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Special Coverage Of Mass Shooting In Orlando Nightclub; Small Boy Snatched By Alligator At Disney Resort. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 15, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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


[15:30:00] BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: I take their temperature and interpret that. And I thought that was an interesting sentiment that he is trying to rely the fear and anxiety he feels from his supporters when it comes to this issue of terrorism.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Gloria, that's actually kind of a fascinating statement that he said to Brian, that he is sort of feeding off the energy and his interpretation of what people in the audience, I guess, want to hear or are thinking or voicing.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, but when you're president of the United States you are going to get national security briefings. You are going to get intelligence briefings that very often lead you in different directions or lead you to do things that you can't talk about.

I mean, president - you know, to Brian's point about drone strikes and about killing ISIS leaders, we have seen a lot of that happen, but the president is not allowed to talk about, you know, sources and methods and operational things. And I think that, you know, Trump is saying that he just gets a sense from the audience, when the audience in fact is obviously informed by what they learned from us, but a president would be much more informed by what he learning from his intelligence sources. And so that might not be comforting to people who are looking for a leader who leads by what he actually knows firsthand.

STELTER: Yes. This could be an argument against what we call the secret war, these drone strikes often happening in secret in recent years. And the more we would actually know about what the administration is doing, the more access we have to it, maybe voters would be better off.

BORGER: Yes. And he want to start to classifying them.

COOPER: Brian Stelter, appreciate you being with us. Yes, Gloria Borger as well. We got to leave it there.

Brooke, back to you.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: All right. Anderson, thank you so much.

Coming up next, a CNN exclusive. I took some time yesterday, thank you, Orlando fire department, for allowing me to talk to your 35-year veteran lieutenant here who happened to be on duty last weekend, the very night of that massacre just around the corner from their firehouse. He described, he walked me around, and showed me exactly what he saw early Sunday morning and how they responded.

Also ahead, they gave an emotional performance hours after the shooting, how members of the Orlando gay chorus are honoring the victims here. Stay right with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:36:51] COOPER: Welcome back. I'm Anderson Cooper live outside the Orlando regional medical center. As the investigation continues in to the mas shooting here in Orlando we don't want to lose sight of the people who are still trying to battle back from this tragedy. I'm talking about the 25 people who remain hospitalized, six of them we are told in critical condition.

And just down the road is the office of the medical examiner who just gave his first interview to our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta who joins me.

What did you learn?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, he found about this much in the same way that a lot of other people did. But Sunday morning is when he first heard about this. He eventually went down to the scene. It's important for the medical examiner along with the law enforcement and SWAT teams, everyone else, for him to be there to actually see what transpired down there. And he told me it was really important for him to basically be able to identify these bodies all by Monday afternoon, several bodies. It was important to have the autopsies all completed by Tuesday afternoon. So they worked really fast. You know, when you hear about a state of emergency being declared, part of the reason it's declared is for the medical examiner's office to get extra assistance.

COOPER: And the speed is important for the families?

GUPTA: It is important for the families, I think. Yes. It is primarily. I mean, it is obviously - and he lives in this community. He was very touched by this. And he wanted to make sure.

You know, it's different than a lot of other mass casualties from natural disasters or airplanes. These were people whose families pretty much all lived in this area. So it is important for him to do this. They have -- one thing he told me that I thought was very respectful and interesting was that there are several buildings over there. Forty-nine, the victims, all were cared for in one building. They had their autopsies and identification in one building, the shooter in another building. So he thought it was inappropriate to have the shooter in the same building as the victims. He though it was inappropriate for the autopsy to be done in the same building. He did the autopsy on the shooter himself by himself. That's sort of what's transpiring for him the last several days.

When he went to the scene, you have heard a lot of people describe this, but he said time basically stopped, meaning that there were half drunk drinks sitting there. There was half eaten food. He doesn't believe people suffered because there was no evidence of really movement among people who are among the deceased. And you know, these are all the things that he sort of looks for. He doe autopsies. In part you may wonder why he does autopsies. He wants to certainly make sure that the cause and manner of death are what you would expect, gunshot wounds, it wasn't trampling. There was something like that. For example, he saw no evidence of that.

COOPER: Because it helps investigators frankly to paint a picture of exactly what happened. They're doing a second-by-second tic-tac of the event.

GUPTA: Absolutely. And they want to know, they want to recover, for example, all the various bullets and bullet fragments. Were these all from the same particular gun, were they the same sort of bullet, were they these hollow tips that we were talking about yesterday and sort of mushroom and move throughout the body or the more high velocity. All of this ends up being important. A lot of people ask why do an autopsy at all? These all become really relevant details. But I think it was just the respect and speed at which this was carried out that I was struck by in this office.

COOPER: I mean, it's such a personal thing that he is doing. It is obviously he is a professional and the men and women who do this, you know. This is what they do, right. Just the personal impact of being on the scene and that the sheer number of people involved.

