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Shooting on the Champs-Elysees; Preparing to Prosecute Julian Assange; U.S.-China Relationship; ISIS Claims "Fighter" Responsible for Paris Attack; Fans Mark One Year Since Prince's Death. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired April 21, 2017 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:00:35] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour --
ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: Shooting on the Champs Elysees -- a police officer killed, ISIS taking responsibility.
VAUSE: Preparing to prosecute -- the U.S. ready to bring charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for revealing classified information.
SESAY: And Prince fans all fired up for new music only to have the plug pulled on deliverance just before its release.
VAUSE: Hello everybody -- great to have you with us. I'm John Vause.
SESAY: And I'm Isha Sesay.
NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.
VAUSE: French anti-terrorist forces are leading the investigation into the deadly shooting along the Champs Elysees in Paris. One police officer was killed. Two others and a female tourist were wounded.
The gunman was shot dead by police as he tried to flee. ISIS claims him as one of their fighters.
SESAY: One man driving home from work captured the immediate aftermath of the attack on video. He said he tried to speed away but stopped when policed brought down the gunman.
Investigators are searching the gunman's car and his home. A source says the man was a French national known to authorities, convicted in 2001 of shooting three police officers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): We are absolutely convinced that the -- which can lead us in the inquiry will identify terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Joining us now from Paris CNN's Melissa Bell, at the CNN Center in Atlanta Cyril Vanier, and here in Los Angeles CNN law enforcement contributor Steven Moore.
So Melissa, we'll start off with you. What is the very latest we have right now on the investigation?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is very early in the morning here in Paris. We're waiting to hear a little bit later from the Paris prosecutor, Francois Molins. He is the voice of reason in times like this, who usually provides a huge amount of information about what the latest is in the investigation. So we'll have to listen very carefully to what he has to say.
He was down here on the Champs Elysees just a few hours ago in the aftermath of the attack. And he said clearly that the French authorities already knew the identity of the attacker and that that identity had been verified although he wouldn't be drawn on any more details about it because as he explained, the investigation was still ongoing.
So no doubt, we will know a lot more this morning about who this man was and whether or not he had any accomplices. Also perhaps we'll get some more clarity about that reference in the statement that we heard from, that we had from ISIS, really just a couple of hours after the attack last night. And that reference to the fact the man had some connection with Belgium.
We don't yet know what that is since sources tell us this was a French national. We will no doubt be learning more about that a little later. Also what his level connection to ISIS was. How coordinated was this attack. And how was this man -- if indeed, he was (inaudible) as we now believe he was, that he's under active surveillance by French authorities -- was he able to get his hands on a weapon and carry out the attack? That this is how it led to the death of a policeman last night.
VAUSE: Stay with us -- Melissa.
SESAY: Yes. Melissa -- stand by for us.
Steve -- to go to you, this at the outset looks like a pretty straightforward attack. I want you to take a listen to how one witness described the aftermath. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I left the store and I was walking the sidewalk and there was a police truck. And the man arrived in a gray Audi 880, stopped right next to the police truck and got out with a Kalashnikov.
I heard five shots and I thought they were fireworks. But then we looked around the street and there was no one. He had gotten close to the truck and shot at the police actually. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So Steve, on the surface, it sounds all pretty straightforward. But do you think there was a lot of planning involved in this? Did he act alone?
STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: This is different. This is not, in my opinion, the same lone wolf terrorism that we've seen recently. The fact that ISIS immediately called him one of their fighters; the fact he had a Kalashnikov. These are not things that you can buy easily on the streets of Paris.
The fact that he had -- that they seemed to know him from the beginning. I won't be surprised if they find communications between him and maybe the caliphate even and the fact that he had the rifle tells me that he had accomplices.
[00:05:07] SESAY: All right. To all of that, how was he able to do this, bearing in mind he was known by authorities? That is the question.
MOORE: Here's the thing -- Isha. I always say, you know, I always want to defer and say there are so many suspects out there who may have higher priority. But I don't see one that has higher priority than somebody who has already shot police officers, somebody who has this kind of violent ideology. You have all these things coming together. What is more significant than his past and his ideology?
VAUSE: So Cyril -- to you, this attack took place, you know, on the famous Champs Elysees. This is a tourist area where security is meant to be high, France already under a state of emergency. Are there questions now being asked about how this could have happened? And, you know, to Steve's point, this is someone who was actually known to authorities.
