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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Oregon Campus Massacre: Victims Asked About Their Religion; Hurricane Joaquin Preparations. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired October 02, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:12] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Our breaking news this morning, disturbing new details in a college campus massacre. The gunman asking his victims their religion before shooting them, and what newly uncovered blog posts linked to the shooter are revealing this hour.
Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Berman. It's Friday, October 2nd. It's 4:00 a.m. in the East.
The breaking news this morning, new information about the 26- year-old gunman who killed ten people, injured seven others in the bloody campus massacre in Oregon. The police say he showed up at Umpqua Community College, heavily armed, with body armor.
According to a father of a wounded student, he opened fire as soon as he entered the classroom, asking his victims if they were Christian during the killing spree.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STACY BOYLAN, SHOOTING VICTIM'S FATHER: He came in and there was gunfire immediately and scattered the room and got everyone's attention. He -- from what I understand, what she said is he shot the professor point blank, right, one shot killed him. Took him right out. Others had been injured.
And then he -- this man had enough time -- I don't know how much time elapsed before he was able to stand there and start asking people one by one what their religion was. "Are you a Christian?" he would ask them. "If you're Christian, stand up." And they would stand up and he said, "Good, because you're Christian, you're going to see God in just about one second." And then he shot and killed them.
And he kept going down the line doing this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Let's get the very latest from John Vause who's on the ground in Roseburg, Oregon.
Good morning, John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, we still don't know why, but the how. How the gunman went about the rampage here on the community college. We know he went from classroom to classroom finding victims and shooting them. He was heavily armed, with three handguns and a long rifle with loads of ammunition, we're told. Enough for a prolonged gun fight.
He eventually died in a shootout with police. It is not clear if they killed him or he took his own life. And as you say, he even had body armor.
One student on campus spoke to our affiliate and she described the terror in that classroom as she heard the gunshots ring out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANNAH MILES, UCC STUDENT: She knocked on the door and she yelled through the door. She said, "Hey, is everyone OK over there?" As soon as she said that, multiple shots were fired. When she turned and looked at the classroom, the look on her face was horrifying. That's when I knew something was wrong.
And she looked at us and -- I don't know. It's hard to explain. When she looked at us, she said, "We have to get out now." One of my other classmates jumped up and said, "Let's go." We immediately began running. Still don't know what was going on. I knew the look and fear on my teacher's face that it was serious.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And, John, we are hearing from those who survived the shooting how they hunkered down in classrooms, they turned the lights off, they hid under desks, under their bags, they drew the curtains closed. At first, some thought it was a drill, but then realized it was all too real. Authorities say that maybe they will start naming those victims, the ten people who were killed later today, John.
BERMAN: So many families right now mourning in that town.
John Vause in Roseburg, Oregon -- thanks so much.
ROMANS: We are finding more this morning about the gunman, through police reports and some of the shooter's own recent blog reports. Authorities say the suspect was prepared for a prolonged gunfight and had at least four weapons when he arrived on campus.
Investigators also confirmed he lived near Roseburg and wrote online about recent mass murders, focusing on the attention it brought to the gunman.
In one passage he wrote, "A man who was known by no one is now known by everyone. His face splashed across every screen, his name across the lips of every person on the planet, all in the course of one day. It seems the more people you kill, the more you are in the limelight."
In California, the gunman's father spoke briefly to reporters. Here is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IAN MERCER, GUNMAN'S FATHER: I don't answer any questions right now. I don't want to answer any questions right now.
Obviously, it has been a devastating day, devastating for me and my family. All I ask is, I know you guys are here to do your job, all I ask is respect our privacy. So far, you have done that.
REPORTER: Any surprise at all?
MERCER: Shock. Shock is all I can say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Let's go to Winchester, Oregon, and bring in CNN's Sara Sidner standing by live outside an apartment where neighbors say that shooter lived.
[04:05:01] Good morning, Sara.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine.
Yes. So, this is what is happening right now. There are a couple of sheriff's deputies who have been tasked with staying here throughout the night. But the crime scene, for the most part, has been taken down.
What we can see is the number 12 on the door and crime scene tape going just up to that door on the second floor here. And that is where neighbors have told us that they believe Chris Harper Mercer lived.
They talked a little bit to us about him, saying that he was very quiet, that he kept to himself for the most part. People did not see him hanging out so much. He didn't engage with people very much. They would see him every now and then. He kind of walked with a shuffle.
But they are also talking about the fact when they came here and they were watching the area and somebody outside the area, they saw a woman who was crying. She looked like she was very, very upset. They believe that woman was his mother.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRONTE HART, NEIGHBOR OF GUNMAN: She was bawling. She looked really upset. I mean, I can't blame her. I mean, this is insane. My heart goes out to her and all the people there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: That was Bronte Hart, she lives in the same building. She said in the evening, all of a sudden, she looked outside and sees what appears to be police officers everywhere.
She said they were here. Some were crouched down and some wearing full body armor to go into the apartment. They were told that they needed to leave which they did. And they said there was a plethora of officers here.
