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NYPD Releases Video of Cop Body-Slamming Blake; Fiorina Chastises Media, Calls Trump "Entertainer"; Trump Rallies Supporters in Iowa, Attends Game; The Loneliest Club: Gun Violence Survivors Band Together. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired September 12, 2015 - 19:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:15] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone. Seven o'clock Eastern this Saturday evening. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Poppy Harlow, joining you from New York.

And we begin this hour with a former tennis star who was tackled and body slammed and handcuffed in the case of mistaken identity. That star James Blake now saying he wants to change the way that some police deal with the public and he has the video to help make his case.

This -- this is newly released video that shows him standing in front of a hotel when suddenly a police officer in plain clothes rushes at him, grabs him by the arm and neck, and pulls him face down unto to the sidewalk. Police commissioner has apologized, explaining that Blake looked like the suspect that police thought they were looking for in a credit card fraud investigation. It turns out they were looking for the wrong person. Blake says while he appreciates the apology, it is not enough and he is planning to meet with the department and the mayor.

This as it comes to light the officer has been accused of excessive force multiple times before.

Our Don Lemon sat down with James Blake earlier today and asked him if he thought race might have been a factor.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Your mom says, I'm glad he took the path of least resistance. It could have gotten pretty ugly. You don't think about them as being black until this kind of thing throws it back on you.

She thinks it has something to do with race. He says it doesn't. Do you?

JAMES BLAKE, FORMER TENNIS STAR: You know, I think the race issue is a huge issue. I don't think it's appropriate for this incident because I think this incident needs to be more about the force and the fact that this can't be used and these kind of police officers can't be encouraged to be back out on the streets.

I think the issue of race is a bigger one for a whole different interview and I don't want to muddy this situation, muddy this incident that really needs to create change in the police brutality, in the accountability of these police officers with the racial issue. I think there's probably -- there probably is a gray area with Bill Bratton being so clear one way and my mom being so clear the other way. I'm sure there is a gray area. And somewhere in the middle that we can talk about, but I think that's for really a different discussion.

LEMON: You said, "I am determined to use my voice to turn this unfortunate incident into a catalyst for change in the relationship between the police and the public they serve."

If that's not through a lawsuit or maybe it is, how does that work?

BLAKE: Well, like I said, I want to see change. I want to see this not happen. That was my first reaction once I realized that I needed to speak up about this, is I can't imagine this happening to someone I care about and I don't want to go through this again. I don't want to go through it personally and I don't want to go through it and see it happen to anyone around me and I know there's a lot of people out there that feel the same way.

So, we need to find a way to stop this from happening. I'm sure it won't be overnight. I'm sure tomorrow, this is going to happen somewhere. I don't want that to be the case. I don't want it to be brushed under -- swept under the rug and said it happens once in awhile but we'll move past it.

That's what I don't want. I don't want a lawsuit that says here's $5 million, go away. I want to keep talking about this. I want to open a dialogue with Commissioner Bratton, with Mayor de Blasio about real solutions, about accountability, about making sure that this isn't going to happen and these types of police officers are no longer able to do this.

LEMON: What do you say to that officer if he's sitting where I am?

BLAKE: The first thing I would say is, you took advantage of me in a very vulnerable situation and in doing so, you hurt my family. I want him to know this isn't just hurting me. Every time he's done this or would do this, it hurts a whole family.

And that's not fair. That's not fair to use your badge to do that, because you've got that badge and you are supposed to treat that with respect and with honor, the way we are supposed to respect and honor it. I don't think he deserves, I would say to him I don't think he deserves to ever have that badge again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: That officer who he is talking about, who took Blake down, officer Frascatore, has been placed on desk duty. Earlier today I spoke with former New York City Police Commissioner

Ray Kelly about allegations about the police officer from other cases and I asked him why he was on the street patrolling even though he is a defendant in two federal lawsuits that involve excessive force.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY KELLY, FORMER NYPD COMMISSIONER: Allegations have to be investigated. Police officers have a right to due process.

HARLOW: But isn't this still being investigated?

KELLY: This will be investigated. The other case are being investigated, as you lawyer that you had on here before said. Cops receive a lot of allegations, a lot of them false allegations, just so they back off. You know, you arrest somebody and they will make an allegation. I don't know if these cases were substantiated or not. I don't know if they were dismissed.

HARLOW: He got put on desk duty right after this one.

