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Gunman Kills Three Officers in Baton Rouge Ambush; Erdogan Won't Rule Out Death Penalty for Coup Plotters; Trump, Clinton Condemn Baton Rouge Killings; France Observing 3 Days of Mourning; Cleveland Bracing for Large Demonstrations. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired July 18, 2016 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:19] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. We're live in Atlanta now. I'm Natalie Allen.
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm George Howell.
We continue following the breaking news this day in the state of Louisiana -- the city of Baton Rouge dealing with yet another tragedy this day. This time a gunman from the state of Missouri ambushed and killed three of its police officers Sunday morning.
ALLEN: Three other officers were wounded. Police received a call of a man carrying a rifle, dressed all in black walking along the highway. When police arrived, the shooting began.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just heard --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: That video there from the scene. It was over in minutes. The gunman died in a shoot-out with police. Keeping in mind the situation in Baton Rouge is already very tense after the police- involved shooting of Alton Sterling on July 5th, just last week. The Louisiana state police announced they had received threats against officers in the city of Baton Rouge.
ALLEN: Matthew Gerald, Montrell Jackson, and Brad Garafola were named as the officers killed in the attack. U.S. President Barack Obama called the Baton Rouge shooting a cowardly and reprehensible assault, and again condemned all attacks on law enforcement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Regardless of motive, the death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day. And we as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement. Attacks on police are an attack on all of us and the rule of law that makes society possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ALLEN: CNN's Drew Griffin has been in Baton Rouge all day, following up on developments related to the story. He joins me now.
Drew -- what do we know about the person who carried out this shooting?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Natalie, it's a very complicated story. He graduated high school in Kansas City, Missouri, went into the marines, spent five years in the marines, rose to the rank of sergeant. Was deployed in Iraq for about seven to eight months, came back and left the marines after five years of service in 2010.
And then this person whose name was Gavin Long seemed to take a change. He divorced his wife. He began posting online. He had joined some what many believe to be radical African American or black nationalist groups. He officially changed his name last year from Gavin Long to Cosmos Sentapenra. And then under two different Web sites began posting very, you might say, inciting kind of comments, talking about the need to stop protesting and take action.
We're going to show you one of those YouTube videos that was recorded after the police killings that have raised so much concern in the United States. And this is what this person under the name Cosmo was posting on his YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSMO SENTAPENRA: No words, you can't understand words, I promise you -- doesn't understand protests. If y'all want to keep protesting, do that. But the serious ones, the real ones, the alpha ones, we know what it's going to take. It's only fighting back or money. That's all they care about -- revenue and blood, revenue and blood. .
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: He also posted "You've got to fight back. That's the only way a bully knows to quit." He apparently made that post in the city of Dallas after the shootings of five police officers there.
Police here are working under the theory that he rented a car in Kansas City, drove to Dallas, and then drove here to Baton Rouge where he must have cased the police department, knew where those police officers would be coming. The shooting happening just, I don't know, maybe a mile, a mile and a half from where I'm standing right now in front of the police station.
So Natalie, it's a very confusing picture of this young man. They do believe he did act alone at this point. But they're trying to see if he had any associates who might have helped him or might have known about his plans prior to this. So far there are no indications of that -- Natalie.
ALLEN: Yes, and he also did this on his birthday, which is another bizarre twist in this as well. Drew -- do we know anything more about how this started? There was, at first, some reports of police responding to a 911 call. Not sure if that was done to lure the police in or not -- anything more on that?
[00:05:02] GRIFFIN: Yes, the police are calling it an ambush. We really don't have the information specifically on what was that 911 call. Was it somebody who saw a man walking down the street, dressed oddly in black, carrying a rifle on a Sunday morning? Of course, somebody saw that, they would most likely call 911. Was it this person, this killer who called 911, talking about a fake or fictitious shoot-out?
What we do know is there was some way that he was able to, either through someone else's 911 call, or through his own 911 call to lure to police into what was a trap. And he just started shooting them when they arrived. Three shot dead. Three more injured -- one really clinging to life tonight as they try to help him in the hospital. But it does look like what the police are calling this as purely an ambush -- Natalie.
ALLEN: We really feel for the community of Baton Rouge. They've been through a lot and now this.
Drew Griffin for us there live. Thank you -- Drew.