We ourselves saw the FBI as well. The ATF has been out here. We noticed an evidence van and we noticed some things taken out of the apartment. And again, tonight, we are told there will be two deputies who are standing guard here to make sure no one enters that apartment -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Sara Sidner, thank you for that this morning. And bring us any new developments of the shooter's background -- thank you.
BERMAN: All right. President Obama responded last night. People who know him and work with him for a long time say this was as angry as they have ever seen him. This is the 15th time that he has been in office that the president addressed the nation of a gun- related massacre.
He challenged the American people and the news media to help toughen the nation's laws.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Somehow this has become routine. The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine. The conversation in the aftermath of it.
We have become numb to this. We talked about this after Columbine and Blacksburg, after Tucson, after Newton, after Aurora, after Charleston. It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun. And what's become routine, of course, is the response of those who oppose any kind of common sense gun legislation.
Right now, I can imagine the press release is being cranked out. We need more guns, they'll argue. Fewer gun safety laws.
Does anybody really believe that? There are scores of responsible gun owners in this country. They know that's not true.
What's also routine is that somebody somewhere will comment and say, Obama politicized this issue.
Well, this is something we should politicize. It is relevant to our common life together, to the body politic.
I would ask news organizations -- because I won't put these facts forward -- have news organizations tally up the number of Americans who have been killed through terrorist attacks over the last decade and the number of Americans who have been killed by gun violence, and post those side by side on your news reports. This won't be information coming from me. It will be coming from you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: So, "The Washington Post" reports 18 terror-related deaths in the U.S. last year. Look at this, between 1970 to 2014, that is a 44-year period, the nation has suffered about 3,500 fatalities at the hands of terrorists. The number of deaths from gun violence in the country this year alone, this year alone, about 8,500 and counting.
[04:10:00] You know, I was talking to Dan Pfeiffer last night, who was a senior adviser to President Obama and he said flat out this was angry as he has seen the president.
But I know you talked to people in the administration in the last few years, and I have also. It is not just anger. They all point to the issue of gun violence as their biggest regret as well. They say the president's biggest regret is that he has not done more or have been able to do more on this issue.
ROMANS: It is unfinished business for the president. It cuts real close for him. You know, people who know him say that Sandy Hook was very difficult for him. This feeling if you have scenes like that where children are slaughtered and still nothing really changes and it becomes routine, that's something that really concerns.
The administration and parents and everyone around the country, you know?
BERMAN: But a feeling of failure that goes along with it, the inability to change things is something that I think they all regret.
ROMANS: All right. Hundreds of mourners turning out for a candlelight vigil last night to remember the victims of the school massacre. Religious and political leaders trying to comfort neighbors and friends, attempting to make sense of the tragedy. The interim president of the Umpqua Community College and the Oregon governor were also on hand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE BROWN, OREGON GOVERNOR: We don't know why this happened. We only know we are called to come together as a community to banish fear and affirm love, to care for and comfort one another.
DR. RITA CAVIN, INTERIM PRESIDENT, UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Today was the saddest day in the history of the college. The college just celebrated its 50th anniversary recently and this is a tragedy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Recently retired president of Umpqua Community College says the school discussed hiring an armed security guard during the past year, but ultimately decided against it. Officials thought the area was safe and the armed officer might change the feel and culture on a campus that was designated a gun-free zone.
CNN military analyst Rick Francona lives in the area and believes the discussion needs to take place right now about school security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: There'd been a lot of discussion today about the gun free zone, is it a gun-free zone? Was it not? And Oregon law is very tricky. Technically, they can't prevent you from bringing a gun on campus, but they can prevent you from bringing into a building. So, it is technically a gun free-zone and they had unarmed guard.
So, this is going to bring out a reassessment of the security in this area because everybody thought this is such a safe area. The guards are more of a watch to make sure things were OK. No one realized you're going to have a gun battle on this campus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All right. We're going to be following the latest on the campus shooting tragedy all morning long. But, first, Hurricane Joaquin gaining strength, shifting its course. We're tracking the storm for you, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:15:47] ROMANS: Back to our breaking news coverage of the campus massacre at Umpqua Community College in Oregon.
The 26-year-old opening fire, leaving ten dead. Father of a wounded student telling CNN the shooter singled out Christians one by one for execution. It's not clear what his motive might have been. Listen to one who described the gunfire as it erupted in the classroom next door.
(BEGIUN VIDEO CLIP)
BRADY WINDER, ESCAPED CAMPUS MASSACRE: I regret not being able to make decisions or take anyone with me or making sure that -- I guess you could say making sure that people were running in the right direction. They know somebody is shooting and they don't know which to go. So, that's kind of scary knowing that some people might not be going the right direction. Your brain takes over and just said go. The feeling of today doesn't really leave you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Investigators have uncovered blog posts from the shooters talking about mass murderers and the attention it brought to gunman. We will have more on the Oregon campus murder, ahead.