KELLY: This matter, yes.

HARLOW: Is it because it's on video --

KELLY: Sure, you have to make judgments on it, and we are sitting on CNN talking about it.

[19:05:02] HARLOW: Right, we are.

KELLY: Obviously, the department had to take action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Officer Frascatore has also been named in two additional complaints that allege police brutality.

(MUSIC)

HARLOW: In the race for the White House, Republican hopeful Carly Fiorina calls out the media, saying reporters should cover the issues rather than Donald Trump calling him, quote, "an entertainer."

Campaigning with other Republicans at barbecue in Dover, New Hampshire, Fiorina was asked about Trump's recent comments about her looks and she shared her thoughts and challenged reporters to focus on the issues rather than Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think Donald Trump is an entertainer, and I think I am a leader, and so what I do is talk to the American people about the issues they care about, and I think they hear what I am talking about.

REPORTER: They seemed pretty powerful remarks yesterday. Do you want to double down on those (INAUDIBLE) Donald Trump's comments?

FIORINA: You know, we have -- it's interesting. Let's we have been at this for six minutes and half has been about Donald Trump, and voters never ask me about Donald Trump, they don't ask me about Donald Trump. So you also think about that, because what voters care about -- I mean, it's entertaining. This is all very entertaining.

But the truth is, these are serious times and voters are concerned and frustrated and they're angry and in some cases they're afraid, so what they want to talk about are the issues that concern them and frustrate them and anger them and scare them. That's what they want to talk about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: For his part, Donald Trump was stumping in Ames, Iowa, today, following a campaign stop in Boone. Trump and several other Republican presidential candidates visited tailgate parties outside of the Iowa versus Iowa State football game.

CNN political reporter Jeremy Diamond caught up with the billionaire business mogul. He joins me now.

You caught up with him in a very loud, big crowd, as he tends to be surrounded by. What did he say?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, well, Donald Trump today swept through the Iowa State University like only Donald Trump can, with thousands of rowdy football fans chanting his name. In the midst of it all, we were able to get a few minutes with him. Check out what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: Mr. Trump, you were just inside and meeting with the university president. What did you guys talk about?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Just general. We talked about education. He is a very talented guy and we talked about education. He really has a good beat on it.

DIAMOND: Did you get any policy ideas out of the meeting or anything?

TRUMP: We really focused on education. They've done a great job in Iowa. And he has some great ideas.

Winning crowd, huh?

DIAMOND: When you see this kind of reception, what does it make you think about your chances in Iowa?

TRUMP: Well, I'm honored by it. I mean, you see it. You've been following me, and it's been amazing. And we just came out with a great poll from Iowa, and we are far and away in first place, and you understand why. DIAMOND: You said, it sounds like you are expecting a bunch of sleepers when you get to the debate this week. What are you going to do?

TRUMP: No, no sleepers. Everyone is capable, everyone is competent, and you do what you do. You know, I've been doing this for a long time, and I want to make America great again, I know how to do it.

DIAMOND: That sounds like a very different Donald Trump from what you used to say before. Capable, competent, talking about your opponents that way. That's a different Donald Trump.

TRUMP: I'm trying to be nice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: So, that -- the hat that he was wearing there, that camo "Make America Great Again" hat wasn't the only thing that he was showing off that was new. That last part there is Donald Trump showing softer edges it seems as he is not slamming candidates but also making some pretty nice comments about his rivals, calling them competent and capable.

HARLOW: Right. We'll see if -- we will see if it holds on the debate stage Wednesday night.

Here is the thing, though, Jeremy, I also read the transcript of your interview before you came on the air. You asked him specifically what he and the university president talked about and he didn't answer you, and you asked him specifically about what he was going to talk about in the debate, he didn't say anything, and are we getting anymore specifics on Donald Trump on much?

DIAMOND: Well, he did say today that he is planning on releasing his tax plan in three to four weeks and did release his immigration plan previously. But it's true, in the broad strokes we are still missing a lot of policy from Trump and that's going to be the criticism his rivals are going to continue to fling at him this week at the CNN debate. But at the same time, Donald Trump is still garnering mass appeal. He is rising in the polls, continuing to, and he thinks he has a strategy to win.

HARLOW: You look at the images. I mean, he is greeted like an absolute rock star. Jeremy Diamond, great reporting, catching up with him. Thank you, my friend.