GRIFFIN: Sure.
HOWELL: It just seems like we're talking about these things too often, you know.
ALLEN: We are.
HOWELL: The deaths of police officers, again. We're talking about this day the deaths of three police officers. One of them had posted on Facebook about how tired he was both physically and emotionally. That's understandable.
Montrell Jackson talked about trying times in his post from July 8th, one day after the Dallas police ambush, and three days after Alton Sterling's death.
ALLEN: Here is part of what he wrote. And it is gut-wrenching and heart-wrenching. He wrote this on Facebook. "I swear to God I love this city, but I wonder if the city loves me. In uniform I get nasty, hateful looks, and out of uniform some consider me a threat. I've experienced so much in my short life, and these last three days have tested me to the core."
HOWELL: Just powerful to hear his words and his feelings as a police officer.
ALLEN: And he was an African-American police officer shot dead today.
HOWELL: In this climate of confusion. And that really is the word. Earlier Anderson Cooper spoke with Montrell Jackson's uncle, and he said that his nephew was dedicated to making Baton Rouge a better city. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED JACKSON, UNCLE OF MONTRELL JACKSON: He was 33 years old, going to be 34 this December, and just a tremendous, dedicated individual. Really believed in what he was doing, believed in helping people. That was his whole thing. He wanted to help other people.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: And he had a young baby?
JACKSON: Yes. It hasn't been that long, I think three or four months old. Every time I had an opportunity to talk to him, he was all about what he could do to help some other people. He just wanted to do things. He just thought he could do something to help Baton Rouge be a better city in which to live. And -- just a tremendous young fellow.
COOPER: He had written online in the wake of the Alton Sterling shooting about some of the pressures he was facing -- the difficulties he was facing. But is being a police officer -- is that something he always wanted to do?
JACKSON: Yes. That's what Jose -- my brother's name's Jose -- he was telling me. He always wanted to be somewhere that he can be protective and be dedicated to helping people. And you know, he just was that motivated person who thought he can do something to help, you know, just other people be better. And he has been like that all his life. And he is just a dedicated young man. That's just the way he was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: That image there that you just saw, excuse me, as a new father myself, looking at him. He's got a new child. Your heart just goes out.
ALLEN: Absolutely. And there is more he wrote on his Facebook page that is quite poignant, if anyone wants to check that out as well.
HOWELL: I'm sure people should check that out.
The mayor of Baton Rouge, Kip Holden spoke with my colleague Don Lemon earlier.
ALLEN: And he says it's up to the public now to support the police who work to protect them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIP HOLDEN, MAYOR OF BATON ROUGE: Basically, this was just a major gut blow. I mean, you know, nobody even expected this to happen. We were winding down from the other activities with the Sterling family. And then we pretty much had started getting into a mode of drawing down some of the officers that have been working 18 hours a day and saying we will relieve you now and cut back on some of the time you're having to put in. And then this morning, the first thing, bang -- I mean we're hit in the face with another incident.
I call upon the community to understand. Those people killed and injured are first responders. And I said now it is our time to be first responders for those who are victims of the senseless killing and let them know we're standing there for them, and we're going to be with them. And no, we're not going to let this define Baton Rouge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: The mayor of Baton Rouge there. Also pointing out the fact that that city was already struggling -- a tense place trying to come together from another high profile shooting, the police-involved shooting of an African American man Alton Sterling on July 5th.
[00:10:04] ALLEN: Yes. And Sterling's aunt pleaded for peace in light of this continuing violence. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VEDA WASHINGTON ABUSALEH, ALTON STERLING'S AUNT: We don't call for no bloodshed. That's how this all started -- with bloodshed. We don't want no more bloodshed.
So if you're not on the car with us, leave, go home. Go wherever you come from. This is our house. You can't come in our house killing us. That's what you're doing. Because at the end of the day, police call these families and they tell them that their daddies and their mommas not coming home no more. I know how they feel, because I got the same phone call.
No justice, no justice, no peace. That's what we're calling for. Stop this killing. Stop this killing. Stop this killing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Your heart goes out for people who have dealt with so much death in the last several weeks.
Let's bring in Garret Graves, U.S. Congressman from the state of Louisiana joining us now live in Baton Rouge. Mr. Graves -- it's good to have you with us this day. Our deepest condolences to the families in your state who have lost loved ones.
