there is no formal request that's been submitted to the board to remove it. Florida Justice John Phillips there says, just give us some time. They will come up with a way to do that possibly through the courts.

WHITFIELD: That answered my question of what's next. There is pressure from the public to respond but this might elicit real movement on addressing the concerns.

BLACKWELL: Possibly soon.

WHITFIELD: All right, Victor Blackwell, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

All right, still ahead, more on Barack Obama's visit to Kenya. Why it has a lot of meaning both political and personal.

And an important U.S. ally takes an active new role in the fight against ISIS. How will this impact the war on terror?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:38:07] WHITFIELD: This is President Barack Obama in Kenya earlier this morning laying a wreath at the memorial for victims of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi. The president is in Kenya for a visit that will also take him to neighbouring Ethiopia. He addressed the ongoing terror threat in the region from the Somali-based extremist group Al-Shabaab.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have systematically reduced the territory that Al-Shabaab controls. We have been able to decrease their effective control within Somalia and have weakened those networks operating here in east Africa. That doesn't mean the problem is solved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: This is also a personal trip for President Obama. It's the first time visiting his father's homeland since becoming president. And look right here at a dinner that he had with some three dozen family members there from Kenya. Family that he hasn't seen in years. But again this is the first time he's been visiting as a sitting president. He had been here previously before.

All right, let's talk more about the terror threat in the region. Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona is a CNN military analyst and a former U.S. military attache in the Middle East.

All right, so we just heard the president say Al-Shabaab was a key target in the region as it pertains to doing something about terrorism. This is very difficult though because we are talking about Kenya which has always embraced feeling very safe, but the bordering Somalia Al-Shabaab has encroached, there have been many terrorist attacks leading to many deaths.

So what do you see behind the president's visit and trying to tackle what is a global problem, trying to contain, if not eliminate Al- Shabaab?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, there's been a subtle shift in American tactics in Africa fighting Al-Shabaab in particular. And it coincides with the president's visit. I'm not sure the two are related but the timing is certainly there.

Over the last few weeks you have seen a real up tick in the tempo of American air operations, primarily drones in Somalia. But the focus has shifted.

In the past we would only go after high value targets when we had specific intelligence. And it would be a drone strike trying to kill or take out that particular leader. Now what you are seeing is American air power, mostly drones again being used in support of the ground forces that are operating inside Somalia. This is the Amazon. This is this joint African force of which Kenya is one of the primary players.

So we are seeing increased American involvement and we're seeing much better operations on the ground. And the president is right. We are containing Al-Shabaab in Somalia, cutting into their territory that they control.

Remember in 2013-2014, we had some very serious attacks by Al-Shabaab inside Kenya. And they are trying to prevent that from happening again by taking the fight into Somalia.

WHITFIELD: Right. And the coastal town of Mombasa and then of course right there in Nairobi with the shopping mall, most recently, and the Christian University.

All right, so now let's also talk about this latest development in the fight against ISIS. We are talking about Turkey. The country of Turkey now getting more involved. It has bombed ISIS targets inside Syria and it has arrested some 600 terror suspects. And now we are talking about potentially opening up their airstrips, Incirlik Air Base, for more access for U.S. military and U.S. arsenal. What do you suppose is the plan? How might the U.S. take advantage of that vantage point from Turkish airstrips?

FRANCONA: Well, that's a game changer. If the Turks are going to allow us to use Incirlik and there's three other bases that we like access to and they're all just directly north of Syria, that would really cut down the flight time.

Right now we're having to operate from bases either in Jordan or down in the Gulf area and the pilots are flying sometimes 800 to 1,000 miles just to reach their target. If we can launch from these Turkish air bases, we can be on target within 45 minutes to an hour.

We are talking distances of anywhere between 100 to 200 miles. This would allow us to put a lot more aircraft over the area quicker, faster reaction, carry more ordinance and cut down on refuelling because that's one of the limiting factor as how many aircraft you have to do the refuelling. So this could be a game changer, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, we're going to leave it right there. Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, thanks so much.

All right. And we are also finding out more about the man who opened fire in a Louisiana movie theater. He once flew a swastika outside a business that he owned. And his family said he suffered from mental issues. So how was he able to get a gun?

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[11:46:35] WHITFIELD: All right. Investigators have learned that the Louisiana movie theater shooter John Russell Houser had a history of extreme erratic behavior.

These pictures surfacing today of Houser flying a Nazi flag outside his tavern after losing his liquor license. A court document showed that he had a long history of mental illness, domestic abuse, and erratic behavior dating back to 1989.