Democratic presidential hopeful, Bernie Sanders, courting voters at a historic black college. Sanders told the crowd at South Carolina's Benedict College that he wants to end-all forms of institutional racism.

[19:10:01] He wants to make major reforms to the criminal justice system. He also got pretty fired up when he talked about the media coverage of the candidates and he says it's time to focus on the issues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The way media looks at politics is they see it as a baseball game or a soap opera, who is raising money, how much, how well people are doing in polls, who said something really dumb yesterday, who slipped on a banana peel, who insulted somebody -- who cares?!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: The GOP presidential candidates do face-off in back to back debates this Wednesday night, September 16th, 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. Eastern only right here on CNN.

Also, this controversial Kentucky clerk, Kim Davis, returns to work on Monday, but her legal showdown is far from over. Her lawyers have requested another delay in hopes that she can avoid issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. She was released from jail earlier this week, but has been ordered not to interfere with the deputy clerk in her office who are providing those licenses to same sex couples. If she does, the judge says, he will send her back to jail.

Earlier, I spoke with Nick Valencia about that new appeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was an appeal filed on Friday in the court of appeals and the argument from her attorneys is that Kim Davis, those that were looking for marriage licenses from her, they were given them before she went to jail.

So, since all of those looking for same sex licenses from here were given same sex marriage licenses, her argument is she shouldn't have to be required when she returns to work on Monday to issue those licenses nor should her office be required. Of course, a lower court judge has denied that motion, so now her attorneys are taking it to a higher court in hopes in getting resolution there. And you know this, Poppy, she has all along maintained her beliefs as a Christian kept her from issuing these same-sex marriage licenses. She essentially is saying that she would break federal law than break her own moral conscience.

Now, her supporters, they equate her to martyr, a Christian martyr, who stands for the Christian right, you see there, Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee showed up there for a rally earlier this week. Also, Senator Ted Cruz has thrown his support behind her. Her critics asking, why not resign, just as other clerks of the court across the country had done, those opposed same sex marriages. Others have stepped down, she is an elected official, people asking why not hold a referendum to see if really people want her in that position.

But she returns to work on Monday and we asked her attorney if she's going to do more of the same, if she's going to deny more same sex marriages. He was unwilling commit to an answer, just saying that she has given an oath to God and it's an oath that she doesn't plan to break. HARLOW: Nick, let me ask you before I let you go. The other

deputies, the clerks that work with her in the office because she is not the only one issuing these licenses, there are others that are issuing them as well, what is their feeling about her? Do they agree with her? Are they rallying behind her? Did they not agree with her? How is that working internally?

VALENCIA: Well, we have seen all but one of her deputies fall in line and follow the law, ten marriage licenses, seven of which were same- sex licenses were issued in the time those five days that Kim Davis was in jail. So, her effectiveness really is going to be judged on whether or not she intervenes in these issuing of same-sex marriages.

You know, she is putting herself at risk of going back to jail, Poppy. The judge has been very clear that if she denies more same-sex marriage licenses, that she's going to go right back to where she came from and that's prison. She spent five days there. She may be putting herself at risk to going back there again -- Poppy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Nick Valencia, thank you very much for that.

Still to come, ahead, a giant construction crane crashes into the largest mosque in the world, and more than 100 lives are taken. What caused this tragedy, next.

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[19:17:37] HARLOW: Checking some of our top stories this hour, an officer's body camera capturing a brave rescue in Texas. You can see the minivan submerged underwater at the end of the street there. Two officers don't waste time jumping in, and they were able to pull an elderly man and his grandson safely out of that car. Police say the man was trying to navigate through a flooded overpass and the water was just too high.

Saudi officials say heavy sandstorms caused a construction crane crashed into the crane of a mosque in Mecca. The video you're looking at shows the moment the crane hit a roof of the holy site. At least 107 people were killed and more than 200 others were hurt. The accident comes less than two weeks before the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Egyptian prime minister, along with his cabinet, the Egyptian prime minister and his cabinet have stepped down. The resignations come amid a corruption probe. Egypt's president asked the cabinet to stay on in a caretaker role and order the petroleum minister to form a new government within the next week.

And now to Eastern Japan, where almost 3 million people are being advised to evacuate following deadly flooding there. At least three people died there and more than a dozen still missing. Earlier today, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited some of the hardest hit areas.