But before we talk about the person behind all this, let's talk about the people there in that city and how they're coping with what happened.
We may have some audio issues with Mr. Garret Graves. Do we have connection with him? Mr. Graves, can you hear me? This is George Howell in Atlanta.
GARRET GRAVES, LOUISIANA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I can barely hear you. HOWELL: Ok, sir. Well, again I just -- first of all, thanks again
for being with us.
I wanted to ask you there in that city, in that state, you know, for the most part how are people dealing with all of this tragic news that's been happening?
We may have some audio issues with Mr. Garret Graves. We'll get back to him in a moment.
You're watching CNN special coverage following the police deaths -- the killings of three police officers in the state of Louisiana. We'll be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A vast majority of the United States will be well above average in terms of temperatures. If you're looking for any relief from the heat, you need to travel to the West Coast of the United States, or perhaps the Pacific Northwest.
18 degrees for San Francisco -- compare that to 32 for Denver. 31 near Chicago. A steamy 33 for Atlanta. 35 degrees today in the Big Apple.
[00:15:05] This is the scenario going forward. We have an area of high pressure that's built up. And this is allowing for heat indices to rise through the middle to second half of the workweek, well and above 38 degrees Celsius. So a very hot and very humid weather pattern expected across the central and eastern United States.
By the way, that shifts towards the New England Coast. Look at the seven-day forecast for New York City as we head into Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Temperatures will spike into the middle and upper 30s -- believe it or not.
Here is a look at your thunderstorm forecast. We have a good chance of severe weather across the New England region. Remember, we have the Republican national convention taking place today in Cleveland, Ohio. The chance of severe weather exists. Hail, damaging winds, can't rule out the potential of an isolated tornado as well. That extends across Pennsylvania, New York, and upstate Vermont.
Traveling further south -- Central America, showers and thunderstorms, temperatures in the upper 20s and lower 30s. More of the same for the northern half of South America. Bogota 21 -- 31.
HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN -- our special coverage following the breaking news in Louisiana, the city of Baton Rouge. And yet another tragedy from a gunman from Missouri who ambushed and killed three police officers Sunday morning; three other officers were wounded.
Police received a call of a man carrying a rifle, dressed in all black, walking along the highway. And when police arrived, the shooting started. And all this was over in minutes. That gunman died in the shoot-out with police. Keeping in mind the situation in Baton Rouge already very tense from the police-involved shooting of Alton Sterling on July 5. Just last week Louisiana state police announced they had received threats against officers in the city of Baton Rouge.
Matthew Gerald, Montrell Jackson and Brad Garafola were the officers killed in that attack. You see their images there.
U.S. President Barack Obama called the Baton Rouge shooting a cowardly and reprehensible assault, and again condemned all attacks on law enforcement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Regardless of motive, the death of these three brave officers underscores the danger that police across the country confront every single day. And we as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement. Attacks on police are an attack on all of us and the rule of law that makes society possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: The President of the United States there speaking.
And now let's go live to Baton Rouge where Garret Graves, a U.S. Congressman from the state of Louisiana joins us now live in Baton Rouge. Sir, again, it's good to have you there. Sorry about the audio issues. That can happen from time to time, you know, with technology.
But I do want to repeat to you just our deepest condolences to the families there in your state who lost loved ones. Before we start talking about the person whose behind all this, I do want to ask you just about that community, that state, how people are coping with all of this.
GRAVES: You know, look. You look at south Louisiana. We've been through some of the world's worst hurricanes. We've been through some of the worst environmental disasters with oil spills, floods. We've dealt with it all here.
And we've been able to come back. We've been able to recover. This community is very, very close-knit. People give their shirts off their back to help one another.
And to have a situation like this in the wake of the Alton Sterling shooting, it's just awful. It's an effort just filled with hate and trying to divide this community. But I think you're going to see very quickly that this community is going to come right back together and not let this dictate our future.
HOWELL: From a journalistic perspective, I do want to focus on the fact that, you know, we don't know much at this point. We don't really have any indication as to exactly what the motive is from investigators -- this investigation certainly under way. But I do want to point out what we do know -- that the person behind this followed several conspiracy groups devoted to government surveillance and monitoring. Law enforcement sources say that he had at least two Web sites. He described himself as a freedom strategist, a mental game coach, a nutritionist, author, and spiritual adviser, and that he was part of some sort of a black sovereign group. So there are a lot of questions about who he was at this point.