BERMAN: All right. Hurricane Joaquin just slamming the Bahamas. A powerful category four storm with sustained winds of 130 miles per hour. State and local officials all along the East Coast, they are preparing for the worst. A possible direct hit from the strong hurricane, although the latest forecast models suggest that Joaquin could remain out in the Atlantic.
Let's get more on the hurricane and its track from meteorologist Karen Maginnis -- Karen.
KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John and Christine, we are closely monitoring what's happening here with the category four hurricane as it just swirls across the Bahamas. The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical. We think that is when it will start to move to the north.
But beyond that time period, it is still going to be up in the air as to what happens beyond that time. What we think, according to our computer models is it will move to the north and swing out to the Atlantic and a bit to the east. But until then, 12 to 18 inches of rainfall across the Bahamas. We have seen wind reports, also damaging rainfall and flooding rain.
Let's show you the broader view as to what is happening. It is lingering across the Bahamas with very little movement. The longer it stays here, the more rainfall we'll expect.
But in addition to that, there's an area of low pressure that is stuck in the atmosphere. It's just going to swirl around in the southeast. Already in Charleston, South Carolina, they are preparing for as much of a foot of rainfall.
John and Christine, it looks like it's going to be a terrible weekend for the mid-Atlantic. It is still unknown where this is going to head, but we'll closely monitor it and we'll continue to bring you updates.
Back to you, guys.
BERMAN: All right. Karen, thanks so much.
It is important to remember, for South Carolina, for the low country, that foot of rain is coming whatever happens to Hurricane Joaquin. They have a tough weekend ahead.
ROMANS: They sure do.
All right. With Hurricane Joaquin on the move, the east coast flash backs to Hurricane Sandy to 2012. The third most expensive storm in U.S. history. Joaquin may not go that much damage, but flood damage is not covered under standard plans. It is only offered by FEMA and a handful of private firms.
Let's get a quick check of the markets. Stocks mostly higher around the world. U.S. stock futures are pointing up as well. That could change in a few hours. September jobs reports comes out.
Here is the prediction from CNN Money: 240,000 jobs. That's up from August 174,000.
BERMAN: Yes, the unemployment rate unchanged, that's the prediction at least, at 5.1 percent. Another number to watch here, wages. Economists expecting 2.3 percent which would mean improvement from the 2 percent growth we have seen in the last few months.
ROMANS: That has been frustrating, the wage part of it. I mean, you hear about talent shortages in some industries, but you don't see wages rising.
BERMAN: No, period. You don't. So, 2.3 would be something but we'll see. It doesn't ever seem to measure up.
The breaking news this morning: ten people dead in a college campus massacre. Presidential candidates are weighing in on the tragedy and also now, the issue of gun control next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:23:26] ROMANS: The presidential candidates taking a pause from campaigning to offer support in the wake of the Oregon campus massacre. Jeb Bush the first to respond on Twitter, saying he is "praying for Umpqua Community College. The victims and families impacted by this senseless tragedy."
Donald Trump tweeted, "My warmest condolences to the families of the horrible Roseburg, Oregon, shootings." Trump also telling "The Washington Post", "It's happening more and more. I just don't remember -- years back, I just don't remember these things happening. Certainly not with this kind of frequency."
John Kasich, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki also tweeting as well. Huckabee going a step further, criticizing President Obama, saying, "With few facts, Obama is quick to admittedly politicize this tragedy to advance his liberal, anti-gun agenda. Gun violence is a problem in this country, but it's not the fault of Second Amendment, it's a fault of evil people doing evil things."
Ben Carson in a radio interview said the focused needs to be preventing unstable people from getting their hands on guns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Obviously, there are going to be those who are calling for gun control. You know, that happens every time we have one of these incidents. Obviously, that's not the issue. The issue is the mentality of these people and we need to be looking at the mentality of these individuals and seeing if there are any early warning clues that we can gather that will help society to be able to identify these people ahead of time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Hillary Clinton expressing her anger and disbelief in addressing the gun issue as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[04:25:00] HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm sick about it. I feel an absolute urgency for this country to start being sensible about keeping guns away from people who should not have them. I'm going to try to do everything I can as president to raise up an equally large vocal group that is going to prove to be a counter balance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Clinton's Democratic rival Bernie Sanders also weighed in, tweeting, "We need sensible gun control legislation which prevents guns from being used by people who should not have them.
BERMAN: All right. There is new information this morning on the gunman and possible writing and statements made in the days leading up to the campus shooting. We have live team coverage. Reporters on the ground in Oregon breaking it all down, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BERMAN: The breaking news this morning: new information about the gunman in a campus shooting in Oregon. Ten people are dead there. The disturbing blog post now linked to him and his father is speaking to the media.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It's almost 30 minutes past the hour this Friday morning.
We now know the identity of the 26-year-old gunman who opened fire in the Oregon community college. He's been identified as 26- year-old Chris Harper Mercer. Police say he showed up at Umpqua Community College heavily armed, wearing body armor. When he was done shooting, ten people were dead and seven others injured, according to the father of one of the students, a wounded student, the gunman opened fire as soon as he entered a classroom and singled out Christians during this killing spree.