Up next, a powerful CNN special report from our very own Brooke Baldwin. BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up an interview you can't turn

away from.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It tears you apart. It's nine years for me and I am still suffering every single day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Forty survivors in a room have never done this before, allowed our cameras to roll -- mothers, fathers, siblings, spouses, all of their lives forever changed by gun violence. Their powerful stories will move you.

You are watching CNN. Stay here.

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[19:23:16] BALDWIN: I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me.

This is so important. I would love to share with you the most emotional raw interview I have ever done. You know, we cover tragedies in America, and months, years later, the ones who suffered are left behind without the cameras to deal with their deep pain.

I sat down with "The Loneliest Club", 40 people brought together by the worst day in each of their lives. These are people who have lost a loved one to gun violence, others who survived. They were on Capitol Hill this week to demand what lawmakers do whatever it takes to stop gun violence in America, and no matter where you stand in this debate, these people, these people were living their lives normally just like the rest of us, and all of a sudden their lives changed forever.

Over the next half hour, you will hear stories about the phone calls they received, the struggles they cope with day to day, and the surprising connections they made with one another.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: You are all connected through great, awful tragedy. And I am honored to be in a room with you all. And I just wanted to begin - I know a lot of you all brought photos of people. This is the reason why you're here. And I just want to take a moment to see them all. Would you hold the photos up for me? All these faces. All these faces, this is why you're here and this is why this conversation is so important.

You can put the photos down for now.

Show of hands, how many people were affected by Aurora? Aurora.

How about Sandy Hook?

Virginia Tech?

How about -- how many of you, show of hands, were affected by a story that wasn't the front page of the paper the next day?

[19:25:07] How many people in here lost someone near and dear to them?

How many people in here own a gun?

How many people -- final question -- believe in hope for change?

You show all these photos. I want to hear a little bit about some of these folks.

Roxanna, to you first.

ROXANNA GREEN, DAUGHTER CHRISTINA KILLED AT REP. GABBY GIFFORDS' EVENT: Hi, my name is Roxanna Green. My daughter, Christina Taylor Green, was murdered on January 8th. She was nine years old, a third grader.

She was waiting in line to visit and talk with her congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords. And, unfortunately, she was shot in the back, through the heart, and died immediately.

BALDWIN: In a couple of words, what was her essence?

GREEN: She wanted to be the first female president of the United States. And also the first Major League pitcher, female pitcher, to play in the big leagues.

She was an amazing little girl. She was beautiful. She was brave. She was strong and I miss her every day.

BALDWIN: How about pass the microphone to your right. How about you two?

JACOB MOHLER, DAUGHTER BROOKLYNN WAS KILLED BY FRIEND PLAYING WITH A GUN: My wife sometimes has a hard time talking. Jacob and Darchel Mohler.

We lost our daughter, Brooklynn, to what they called an accidental shooting. Her best friend was playing with her father's gun that he left in a kitchen cabinet. She was shot in the back from about 15 feet away. She wasn't playing with the gun, but we were just told it was an accident.

BALDWIN: Tell me about her.

MOHLER: You know, I think some people have revisionist history when they lose somebody. She was really the genuine article. She was a marathon runner, a competitive gymnast, honor roll student. You know, the only child of the three that we never had to tell to clean her room or anything. She just -- she was really just, in her heart, just a really, really good kid.

BALDWIN: How about one more to your right. CLEMMIE GREENLEE, SON RODRIGUEZ MURDERED IN NASHVILLE: My name's

Clemmie Greenlee. My son was 29 years old. He was a murdered December the 8th, 2003. And that's when I really found out what the word "gangs" mean.

And I know they say guns don't kill but people do, but I do feel like they get them so plentifully and so easily out here in this world and in our communities that it could have been prevented on a lot of us if they weren't easily gotten.

BALDWIN: Lucy.

LUCY MCBATH, SON JORDAN WAS VICTIM IN "LOUD MUSIC" TRIAL: I was visiting with my family for Thanksgiving in Chicago and I had just talked to Jordan Thanksgiving Day and he was really excited about going to the mall the next day and shopping with his friends. And he made phone calls to all of his friends on Thanksgiving Day to tell them that he loved them and that he was so thankful to God that they were his friends.

And then the next day, I received a phone call that said Jordan had been murdered simply for playing loud music in his car. And every fear that you have as a parent, every fear that you have that they'll be hurt while driving or be in an accident, it all comes crashing down on you at one time. And I remember I was just completely numb.