Joining me to discuss the legal implications of all of this are HLN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Joey Jackson and we also have CNN contributor Lawrence Koblinsky, who is a forensic scientist and chair of the science department at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

All right, good to see both of you, gentlemen.

LAWRENCE KOBLINSKY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Good morning.

WHITFIELD: Yes, good morning, late morning. So, Joey, the sheriff in Houser's home county said that despite Houser's known mental problems, they could not get him off the street. What do they mean by that?

JOEY JACKSON, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, there's a couple of things to consider here because you have what are called civil confinement and civil commitment laws. And what those do, Fredricka, is it enables a family member, a friend or someone who believes that you pose a danger to yourself or to others to confine you against your will. Those laws, of course, vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. However, you do have the ability in the event that someone really is acting in a dangerous way to petition the government to come get them, law enforcement, and to commit them until such a time that they are OK and could be released.

The problem is you cannot keep a person there forever. There is a time frame upon which you must be released. You just can't take people out of public view. But it certainly, I think, reinforces the need and the commitment to have a discussion about this civil commitment laws and how effective they can be and how they can be used moving forward, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so Lawrence, we know that Houser bought the gun legally in Alabama at a pawnshop. And we are hearing from family members that he had some sort of history with mental illness or some sort of mental problems. To what degree should that kind of history, whether it's documented by doctors or perhaps there were family members or other people who make those observations, should that play a part in whether someone should be able to access a gun?

KOBLINSKY: That's a good question, Fredricka. This is a very angry man who apparently suffered from bipolar disorder. He was involuntarily committed to a hospital and he had lost his business, lost his wife in a divorce.

And here he walks into a pawnshop and purchases a high-point, .40- caliber weapon legally. And the question is how do you keep guns out of the hands of people who are mentally challenged, let's say? There are HIPAA laws. There are background checks. I mean, there are many people who own guns who don't go around shooting people. So that is the trick.

How do you keep guns out of the hands of emotionally disturbed people? I'm not sure what the answer is. But certainly the vast majority of people that have guns don't go around in theaters killing people.

Something set this guy off. It could have been the three-year anniversary of the Aurora shootings. Who knows? And I think we may never know what the true motive is of this Houser character. We'll never know.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there. Lawrence Koblinsky, Joey Jackson, thanks to both of you, gentlemen. Appreciate it.

JACKSON: Thank you, Fredricka.

KOBLINSKY: Thank you.

[11:50:05] WHITFIELD: The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots opening training camp next week. Where did the time go? Will their star quarterback, Tom Brady, the man accused of playing a role in Deflategate be allowed to play at the beginning of the regular season? Answers coming up.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Next week marks the start of NFL training camps across the country. But the New England Patriot's still don't know if quarterback Tom Brady will play in their first regular season game.

As you recall in June, Brady appealed the NFL's four game suspension for his role in the Deflategate controversy. Those talks are still under way.

Joining me right now to talk more about this is CNN's sports correspondent Coy Wire.

So, Coy, the Deflategate game was six months ago. We're talking about Super Bowl, an eternity ago, but this is still unresolved.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Still on going. Deflategate should be renamed delayed gate. Yes, I mean, it took months for the investigation to happen. There was a 243 page report, and then the appeal happened. And it's been 32 days now since that appeal happened. So what's taking Roger Goodell and the NFL so long to decide whether or not Tom Brady's four game suspension should be decreased or taken away completely?

[11:55:07] Now there are a lot of different thoughts on this. Some people think that the NFL PA has been reported that they offered a settlement to the NFL. So, hey, we will take away some games, maybe take away all the games and let Tom just pay a fine, that sort of thing.

But there was also some people saying that the NFL has a few owners, a small group of influential owners who are really pressuring Goodell to keep this four game suspension. Could it be maybe the owners of the first four teams that they play during that four-game suspension? Who knows, but very interesting stuff.

But I did talk to a high-ranking NFL official, who said that they think that the reason they are prolonging this, that Goodell and the NFL is prolonging this, is to give them less time to react if they do keep it at a four-game suspension, to file an adjunction, send it to federal court, file for a stay on the suspension and that sort of thing. So it's kind of a tactic to delay it and not let them react.

WHITFIELD: So an inflation of the Deflategate controversy. That's the way I see it.

WIRE: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right, Coy Wire, thanks so much. It's good to see you.

WIRE: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right. We will be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: Happening now in the NEWSROOM --

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It seems like he was just going for the easiest targets. His hand was shaky. He obviously was shooting very much at random.

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WHITFIELD: Inside the shooting at a Louisiana theater. Witnesses telling CNN how it unfolded and their desperate escape.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was blood everywhere and that's when we realized what's going on so we ran.

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WHITFIELD: And new details uncovered about the shooter's past.