GRAVES: There certainly are. But bottom line is that you can -- you can track this thing. You can think about strategy. This whole shooting that occurred today leads to nothing positive. At least no outcome, no matter what group you're associated with. It was just stupid, quite frankly.
And to have this type of death and injury in our law enforcement officers, the folks that are out there defending our community, it's just senseless.
[00:20:00] HOWELL: I want to ask you again, just from people that you've talked to today, you know, again, what are people saying about this? And how is that community trying to heal, you know? Given what happened?
GRAVES: People are really just disgusted by what happened today. Look, this isn't us. Right after we heard about this shooting, we were talking to people and said right then and there, this is not somebody local. It's not the way we react to things. It's not the response that somebody from here would have. And we didn't know anything about this suspect, only to find out later that he is from out of state.
You know, the protests and everything that happened here after the Alton Sterling shooting for days, they were peaceful protests. The police weren't even in the vicinity. And it wasn't until outsiders, folks from out of state came here and began making this a more aggressive protest and actually tried to engage police officers, they came right here to protest at police headquarters, rather than where they have been happening peacefully for days.
HOWELL: Garret Graves live for us in Baton Rouge. Sir, we appreciate you being with us again. We send our deepest condolences to the families, to the people in your state who are dealing with so much grief. Thank you, sir.
GRAVES: Thank you.
ALLEN: CNN senior law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes joins us now from Virginia via Skype to talk about what happened. Tom -- thank you for joining us.
TOM FUENTES, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Thank you.
ALLEN: First of all, latest information is this was an ambush. Police were lured there by possibly a 911 call. What does this say to you? FUENTES: Well, Natalie, we've seen this actually in the U.S. for many
years. And, you know, now lately, we're seeing it in this situation. But it's actually been a threat when I went through rookie police training in 1973. We were hearing about calls where police officers were lured to a location and then ambushed when they got there.
So it's not a brand-new phenomenon. But it's relatively new in the recent times.
ALLEN: Just one more thing that police officers have to think about during these tense times. I want to talk to you about that.
Police in Louisiana had just had a statewide conference where they talked about an increased sense of vigilance. And the police chief says that they have to maintain professionalism, of course, and protect and serve despite the tension. What about that? How -- how should they be doing their jobs right now?
FUENTES: Well, I know. It's very difficult. Because we've had -- now we've had ISIS threats for two years that have put out messages saying kill police officers. And we have the attack of New York City police officers with a hatchet a year and a half or so ago. Then we have white hate groups that want to take on law enforcement.
The FBI stopped a plot in 2010 involving a militia group -- a white militia group out of Michigan that wanted to kill hundreds of police officers with explosives. That was thwarted thankfully.
And now we have a couple of black hat groups or individuals inspired, let's say, to avenge black people who have been shot by the police and in their mind get revenge or retribution by killing white police officers or for that matter any police officer.
ALLEN: Right, so these are such tense times. And if there were any time that there needs to be a sense of trust on both sides and a sense of respect on both sides, it perhaps is now. Although you use a lot of examples during history to show police officers have a lot of threats against them. But the question is how do we get there right now?
This was a U.S. Marine that for certain reasons decided to take his anger out in a violent way and kill people.
FUENTES: No, that's true. We hear so much in this country about community policing. Dallas police have one of the most extensive and successful community police programs in the world, and yet the shooter that went and attacked and killed Dallas police officers last week lived in another town. He lived in a suburb of Dallas so all of the community policing in the world wouldn't have reached him.
And in Baton Rouge, you know, we don't know. We hear that the relations aren't as good with the community and with the police in Baton Rouge. But this shooter came from Kansas City, Missouri, hundreds of miles away.
So that's part of the problem is that police at the local level can do a great deal in their community to try to win trust. But when you have people driving hundreds of miles to attack officers in a town that they have no affiliation with and no reason to do it, I don't know how you fight that.
ALLEN: That's a good question. We've heard from President Obama appealing for calm as he always does. And even Donald Trump said our country is a divided crime scene. These are very difficult times.
We appreciate your expertise. Tom Fuentes for us there. Thank you.
FUENTES: Thank you, Natalie.