BALDWIN: Where's Tom? Tom, Aurora. I want to hear from you.

TOM SULLIVAN, SON ALEX KILLED IN AURORA THEATER SHOOTING: That day was Alex's birthday. And I remember I woke up that morning -- I worked at the post office. Had to be to work early. So when I got up in the morning, I would turn the TV on.

And we had had it on a news channel and I saw the flashing lights, I saw a movie and that I placed the call, you know, to him and said, hey, I've seen this -- this is going on. You know, give me a call when you get up. You know, your mom's going to be worried. And before I hung up, I wished him a happy birthday because that was his birthday.

BALDWIN: Twenty-seven?

SULLIVAN: Yes, he was 27. Yes.

And, you know, then I -- I headed on into work and I actually drove right by the theater and could see the helicopters and I could hear the sirens and I called him again and, you know, said, hey, you know, I'm going to keep calling you every half hour until you, you know, get back to me.

And I went to work and proceeded to do that until my wife finally called me at 6:30 that morning and I tried to calm her down and said, you know, oh, I've been calling him, but she yelled at me over the -- you know, into the phone that, you know, Alex had been shot.

BALDWIN: Lonnie, what about you? LONNIE PHILIPS, DAUGHTER JESSICA KILLED IN AURORA THEATER SHOOTING: I

was asleep when Sandy got the call. The call came from inside the theater. And the screaming was still going on.

[19:30:00] And it was Brent, who was Jessie's best friend. he called -- she'd said he'd been talking to Jesse just minutes before, so when she got the call from Brent she knew something was wrong, so she asked Brent, where was -- where's Jesse? Brent said, "I tried." She said, Brent, please tell me she's got dead. And Brent said again, "I tried." So, the scream woke me up. I thought somebody was in our house fact that my wife, the scream was so horrible. And when I got to her, she was sliding down the wall, telling me Jesse was dead, and I said, "No, now look, you're mistaken", she said, "No, he's dead -- she's dead. Brent said she was dead and Brent's a paramedic. So, he knows she's dead".

BALDWIN: At these phone calls, you remember where you were, you remember what the day was like, you remember who called, the time of day? Rich, talk to me about when you got the call.

RICHARD MARTINEZ, SON CHRIS KILLED IN ISLA VISTA SHOOTING: My son, Christopher Ross Michaels Martinez was shot and killed in Isla Vista, California on May 23rd at about 9:27 p.m. 2014. And, Karen, his mom, was talking to a detective, and she was asking him whether he was alive or dead and the detective didn't want to tell her. And she insisted, and I could tell from her reaction that he was dead, and you know it's bad to lose a child, but it takes you down to a place you have never been before.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Coming up next, more of my emotional interview with these survivors, their powerful stories, and the connections they made with one another through grief and through loss.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I jumped on the phone and we started to cry, and it just seemed like our souls came together in a commonality that I can't even explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: I'm Brooke Baldwin, and if you're just joining me, I'm sharing my exclusive interview with the Loneliest Club, 40 people who've been forever impacted by gun violence. There is a bond between each of them I never knew about, and nobody really does unless you have been affected by a shooting. Some described it to me as a calmness, and understanding between on another. Not having to explain a severe pain they carry with them every day, every hour, every minute.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Pat, you played a unique role in what happened in Tucson, but you were there and you saw what happened, and you were one of those that jumped in and stopped him from reloading. And I think of you, and I think of first responders, paramedics, police, all kinds of people who arrive on all these different scenes, and I have to image you, thought, still have your own kind of recovery process, and I'm wondering what that looks like?

PATRICIA MAISCH, WRESTLED GUN AWAY FROM TUCSON SHOOTER: I do say that I was not physically injured that day, but it does take an emotional and spiritual toll on you.

BALDWIN: You don't have a physical wounding, but it's something that I imagine, Do you might think about this, still, every day or not as?

MAISCH: Oh, I do. And I often wonder who is next. Who is going to need comforting from all of us next? Who is going to gain some appreciation for what the rest of us have been through?

BALDWIN: Let me move on to DeAndra. How is it, your son survived? Tell me -- tell briefly -- he was hit by a bullet at a birthday party, and survived.

DEANDRA YATES, SON DRE SHOT AT BIRTHDAY PARTY: He did.

BALDWIN: But every day is a struggle.