CYRIL VANIER, CNN ANCHOR: Those questions always arise and obviously that's what everybody wants the answer to. How did this happen? How was that person not seen? Especially as 90 percent of the time when those attacks happen, now French people have -- are quite used to it. You notice that people have been what we call in French cliche (ph), S. They are in that S file for surveillance.
So how come if they're on a surveillance file, they were not the subject of tighter surveillance and how come they could actually carry out an attack?
Well, the answer from the government for the last two and a half years really has been there are 11,000 people on that list, ok. And the government does not have -- it takes about 20 to 30 people -- that's the rough number ratio to have round the clock surveillance on one individual on that list. There are just not 11,000 times 20 or 30 people to do that in France.
So in other words some people slip through the net. And more often than not, the people who have conducted attacks in France these past two and a half years are just that, people who have slipped through that net.
SESAY: Cyril -- appreciate it.
Wan to go back to Melissa now there in Paris. Melissa -- of course, the investigation is underway, it's in the early stages. We know ISIS has claimed responsibility. But we're still trying to figure out whether this was ISIS-inspired or ISIS-directed. Have we made any movement on that front and getting some clarity on that?
BELL: Well, I think -- I think, as we were just hearing, what was surprising really last night was how quickly this statement from ISIS came out. What you've seen over the course of the last few months here in Paris are these sorts of smaller scale attacks carried out by lone wolves -- call them what you will -- but individual men trying the take on security services.
This is something we've seen, a sort of pattern emerges the last couple of attacks that we've covered here. Just over the course of the last few weeks -- both at the Orly airport and at the Louvre Museum have involved a single, solitary man trying to take on security forces either with machetes or with more dangerous weapons still.
But each time it had been more ISIS-inspired than ISIS-controlled. There had been no claim of a coordinated action, and responsibility especially this quickly. The fact that he was referred to as a fighter of the caliphate also named by ISIS really just a couple of hours after the attack does suggest that perhaps this time we are dealing with a more serious level of coordination with something that was ordered rather than inspired.
But again, I think this is something we're going to hear from Francois Molins a little later during the day. He's promised us a press conference and he will. He does tend to give us remarkable amount of detail even in an ongoing investigation
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Thanks -- Melissa.
BELL: So we'll have to listen to what he has to say on that particular matter because I think --
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Just to go back to Steve very quickly. This attack came two days after French authorities listed two men who were actually planning an attack in the run up to this election which is happening over the weekend.
MOORE: Right.
VAUSE: So surely again, another red flag there.
MOORE: Yes. When you arrest two people, especially if they're part of a cell, or a neighboring cell, or a connected cell, guess what the others do? They say we're next. This puts up our timetable. It is their trigger to go.
And this may not have been directed but I believe that there was probably communications where they -- where they talked to this person and said this is something that you might want to consider. These are the places -- this person lived 11 miles outside of town or 26 kilometers outside of town. He could have gone to any police department.
He went to the Champs Elysees --
VAUSE: Yes.
MOORE: -- three days before an election.
(CROSSTALK)
MOORE: He was probably out there like this -- looking at the news footage camera angles before he shot.
SESAY: Melissa, I've got to ask you, bearing in mind that Steve just referenced the French elections coming up just days away from going to the polls. What has been the reaction from the French presidential candidates?
BELL: They came through fairly quickly. Since even as this attack took place at 9:00 p.m. last night, they were all getting on stage for a final candidates' debate where each of them was interviewed for 15 minutes ahead of this crucial vote.
[00:10:06] Now it was already looking incredibly uncertain. One of the hardest elections to call that anyone here in France could remember with a huge amount of undecided voters currently. How this is going to play into the narrative of each of the candidates is going to be crucial especially over the course of the day.
Here's a listen to what the candidates had to say last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARINE LE PEN, FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): I feel incredible sorrow for the police who have once again paid a heavy price. Not everything has been done to protect our citizens. What we need is the resources to make sure we can combat the Islamist terrorism. I don't want our youth to get used to living with this danger. Naivety is over.
FRANCOIS FILLON, FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (through translator): Combating Islamist totalitarianism and those who are the origin of this growth of intolerism (ph), of this fundamentalism, combating them must really be the top priority for the next president of the republic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: Now, I would just like to give you an idea of another couple of the political reactions that came through last night in the immediate aftermath of that attack by tweet -- Emmanuel Macron who is the Independent centrist and the man at the moment who is really closest to Marine Le Pen, the far right candidate that you heard at the start there.
Tonight he said "I want to show my solidarity with our law enforcement." He added, "The first duty and first mission of the President is to protect."