[15:40:09] GUPTA: I asked him about that. And you know, all of these -- the positions, the nurses we have been talking to and the medical examiners, they have psychological counselling resources available. But I asked him even during the interview, I said it seems to me as we are talking, this is sort of some of these are just settling in for the first time and sort of stopped and said she yes. You know, they have been sort of working pretty nonstop. And the thing was the first time he sort of stopped to think about what he has seen.

And the families, I mean, the medical examiner sees himself in a role that's very similar to doctors. Obviously, the patients aren't alive anymore but the solace that he can provide to families --

COOPER: The dignity of it.

GUPTA: The dignity. And he said look he makes himself available to speak to any family. If they want to talk to him, they want to hear more about what specifically happened to their loved one. It's not going to change anything obviously, but those conversations end up being so important. You know, again, we have covered a lot of these types of stories but I hadn't heard it described quite in those terms before.

COOPER: I'm glad you do, Sanjay. Thank you very much.

Sanjay Gupta was incredibly emotional performance here in Orlando just hours after losing colleagues and losing friends.

Coming up next, members of the Orlando gay chorus join me live. Stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:29] COOPER: Welcome back.

One of the first memorials for the shooting victims here in Orlando was held at a local church just hours after the massacre. Featured members of the very community targeted in the attack, the Orlando gang chorus sang "you'll never walk alone." Listen.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

COOPER: Alumni members returned to the stage learning the music in just one day. Musicians from far and wide pulling together in grief. Here now from the Orlando gay chorus is marketing director J.D. Castro and the vice-president Carol Studer. OK. Sorry, I just want to make sure.

And J.D., I mean, you knew at least one person?

J.D. CASTRO, MARKETING DIRECTOR, ORLANDO GAY CHORUS: Yes. I actually found out this morning. I have not seen any in the news because I have been going nonstop since 9:30 that morning and last night at channel 6 actually thought I recognized someone while we were watching the broadcast. And I checked this morning and it was a former co- worker of mine.

COOPER: What's it like to be here in this moment doing what you're doing?

CAROL STUDER, VICE PRESIDENT, ORLANDO GAY CHORUS: Both of us right now are just focused on what we can do with the chorus. We have so many requests coming in. We want to let people know we are available because it's not like this has been planned. So he was at the center from the get-go along with one of our other board members on Sunday, and it was pretty much this is happening, this isn't happening.

CASTRO: It was really we just took it minute by minute the first day. The next day it was hour by hour. Now we are kind of getting to the point where it's, you know, day by day.

COOPER: To be in a position where you are able to give voice to -- a song to emotions, to a community, has got to be an incredible feeling.

STUDER: Yes. That is part of the mission statement for the Orlando Gay Chorus, changing hearts and minds through music and song. It's just -- that is our goal. Like on Sunday, we found out with really two-and-a-half hours I put the word out to the chorus, put it out once because two mediums, and we had 48 people show up. We had no idea who was going to show. The next day we had over 70 show up. And past members, they have to stay learning other parts. We had one gentleman yesterday sing alto at one event at UCF and will sing base at channel 6 last night, and he is tenor.

COOPER: Just emotionally, though, I mean, you know, you have a job obviously but how do you sing at a time like this?

CASTRO: You can comment on that. STUDER: You know, sometimes we're crying when we're singing.

Sometimes you get through it. Sometimes you cry afterwards. Everybody's different. Every moment is different. Crying is healing as much as singing is.

COOPER: I'm glad you're here and glad you're doing what you're doing. Thank you so much.

CASTRO: Thank you.

COOPER: Thank you for your strength.

J.D. Castro and Carol Studer. We will be back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:53:05] BALDWIN: I'm Brooke Baldwin. Welcome back here live in Orlando. We heard from the FBI that they are garnering a briefing and they now said that they are putting other gay clubs, gay bars and here in the Orlando area under alert after the attack over the weekend at Pulse. But at this time there is no known credible specific threat of any attack.

Let me bring in my next guest. Dan Schwab is the manager of the parliament house, an LGBTQ motel, bar and club. And it has been in Orlando now for 40-plus years.

We have been talking for aloud, Dan. It is nice to see you. I am so sorry. You slept at parliament last night. It's been also like an asylum, a safe place for the community here.

DAN SCHWAB, MANAGER, PARLIAMENT HOUSE, LGBTQ CLUB IN ORLANDO: Absolutely.

BALDWIN: To grieve. Tell me about that. Not a lot of dry eyes.

SCHWAB: No. Not at all. Everywhere you look, it's just hugging and crying and embracing. We have people from the straight community as well as the gay community just coming in needing to be somewhere, needing to be around friends and the parliament house has always provided that for this community.