YATES: Yes, every day is a struggle, and I, too, like Pat, think why did he survive? Especially, after I have met everyone here and I rarely meet people whose kids survived. And a lot of them choose not to speak out for, different reasons, so I don't cross their paths often, but the child I birthed at 18 years old I no longer have. He doesn't talk. He does not walk. I know he knows me. He is doing better with yes or no head nods, but we do not know what he understands. And as happy as his spirits are, I don't think he understands he has been shot, while he was minding his own business being an innocent child.

When he was in my home, he is in rehab now, it was a struggle. He could no longer be in his bedroom, he was in a den because he had different machinery and stuff that had to be -- we needed space for, and I remember getting up, and going to work, and walking past the door, and saying, I will see you later. He just looked around like, what? My heart goes out to people who have lost their kids, but to be faced every day with the reminder that he may never ever be what he used to, and he lies in your living room, in a hospital bed, or he's in a wheelchair. And you have to bathe him from head to toe, you have to stretch his fingers out so they don't get stuck, to be faced with that every day, I have to ask myself sometimes, did you make the right decision? Did you make the right decision? In my heart I know I did, but before he got to the point he is now, it was a struggle with me wondering, would Dre want to live like this?

So, my heart goes out to everyone. And for parents who choose not -- for parents to choose to pull the plug, there's no judgment, there's no judgment, it's a complete change of life to see your baby so altered. He's supposed to be a freshman this year, and all we wanted was for him to play football, that's -- high school football. And, of course, he wanted to go to college and play football. That was all snatched away from us by a stray bullet.

BALDWIN: It's the connections that you all have made, right? It's -- you all had no idea this would be happening to you. You had no idea that you would end up with the commonality with people sitting next to you, coming to the two of you, seeing your hands locked, in that Charleston church you lost your mother.

REV. SHARON RISHER, MOTHER ETHEL KILLED IN CHARLESTON CHURCH SHOOTING: Yes.

BALDWIN: And two cousins.

RISHER: Yes. I was at work when my nephew called and he said, "Auntie, there was a shooting at the church." And I said, "What church?" And he said, "Granny's church." And nobody had heard nothing. I kept -- I called my mama's phone, I did everything I could. No answer.

So, -- but I knew she was gone, because there would have been no other place in the world she would have been. So, I knew either my mother would have witnessed this terrible thing or she was one of the people that died. I couldn't even drive home. And I didn't know, yet, officially, but I knew in my heart, I had to stop my car twice because I was so nervous I couldn't even drive. And to then find out everything, Cousin Susie and Tywanza, and it was just too much for two days. I'm in Dallas, Texas. Two days. I wondered around in my pajamas watching the news because I couldn't take missing anything because I was hoping, beyond hope, that somehow they got it wrong, but I knew it wasn't wrong. I knew that she was gone.

BALDWIN: Sorry, give me a second. With the Charleston story, the world watched that courtroom --

I want to say it was the day after, whenever he was taken in, you saw family member after family member, forgiving him. We just learned last week the prosecutor, is indeed, going to seek the death penalty.

RISHER: Yes.

BALDWIN: I would be remiss not to ask you, do you forgive him? And how do you feel about that?

RISHER: I don't forgive him yet. Being a pastor and a reverend, I know that forgiveness is a part of life and what we do as a world to get past, but I am not there. I don't want to forgive him. I don't want to have to say, "I forgive you for killing my mother." I don't want to have to say that.

BALDWIN: You don't have to.

RISHER: And I know the process will have to take place and there is no time limit on that process, but I'm just not there yet. I'm not there yet, and I believe the god that I believe in, is patting me on the back saying, "you take your time."

BALDWIN: When you heard about what happened at that church in Charleston, Lucy, what was the first thing you did?

MCBATH: I was weeping. I weeped, literally, on my knees for a good hour and a half, two hours, because I felt like the last (bastion) of safety is a church, is a church. The next day when I was asked, you know, what are you going to do? Do you want to go to Charleston? I was like, yeah, I need to go to Charleston, because I know firsthand what those people are feeling, and I wanted to go there and I wanted to pray for them, and I wanted to offer them the very same support that I know those family members in that church prayed for me and my family when Jordan was murdered.

BALDWIN: How did you meet Sharon?