HOWELL: So a very difficult, very tense and grief-filled night in the state of Louisiana.
[00:25:01] ALLEN: And we still don't know the real motivation of this shooter. They're looking -- they're going back to his home where he came from and to, of course, investigate there.
HOWELL: And you know there are a lot of people who want to go a lot of different directions. But the truth of the matter is we're waiting for investigators to tell us the motive.
We'll continue to follow the breaking news there.
But other stories we're following around the world this day in Turkey. The president of that nation saying that he won't rule out reviving the death penalty for people behind Friday's failed coup. Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended a funeral Sunday for some of the people killed in the uprising there -- at least 290 people died.
ALLEN: Mr. Erdogan has also called on his supporters to continue the rallies like you're seeing here. He says pro government protesters who took to the streets foiled the coup attempt.
HOWELL: CNN is live in Turkey. Ian Lee joins us now in Istanbul. Ian -- it's good to have you this hour. An investigation there under way into who is behind the coup, people who have been arrested and now the President considering bringing back the death penalty.
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. And we heard that yesterday, speaking at a rally. And it was really the people who started chanting "we want the death penalty". And Erdogan saying that he cannot ignore the will of the people and they are bringing -- considering bringing back the death penalty, which has been outlawed in Turkey for those people who are responsible for this coup.
As of now we're hearing that at least 6,000 people have been arrested in relations with this coup. And a lot of people are wondering, you know, exactly who are these people exactly. A lot of them are soldiers but there are other people that have been arrested as well -- people in this roundup.
But Erdogan is also calling for his supporters to continue to take to the streets every night. He says do what you need to do in the day, go to work. But at night we need you still out in the streets. Last night we saw them around Taksim Square, going on the streets of Istanbul, honking their horns, waving their flags, chanting in support of the President. It seems for now, at least from what you're hearing from the President, it doesn't seem like we're out of the woods yet, that they still feel they need that street support -- George.
HOWELL: The failed coup attempt certainly did show the world a nation there that is divided. There are people who support President Erdogan, and fair to say that there are also those who do not support him. Many critics worry that this could be the opportunity that Mr. Erdogan takes to defang the military, to round up people who oppose him.
The question that I have for you, does Recep Tayyip Erdogan come out of this seemingly stronger?
LEE: Oh, definitely. I mean from what people have been saying, what people are seeing at him acting is that it has emboldened him. It has strengthened his position. Really, when you look at the opposition for the most part, the opposition political party, this whole incident has been a lose-lose for them.
You have Erdogan remaining in power, emboldened but also they came out against the coup. The opposition came out against the coup very quickly, saying that they support the democratic process here in Turkey.
But at the same time, when Erdogan landed in Istanbul, he said that this was a gift from god. Now what that exactly means, we're not really sure. But a lot of people believe that he meant that is only going to embolden him to help consolidate his power, something he has been trying to do here in Turkey.
HOWELL: CNN international correspondent Ian Lee, live for us in Istanbul. Ian, we appreciate your reporting there. Thank you.
ALLEN: We have much more on the deadly police ambush in Baton Rouge, including the gunman's online presence and the conspiracy groups he followed.
More on it coming right up here.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:30:27] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN "Breaking News."
ALLEN: And welcome back to CNN. We're live in Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen.
HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. Let's get you up to speed on the news we're following for our viewer here in the U.S. and around the world.
U.S. authorities, they are investigating the motives of a gunman who shot and killed three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Gavin Long was very active online, identifying himself with a black separatist movement, though there is no indication that he was directed by any particular group. He also followed several conspiracy groups devoted to government surveillance and monitoring. Law enforcement sources say that he had at least two Web sites where he described himself as a freedom strategist, a mental game coach, nutritionist, author and spiritual adviser.
Three officers killed have now been identified: Matthew Gerald, Montrell Jackson, and Brad Garafola. Three others are wounded. We're told, one could be in grave condition.
President Obama says there can be no excuse for this kind of violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: It appears the gunman in Baton Rouge belonged to several anti- government conspiracy groups. He had at least two Web sites where he described himself, as George just said, as a freedom strategist and a spiritual adviser. He also went by the nickname Cosmo Setepenra and wrote books under that name. One law enforcement source says the gunmen appeared to be paranoid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ART RODERICK, FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, U.S. MARSHALS OFFICE: He was on a bunch of different Web sites, had joined a bunch of different groups that are strange when you look at the names of these groups. It just appears that this individual was suffering from some type of paranoia.