Also Jean-Luc Melenchon, he is the far-left independent candidate who's really been upsetting things over the course of the last few days, rising in the polls very unexpectedly. He tweeted, "My thoughts are with the policemen, dead and injured, and their family. Terror attacks will never remain unpunished; accomplices, not forgotten."
So very quick political reaction clearly over the course of the day -- that will continue. We're already hearing that several of the candidates have canceled the events that they had planned today. This is the last day of campaigning in that crucial election. At midnight tonight, Paris time, the campaign closes. Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron, the Republican candidate Francois Fillon have all said that given what happened outside they're canceling their events for this crucial last day of polling.
VAUSE: Ok. Very quickly to Cyril there in Atlanta -- the common sort of logic here right now is that Le Pen, the far right, you know, crime, law and order prime candidate, she is the one who would most likely benefit from this.
VANIER: That's the intuitive answer. I'm not sure that's actually what's going to happen. And there's a reason for that. This is not a last minute game changer. Why -- because these attacks have been happening for two and a half years. So I think French voters have factored them in to their politics.
So I'm not sure that what is probably the 12th attack on French soil over the last two years fundamentally changes the way -- what they want from their next leader.
VAUSE: Ok. We shall leave it there. Cyril Vanier there in Atlanta, Melissa Bell in Paris, and of course, Steve Moore here in Los Angels -- thanks to all of you.
SESAY: Thank you to you all. Thank you.
VAUSE: With that a short break. When we come back -- new trouble for Julian Assange -- what the U.S. government has in store for the exiled WikiLeaks founder.
SESAY: Plus, China may be changing its outlook on North Korea with a show of military force. We will explain next here on NEWSROOM L.A.
[00:13:12] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody.
We are following developments out of Paris where police are expected to identify the man who shot and killed a police officer in a busy tourist district. Two other officers and a passerby were wounded. The gunman is dead.
SESAY: Well, French President Francois Hollande says he is convinced this was a terrorist attack. ISIS claim the gunman was one of its fighters. A source says he shot and wounded three other police officers back in 2001.
Well, the Trump administration is preparing to prosecute WikiLeaks Julian Assange for providing classified U.S. material if, and that's a big if, if the U.S. can get him. Assange has spent years inside the relative safety of the Ecuadorean embassy in London and he is not likely to leave.
VAUSE: He's going to come out sooner or later though. And he does, the U.S. says arresting Assange will become a priority and when that day arrives, U.S. officials tell CNN they have criminal charges ready to go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, CIA DIRECTOR: WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service. It has encouraged its followers to find jobs at the CIA in order to obtain intelligence. It directed Chelsea Manning in her theft of specific secret information. It overwhelmingly focuses on the United States while seeking support from anti-democratic countries and organizations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Joining us now, Democratic strategist Dave Jacobson and Republican consultant John Thomas. Good to see you guys at the end of the week.
SESAY: Welcome gentlemen.
DAVE JACOBSON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thanks.
VAUSE: Dave -- politics to one side, really this is not an easy case to make at least according to the Obama administration. They thought about charging Assange but they dropped it because the logic was going after WikiLeaks would be the same as going after a newspaper -- the kind of main stream publication and that gets you into First Amendment free speech rights under the constitution.
JACOBSON: Precisely. Look -- and as long as Julian Assange is in that embassy, we can't get him. We can't touch him. We can have officers and you know, (inaudible) surrounding the embassy. But at the end of the day, we can't penetrate it. It is foreign soil at that point.
(CROSSTALK)
JOHN THOMAS, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: But when he does come out, and eventually he will, if he is an arm of Russian intelligence and we treat him as such and not a journalist, let's go after him.
SESAY: Yes. But John -- this is something of a head scratcher. I thought President Trump loved WikiLeaks. Take listen to this as a reminder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: WikiLeaks. I love WikiLeaks. By the way, did you see another one? Another one came in today. This WikiLeaks is like a treasure trove.
By the way, WikiLeaks just came out with lots of really unbelievable things just minutes ago. In fact, I almost delayed this speech by about two hours. It is so interesting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: I don't know but that sounds like love to me. What has changed?
THOMAS: Well, it was. On the campaign trail, he said love.
[00:19:55] But when he is sitting behind that desk in the Oval Office, getting intelligence reports that it goes beyond just looking at Hillary Clinton's unsecure e-mail server and actually hacking United States government and whatever they're continually trying to do. It is a bigger problem. I mean it's not the first time Trump has evolved his opinion.