COOPER: Thousands of people. I mean, it's a massive, massive club. Multiple areas where people can go. And so you will be opening your doors. And you went to the street Thursday night. By the way, Thursday night, that's Latin night.

SCHWAB: It is indeed.

BALDWIN: It was Latin night at Pulse when this happened. What do you anticipate?

SCHWAB: It is hard to say. I imagine that we will have a large number of people there. A lot of the pulse employees will be there. They will be performing. Possibly working a bar. I'm not exactly sure. BALDWIN: Some of the Pulse employees who were working at Pulse

Saturday night could be there this weekend?

SCHWAB: Correct. Absolutely.

BALDWIN: Can you explain -- I have never -- I've said this before, I've never had to worry about holding somebody's hand in public. But so many gay people, this is the reality, help some of us understand how going to gay bars and gay clubs and how it's family because a lot of time you lose your family when you come out. This is sacred ground.

[15:55:09] SCHWAB: It is. I'm fortunate to have my family and love and support around me. There are a lot of those that don't have that luxury. And, therefore, the community, the different bars, which ever bar you choose as home, is your community, is your family.

BALDWIN: What do you want people to know in the Orlando area?

SCHWAB: Come out and support. There are funds all over to give support to the victims, to the families. Parliament house's efforts are going to support the employees and the family of the Pulse nightclub itself.

BALDWIN: You have had ten hours of sleep since Saturday night, Sunday morning?

SCHWAB: Correct.

BALDWIN: You were telling me you haven't -- you've been inundated by people, you have been there for them but you haven't had your big cry yet.

SCHWAB: I haven't gotten to see my family since all of this happened. I have warned them, I will need and will be having my moment, my meltdown and it is coming and they are prepared. They are ready.

BALDWIN: Thank you for everything that you do in this community. If I were here Friday night, I will be ride along with you all if you would have me. Thank you so much.

SCHWAB: Absolutely. Thank you.

BALDWIN: Dan Schwab, Parliament House here in Orlando. Thank you.

SCHWAB: Thank you so much.

BALDWIN: And let's now tell you this. Sad news here we go. Some sad news involving a little boy snatched by an alligator at a Disney resort. We know now officially as the search and recovery mission has another way the last couple of hours his body has been found. It has been found. Our thoughts are with those parents of the 2-year-old little boy.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me.

Special coverage continues with Jake Tapper at "The LEAD."

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to "the LEAD." I'm Jake Tapper. We have breaking news right now.

You're looking at live pictures from Lake Bueno Vista, Florida. We are expecting the Orange County Florida sheriff to be briefing reporters with news that we just learned, a headline that we have been dreading all day long, frankly. We just learned that Florida authorities have in fact found the remains of the 2-year-old boy who had been snatched by an alligator at the Disney's grand Floridian resort. And any minute now we expect an update from authorities, the Orange County sheriff Jerry Demmings is about to speak. We will bring that to you live when it happens.

Earlier today, the sheriff said the search the search for the boy had become a recovery mission at Disney grand Floridian resort. Recovery signifying that it was no longer an attempted rescue mission, meaning that they expected the worst.

Deputy say that the toddler was wading in a manmade lake in shallow waters last night, his parents, right there with him. And in a matter of seconds, an alligator appeared and pulled him into the water. His father frantically tried to wrestle his child away from the beast.

CNN's Boris Sanchez joins me live from the scene.

And Boris, this is just horrible news and every parent and everyone watching can't imagine this pain. I doubt frankly that any parent visiting a Disney resort would think it's reasonable to expect that an alligator might grab your child on the resort grounds. What a horrible story.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Jake. It's something that you would never, ever expect. The sheriff deputy I spoke to earlier called it a freakish incident.

To give you some perspective, alligators are very common here in south Florida. South Florida is essentially built on a swamp. So we really encroaching into their backyard. And it's staggering to hear this stat. There have only been 300 alligator attacks since 1948, only 300. So they are not very common, especially with an alligator this size. It was four to seven feet in size. That's what we're hearing from witnesses. And it's not common, from what we've heard from wildlife experts, that those kind of alligators would have that kind of predatory instinct to go after something the size of a child. But again, this happened at night, at the time of day when alligators are most active. It was around 9:00 in the evening.

As you said, the family was out enjoying this manmade beach on this huge lagoon on the Walt Disney property here in central Florida. And they -- I mean, they did what any parent would have done. They snapped into action. They tried to do everything that they could do to rescue their child. They couldn't. So the authorities were called in. They had boats on the lake. They had sonar ready. They had a helicopter. They had a lot of resources searching for this child. And, unfortunately, they couldn't find it. They had hoped with daylight perhaps they could have had more luck. And in the daytime at a 6:30 a.m. press briefing, they said this was still a search and rescue effort. They were still holding out every hope that they could that the child would be found. Sadly, as the day and the hours passed, we realized the reality, the odds were against the shot from the beginning.