MCBATH: I received a bag full of cards, and I was going through things, and I came upon this envelope that had the address and then it had my name written on the side, so my curiosity says open this. I open it, and here is a two-page letter from Lucy. She left me her phone number. I didn't think about sending an e-mail, I jumped on the phone and we started to cry, and it just seemed like our souls came together in a commonality that I can't even explain. As far as the question of peace, it will only be three months, so I am raw, I am new to this cause. Peace will come.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Still ahead, what can be done?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I thought, something is going to happen now. We're not going to have all of these children mass murdered, and we're not going to do something as a nation?

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: You will hear their proposals for preventing the next shooting in this country.

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BALDWIN: Welcome back. I am Brooke Baldwin. And we've been sharing with you these powerful stories, and these 40 people, all brought together by the worst day in each of their lives. Losing a loved one to gun violence. And some have survived. Many still have not healed from what was the most painful day of their lives, but they have a new mission, to prevent these tragedies from happening to anybody else.

Here is the final piece of this exclusive, CNN Town Hall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: What are you feeling? Can we get a microphone, really quickly, to the end? Was something said in particular that triggered?

CLAI LASHER SOMMERS, VICTIM OF GUN VIOLENCE: My name is Clai Lasher Sommers, and I was 13, I was shot by my stepfather. And I have heard all of these stories as they came out in the news, I think the thing that is really speaking the me is that my worst horror, besides being shot and walking next to my body every single day, is my children being shot. Nobody is safe from this. I don't care who you are or where you stand, nobody is safe from this. And until we stand up, and ask, and demand that people start acting with some sort of morality and change legislation, what is going on?

After Newtown, I stood in front of the television camera saying to myself, oh, my god, something is going to happen. I cried for three weeks straight because I knew, as a child, what those children had been through. I knew! And I thought, something is going to happen now. We're not going to have all of these children mass murdered and we're not going to do something as a nation?

BALDWIN: What needs to happen? (INAUDIBLE) you are a survivor of Virginia Tech. You graduated from Blacksburg and have made this your life mission.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to agree with the sentiment on one level, however, I also have been doing this work in gun violence prevention, talking to legislators before sandy hook and it's a world of difference now than it was on December 13th.

BALDWIN: Give me two examples.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, the presence of this network is one. There has been no coordinated effort to bring people of similar experiences together to one. Just tell each other that you're not alone in this.

BALDWIN: You all are 700 plus strong. Is that right? Over 750?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over 750. People think that, however, that this conversation we're having is really about taking guns from everybody, and --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Or the other reality is that --

BALDWIN: That's a huge -- glad -- misconceptions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

BALDWIN: People think you all think people shouldn't have guns.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BALDWIN: And that's not the case?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's finding those common grounds to bring people together is how we're going to get things done, but the NRA cannot defeat us on background checks, straight up. And they have to associate it with an extreme end point in order to muddy the waters and make people confused. Because when they do have a genuine background check conversation, the average American thinks, this just makes sense, and this ought to be done everywhere.

ANNE HAYNES, HUSBAND KILLED BY GUN VIOLENCE: And my husband, Ron Kirby, was killed by a man that was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He sent his girlfriend to buy the gun. And killed my husband, and that -- right away you have to ask how can a mentally ill person who is a felon, on top of that, get away with sending his girlfriend to buy the gun? And still have not found the guns, and his deaths has just been devastating for me. He was the love of my life.

BALDWIN: I'm sorry. Hang on just a second. Let's get you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do want to make one point.

BALDWIN: Yes, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of these shootings are just random and where people are, but not with my mother, not with the nine people that was killed in that church. It was racially motivated, and this is something that we still have to talk about. It's not something that we can have vigils and light candles and then the next week, it's on to the next story. As Americans, and as citizens, and as people, who is a moral heart, we still have to look at the racial hatred in this country. And I will not just let that go by, because it's a big part of what happened in that church. And it's happened other places, but we don't want to talk about it because it's a hard subject. Well, it's time to talk about all of the hard things.

BALDWIN: Andy, what is going through your mind?

PARKER: Well, clearly I just, you know, I share your sense of loss. We are club members that nobody -- no one wants to join, but I think there is a -- there's a purpose here. I think we're all singing off the same sheet of music, and we're going to get something done, and it is going -- we are going to do whatever it takes, because I -- you know, we keep thinking there was a tipping point, and maybe this is -- maybe Alison's death is the tipping point. I think we're -- we've got the American people behind us, this group behind us, and I think we are going to get the money behind us, and if we have to outspend them, that's what we'll do.

(APPLAUSE)

BALDWIN: Thank you. Thank you all so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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