VAUSE: But they warned him about this on his campaign trail. Rubio, for one told him that you love it today; you'll be a victim tomorrow.
JACOBSON: The Trump pendulum is swinging, right. I think the reality is when it benefited him, he loved WikiLeaks. Now he's flip-flopped on that. Just like when it benefited him to be an isolationist, to be someone who's a noninterventionist on foreign policy. He capitalized on it.
But now as president he is pivoting away from that. I think on both issues to take away from the ongoing investigation by the FBI when it comes to Russia.
THOMAS: To penalize him for changing his opinion when he realizes they're truly bad actors, I don't see that as a bad thing. Maybe a good gotcha moment but not a bad thing.
SESAY: But it is not a surprise that they are bad actors. He knew that. I mean everybody knew that.
THOMAS: I don't think he knew to the depth.
JACOBSON: Look, I think it is one thing for like President Obama to change his opinion on gay marriage, for example. In 2007, 2008 he wasn't a proponent of the full equality, marriage equality. Four or five years later, he supported marriage equality, evolved. It is another thing to do it three months later. VAUSE: Ok. We move on now because the President also has a new love
for China. Let's listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: All of the pundits out there saying they never have seen China work like they're working right now. Many coal ship they've sent back, many other things have happened. Some very unusual moves have been made over the last two or three hours. And I really have confidence that the President will try very hard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So just exactly what those unusual moves are the President referred to not entirely clear. But sources have told CNN an extraordinary number of Chinese military aircraft have been brought to full readiness possibly because of North Korea.
David McKenzie is in Beijing, live with all the details. David -- what do we know?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know is from those U.S. officials that these bombers are on, quote, "high alert". Now they are saying perhaps speculating that this is perhaps because of the issues going on in North Korea, the worries of ratcheting up tension on the North Korean -- in the Korean Peninsula -- John.
But there is a sense that while China does appear to be trying to apply pressure on Pyongyang to stop a potential nuclear test or ballistic missile test, that their hands are somewhat tied. And that not necessarily this is a game changer the Trump administration's relationship with Xi Jinping, the president of China.
And while they are putting pressure on, they can't necessarily put all the pressure that they would want to put on to bear from the point of view of the U.S. because it could collapse the regime. and that's the last thing, frankly, that the Chinese want -- John.
VAUSE: Ok. David -- thank you.
Well, President Trump also putting a lot of faith in Beijing. It seems a lot of what he knows about the region is the result of a conversation he had China's President Xi. Part of an interview here which he gave to the "Wall Street Journal" -- this is how he described the conversation with Xi Jinping.
"He then went into the history of China and Korea". Not North Korea, Korea. And you know, you're talking about thousands of years and many wars. And Korea actually used to be part of China. And after listening for ten minutes, I realized that it is not so easy."
The problem is just that Korea was never part of China. Ivan Watson, live in Seoul for more on this.
So Ivan -- it took a few days but many in South Korea, not too pleased about that version of alternative history. IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No John. People here
if Korea do not like to hear that they were part of China. This is a fiercely kind of proud country that lived under Japanese occupation for decades in the 20th century with a strong sense of national identity.
And this comment really has rubbed Koreans the wrong way and it has gone all the way up to the Korean foreign ministry which on Thursday announced it was reaching out to both China and the U.S. to seek clarification on this exact comment.
The South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson going on to say quote, "The international community unequivocally acknowledges that's Korea was never a part of China in its thousands of years of history. And no one can deny the fact."
Following up today, Friday here in Seoul the foreign ministry says it still hasn't gotten any answer presumably from either the Chinese or the U.S. governments on its inquiries into this matter.
And we've gone out and talked to some people on the streets. And there is real anger at this. Either accusations that the U.S. president simply doesn't know history, or that he doesn't show respect, enough respect for this country and its history -- John.
VAUSE: Ivan -- thank you. Ivan Watson in Seoul. I guess that's the problem when you get your foreign policy briefing from the president of your biggest rival in Asia. Ivan -- again, thank you.
SESAY: All right.
Let's get back to our Democratic strategist Dave and John. I feel like you should comment on that.
[00:25:01] JACOBSON: Look, Donald Trump should stop watching cable news and start reading history books.
VAUSE: Maybe a history major for dummies.
SESAY: Do you want --
THOMAS: I mean he screwed up. He shouldn't play historian. There's no question about it.
SESAY: Ok.