And I think when you put that together with him traveling to Dallas, him posting information about how he admired the Dallas shooter. And then we have him coming all the way over to Baton Rouge. Another flash point location in the country right now. And committing this horrendous act.
Unfortunately, we've been concerned about copycats. We talk about them every single time. Have to have one of these scenarios. And here is a prime example of what we've been talking about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Let's get some more analysis from CNN law enforcement analyst Cedric Alexander, joining us now live from Washington.
Cedric, it's good to have you. Again, keep in mind Cedric's background, the former president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and also here in Dekalb, the chief here. I want to ask, first of all, sir, the simple fact that this happened. And we just heard Art Roderick talk about this concern about copycats. You thoughts there.
[00:35:12] CEDRIC ALEXANDER, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, certainly, any time you have one event, we are always concern that there will be others who will come behind them and attempt to do the same type of thing. That certainly is a concern for all of us at law enforcement.
But now more than ever, George, just the place where we are in America in terms of the things that are going on around us. It's important that we all remain very vigilant.
And certainly for our officers out there, we want to make sure that we as community members give them all the support they need in a very challenging time. Not just in terms of the loss that law enforcement has suffered over the last week and as recent as today, but all the support. We just really need it from the community going forward.
HOWELL: It's interesting because we're at a point now in this investigation where we really don't have a great deal to glean from motive.
Is there anything that you're hearing from your sources, any background that you're getting on this?
ALEXANDER: No. I think what we have to do is just patiently wait and allow this investigation to evolve over time. Each day, we're going to learn more and more about who this shooter was. We gathered a lot of information, as you can see, just today.
But what was his motivation? Did he lure those officers into that location? And this certainly is appearing to look that way. But each day that go by, George, we're going to learn more and more about what the motivation of the shooter was.
HOWELL: I want to also ask you, just your thoughts, because when you look at the picture of who the person behind this was, there is a lot to unpackage. You get the sense that there is -- he was part of a black separatist group. At the same time, he connected himself to groups, followed groups that suggest some degree of paranoia.
But what do you make of what we know about him at this point?
ALEXANDER: Well, initially, a little gross analysis of him if I were to put my psychologist hat on, George, there is clearly some indication of some emotional disturbance with him.
If you look at some of his writings that have been posted, they really didn't make much sense. He was kind of disorganized and disoriented, kind of all over the place.
Associated himself with all the types of groups of some sort of fashion. But I think at the end of it all, I would -- I would fairly guess that he probably had some psychological emotional issues that were going on. That were pre-existing to this shooting today. Where that began, we don't know.
But we also talking about an individual that just a few years ago finish high school, served five years in the United States Marine Corps, was honorably discharged and then all of the sudden we find this.
And it's very unbelievable to any of us, because those officers that lost their lives today serve their country, serve their community, was beloved in their community there in Baton Rouge. And even though this is a very challenging time for law enforcement in this country, there is -- it was just a senseless death.
But officers, of course, neutralized that target today. So we're going to have to pick up where we are as a nation, George, and just move forward. But it's going to take police and community to do so.
HOWELL: Cedric, you know, if we can just put up the image there of those officers, the three officers who were killed here, it's important to point this out. What you just said, there is always this feeling among many people to jump the gun and get it, you know, try to understand who the gunman was. What the motive is.
At this point, we simply don't know. But the moment right now is simply to remember that these officers were killed.
Cedric Alexander live for us. Thank you, sir.
ALEXANDER: Thank you for having me.
ALLEN: The presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees are responding to the shootings.
HOWELL: Their statements came as Donald Trump made the TV rounds with his new running mate.
More on politics now from CNN politics reporter Sara Murray.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton sharply condemn the killing of police officers in Baton Rouge today. As another horrific shooting scrambles the political landscape. Clinton released a statement saying there is no justification for violence, for hate, for attacks on men and women who put their lives on the line every day in service of our families and communities.
And Trump took to social media, saying "We are trying to fight ISIS, and now our own people are killing our police. Our country is divided and out of control. The world is watching."
[00:40:00] The latest incident comes as Trump steps out with his new running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence. And argues they are the ticket most prepared to take on security threats as Trump reiterated his call to declare war on ISIS.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to wipe out ISIS. These are people that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With troops on the ground?
TRUMP: I am going to. I have very few troops on the ground.
MURRAY: Trump touted his decision to team up with Pence as a step toward party unity.
TRUMP: One of the big reasons that I chose Mike, so many people have said party unity. Because I'm an outsider.
MURRAY: Even as divisions on policy and on presentation emerge within the ticket. While Pence decries negative campaigning, his running mate has a habit of branding his opponents with insulting nicknames, something Trump says he won't pressure Pence to take part in.
TRUMP: I called her crooked Hillary. She is crooked Hillary. I didn't ask him to do it. But I don't think he should do it. Because it's different for him.
MURRAY: Ultimately, RNC Chair Reince Priebus says those splits will elevate the ticket, not divide it.
REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: The difference in demeanor is something that will be very valuable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's for sure.
PRIEBUS: Well, you know what, but people want strength. People love that about Donald Trump. But it's also good and reassuring to see a diversity in style.
MURRAY: A long-time Pence ally, Indiana GOP Chairman Jeff Cardwell echoing that sentiment in an interview with CNN, and insisting Pence isn't harbouring feelings over reports that Trump had second thoughts about his VP pick.
JEFF CARDWELL, INDIANA REPUBLICAN STATE PARTY CHAIRMAN: This is the most important decision I think that any presidential nominee makes. And he wanted to take time and want to be sure about the selection. In the end, he felt very comfortable with Mike Pence. He chose Mike Pence. And they're going to be a great president and vice president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: That is Sara Murray reporting there for us in the convention to kick off here on Monday.
ALLEN: Yes, it does.
And officials in Cleveland say people have a right to be heard, but not to march anywhere they want. We'll tell you how the city plans to keep a lid on protests at the Republican National Convention this week.
HOWELL: Plus, new details emerging, coming together about the suspect who carried out the deadly attack in Nice, France. What his lawyer says about the petty criminal who became a terrorist, next.
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[00:45:17] HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM.
We are learning more about the investigation into the Bastille Day massacre in Nice, France. French authorities have arrested an Albanian couple in connection with that attack. Six people are now in custody. The suspect's ex-wife was released Sunday without charges.
ALLEN: Tunisian national Mohamed Bouhlel drove a 20-ton truck, we all know that truck by now, into a crowd, of course, that have gathered to watch the fireworks Thursday night. 84, that's the death toll right now. But more than 200 were injured. Bouhlel was shot to death by police.
HOWELL: And on this day, France is observing three days of mourning, the third day, this day remembering the victims of that terror attack in Nice.
And that is where my colleague Max Foster joins us now live.
Max, it's good to have you with us. So if you could just explain to our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world the mood of people there in Nice and throughout France, how are the French coming together, given what happened there?
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Well, I was pretty struck walking here. Because there have been huge crowds obviously coming down to see the flowers here. But there are no crowds here at the moment. And when you look down the Promenade, there are these patches of memorial, patches of flowers marking out where all the bodies lay after the attack on Thursday night.
And it really brings home to you, really what happened that evening, and how people are really struggling to cope with it. And amongst the flowers, you see drawings that children have drawn of literally. A truck running people over. It's really quite poignant when you come down here and the crowds aren't here.
We understand that later on today, florists in the city will come down to the sea front here and lay flowers on the beach in memory of them. There may be a minute silence as well. Last night there was a mosque service. Ten members of one congregation at one mosque, all perished in the attack. And one of our producer Florence went along to that and it's a very moving occasion.
I think people are just still in shock. But it's really starting to sink in. And you can see that sort of emotion swelling up here. Meanwhile, the investigation continues, and we find out more about the attacker himself.
Here is Will Ripley.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mohammed Bouhlel was a delivery driver with a wife, three children and a volatile personality.
In March, he threw a wooden palette at another driver in a fit of road rage. Corentin Delobel was his lawyer in that case and got him a six- month suspended prison sentence.
I told myself I did my job, he says, but if I had done my job badly, he might be in prison and maybe he would have never done what he did. He struggles with a sense of guilt and shock. Delobel says his weight lifting, heavy drinking client was not an extremist. But he did have a record of domestic violence, accused of beating and humiliating his now estranged wife.