THOMAS: But let's move on beyond something that's really been litigated --
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: As you say.
SESAY: All right. Let's move on then.
Dinner at the White House -- the place to be. It is getting mighty interesting. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ALASKA: President Trump called to invite -- just to touch base. So asked me to get to D.C. and we would be able to chat over dinner and asked if I would invite a couple of friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you brought Kid Rock and Ted Nugent?
PALIN: Jesus is booked. So yes I invited my buddies -- Kid Rock and Ted Nugent, some bold, courageous, all-American dudes who I knew would have good conversation with the President and get to express a lot of good, middle class work ethic type issues and policy proposals that they could all relate to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: John -- you look perplexed. Sarah Palin at the White House Wednesday night.
THOMAS: Well, I don't have a problem with Sarah Palin going there or Kid Rock. I mean Obama brought rappers of all stripes and colors to the White House. What's the big deal here? I mean --
VAUSE: Honey Boo Boo was left out.
THOMAS: Look, Sarah Palin is funny. The President can bring anyone and he should, of all musicalities to the White House.
JACOBSON: Look, last time I checked, somebody who is a anti-Semitic, racist, misogynistic individual was called for --
SESAY: Ted Nugent --
JACOBSON: Ted Nugent, of course, who has called for a president to be murdered essentially -- to be invited to the White House.
(CROSSTALK)
THOMAS: You know, come on. Rappers aren't exactly the Holy Grail of morality.
JACOBSON: It is a little different when you have somebody who's being investigated by the Secret Service. But, yes.
SESAY: Would you agree?
THOMAS: No, I do not.
SESAY: Ok then. I mean --
(CROSSTALK)
THOMAS: Well, we're not going to agree on that.
SESAY: No. We're going to leave that.
THOMAS: We can agree to disagree.
VAUSE: If only that was her reward for all the support she gave Trump during the campaign.
SESAY: To go to dinner.
VAUSE: Yes. It's a line that no liberal wants to hear. Sarah Palin, Kid Rock, Ted Nugent invited to a formal White House dinner by President Donald Trump.
THOMAS: You know, she was removed from the trail originally.
VAUSE: Yes.
THOMAS: She got a little --
VAUSE: We all know it's not great -- ok.
SESAY: Gentlemen -- thank you.
VAUSE: Ok. We'll take a short break.
When we come back, there are many questions about that attack in Paris. People are wondering how a man convicted in a police shooting was able carry out an awful lot.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SESAY: Hello, everyone. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.
VAUSE: And I'm John Vause.
We'll check the headlines now this hour.
[00:29:56] U.S. authorities are reportedly preparing charges to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The Justice Department investigation dates back to at least 2010. Assange is holed-up in the Ecuadorian in London as he looks to avoid arrest warrants on rape charges in Sweden.
[00:30:11] SESAY: Hundreds of Venezuelans took to the streets again on Thursday accusing President Nicolas Maduro of establishing a dictatorship. That as General (INAUDIBLE) says the government seized its (INAUDIBLE) operations. At this rally in the capital, a woman tries to block an armored truck. Reminiscent of a protest in 1989 at China's Tiananmen Square.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cannot seek another term in next month's election. Iran's guarding council has reportedly barred him. State media reports six candidates were approved including the current President Hassan Rouhani.
SESAY: Well, more now on that shooting in Paris and prosecutors say they have identified the man who opened fire on a police van on the Champs-Elysees. One officer was killed. Two more were wounded as well as a passer-by in the area. Sources say the suspect was known for radicalization and had been involved in a shooting of French police officers before.
ISIS claims the attack was carried out by one of their so called fighters, but the suspect's name will not be released until sometime Friday.
Our own Melissa Bell joins us live from Paris.
And, Melissa, let's start with that. That very issue of the suspect and why authorities are withholding his name. What can you tell us?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Molins, the Paris prosecutor who was down here on the Champs-Elysees overnight just hours after the attack said not only that the man's identity was known, but that it had been verified. So it was no doubt in the minds of the investigators, of the prosecutor himself about of who this man was. But that he wouldn't go into the details of it publicly while the investigation was ongoing.
Now of course that's likely to change today when we get an official statement from Francois Molins for the very latest in this investigation. We're likely to know much more about what is known about this man's identity.
Now sources tell us that he was known to French authorities. That he was in fact what the French called "fishy act" that is under active surveillance.