He was very much the stereotype of a petty criminal, he says. There was nothing that would have suggested in reality he was a Jihadist.
(on-camera): He says the attacker didn't really stand out in the crowd and wouldn't have raised any suspicion when prosecutors say he came here to the Promenade des Anglais not once, but twice in the days leading up to the attack.
His brother says he even sent a photo that night of himself looking happy in the crowd.
(voice-over): Prosecutors also say Bouhlel sent a text message to someone just before the attack, telling them to bring more weapons. Police are questioning several people. A source tells CNN those who knew Bouhlel say he began speaking in support of ISIS. The terror group has called him one of its soldiers.
"He wasn't very intelligent," he says. I imagine he could have been easily influenced by religion. Bouhlel was never overtly religious. Never on a watch list. France's interior minister says he likely radicalized very rapidly, committing one of the worst terror attacks in recent history. And nobody, not even his lawyer saw it coming.
Will Ripley, CNN, Nice, France.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Very big political debates are bubbling up around this as well. We're running up to an election here in France. And it's all the discussion of the moment is about security and immigration. What sort of role that plays into the security situation in the country. So it's having wide repercussions, well beyond here in Nice.
Back to you, George.
HOWELL: It does seem that security, and it's a similar line, that is playing out here in the United States, Max.
International correspondent Max Foster live for us in Nice, France.
Max, thank you for your reporting. [00:50:05] ALLEN: ISIS has claimed the nice terror suspect as one of its soldiers. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told CNN the terror group is losing ground, though, and these random acts are a sign it is feeling threatened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: People are acting out in various places. But they are not growing in their ability to do things. They are shrinking. We've taken back 40 percent, 45 percent of the territory they held in Iraq. We're squeezing town after town. We've liberated communities. We're making progress now, advancing on Mosul.
In Syria, likewise. They're not able to attack and hold towns. They are on the run. And I believe what we're seeing are the desperate actions of an entity that sees the news closing around it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Kerry also told CNN's Jake Tapper that the U.S. had no knowledge of the terror suspect before this attack there in Nice.
HOWELL: Let's talk now about the Republican National Convention set to begin in just hours.
In Cleveland, Ohio, thousands of people expected to take part in protests there. We'll show you how city officials plan to keep them out of the arena and in the zone, as it is. We'll explain that when CNN NEWSROOM continues.
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[00:55:00] ALLEN: We've been talking about the conventions for months. And now they are happening. Just hours from now, Republicans converge on Cleveland, Ohio, where they're expected to nominate Donald Trump for president.
HOWELL: At the same time, large protests, they are expected outside that arena. It's better known as "The Q" there in Cleveland.
And Martin Savidge explains how officials plan to control demonstrators without stepping on their right to be heard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Establishing a protest zone in Cleveland hasn't been easy, because you run up against two very different ideas. Security versus freedom of speech.
But eventually this was the compromise. West 20th and Lorraine, where at least it all starts. It's got access to public transportation and a wide open area. But from here, you don't see the Q unless you're up at altitude, like we are now. Across the valley, over the river.
Which is why demonstrators will be allowed to march or parade about a mile and 3/4 towards downtown over a predetermined route that took months of negotiation.
That is one of the guardians of transportation. It's a unique architectural feature of this beautiful art deco 1932 bridge. And the protesters will come right over this. And they get a great view of The Q, but they can't get there.
And from a security point of view, it works out. They're hemmed in. Now if there is going to be trouble, it's on the other side. There is no law specifically stating how close demonstrators must be able to approach. Court rulings have said it should be close enough for them to be seen and heard.
(on-camera): This is the closest that the demonstrators will be able to get of the Quicken Loans Arena. We're right at the end of the bridge we just crossed over. From here, they're supposed to turn and veer off in the opposite direction. Something they're potentially not likely to do. Because they want to be seen and heard. And this is also where the police presence is likely to be very heavy.
And that's why there is a good chance, if there is conflict, it's going to happen right here. Because the demonstrators will be pushing in. And of course law enforcement will be pushing back.
The police say as long as everyone remains peaceful, there won't be a problem. But if that changes, they also say they'll be ready.
Martin Savidge, CNN, Cleveland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: We'll have more of our breaking news coverage in the next hour. I'm Natalie Allen.
And I'm George Howell. Stay with CNN.
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