Now overall in France, and we got these figures from the former Prime Minister Manuel Valls a couple of years ago. There are 20,000 people who are under active surveillance. Of which, 10,500 are linked to terrorism. So that is -- it gives you an idea of the scale, the number of people that are being actively watched by authorities. So many questions this morning.
How this man, who was on these lists of those being actively watched was able to get his hands on a Kalashnikov. Was able to make his way to that police van and begin shooting. And the police causing, of course, as you mentioned, Isha, that the tragic death of that policeman here last night.
SESAY: Yes. And among those questions would be, was he acting alone? Was there anyone else involved in this? What are authorities saying, how far are they following that line of investigation?
BELL: Well, I think that would be crucial to the investigation and to what we're likely to hear over the course of the day. Now so far, what we do have to go on is the fact that ISIS claimed responsibility for this attack. Really very quickly. Just a couple hours after the attack had taken place. That is very fast and it's not what we've seen in the last series of attacks here in France when the attacks also targeting security forces, by the way, tended to be from men who were more ISIS inspired, than ISIS directed. Was this man on the contrary? Did he have closer links with the organization itself? That will be crucial to the investigation. Also what we want to hear this morning.
Now, of course, just to remind you, Isha, we are on the eve, practically, of what has been described as possibly the most important election in the history of the Fifth Republic since 1958. Certainly the hardest to pull. Certainly the most unpredictable in terms of polls and what is likely to happen.
And how this is all going to play into that is another of the storylines that we're going to be following very quickly. This morning, we heard a number of the 11 candidates who are standing for the French presidency react in the immediate aftermath of this attack.
One candidate in particular who has been leading the polls for months -- two candidates in particular have been leading the polls for months. One of them is Emmanuel Macron, the centrist independent. The other is the far right Marine Le Pen.
Now all that's happened here and all that we have to go on for now does suggests that this is likely to play in to what has been a central platform in her campaign for months.
The law and order, the sense that law and order needs to be put back at the priorities of the French government. That fact that she is becoming increasingly controversial in her pronouncement, suggesting that those fish, people I was telling you about a moment ago, these people who are under surveillance need to be thrown out of the country all together.
So this is something we're likely to hear about a great deal from here over the course of the day.
SESAY: Of course, we're looking very closely at the polling day. So when it becomes available, once posts have been cast to see what role all of this has played.
Melissa Bell joining us there from Paris.
Melissa, appreciate it. Thank you.
VAUSE: And with that, another short break.
When we come back, new music from Prince was set to be released on Friday. His fans were excited while waiting, but now they'll have to keep waiting and we'll explain.
SESAY: And this on the first anniversary of Prince's death. We'll hear from the photographer behind some of his best shot ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:35:25] SESAY: Prosecutors in Paris say they have a positive I.D. on the man who killed a police officer on the Champs-Elysees. Official say the man opened fire with an automatic weapon on a police van. Two more officers were wounded and so was a passer-by. Authorities have his name. All they're saying right now is that he was a French national.
Police also confirmed that he had been involved in a police shooting before back in 2001. Sources say that and possible ties to militants made him known to French security services. ISIS claims he was one their fighters.
VAUSE: Well, we're all remembering the legacy now of Prince one year after his death. Many were hoping to actually hear a new release from his famous music vault there on Paisley Park. But now that is here to stay.
On Wednesday, a court issued a temporary injunction blocking a new EP.
SESAY: Yes. Prince's state says it violate the confidentiality agreement between Prince and his former sound engineer. But with or without the EP, the artist impact remains. Our own Stephanie Elam recently spoke to a photographer who captured some of Price's most iconic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN BEAULIEU, PHOTOGRAPHER: Those are really bad.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Photographer Allen Beaulieu says that was Prince's reaction to the pictures he took of the musician during their very first photo shoot in 1989. Prince's "Eponymous" second album was out.
His chart topper, "I Want to be Your Lover," was all over the radio.
BEAULIEU: And I found out the band was good. No, these are really bad.
ELAM (on-camera): Good bad.
BEAULIEU: Good bad.
ELAM: His star on the rise, Prince then asked Beaulieu to shoot his next album cover.
BEAULIEU: He goes, well, the name of the album is "Dirty Mind," and I want to be shot on a bed. And so just sprays in the background and on the back cover. First, I did shoot him on the bed. And he actually spray painted the titles.
ELAM: Then in 1981, Prince released his fourth album catapulting him to super stardom. The title track "Controversy" was a huge hit.
Beaulieu also shot this cover.
BEAULIEU: We're going to invent this controversy daily and I'll give you the titles I want you to use.
ELAM (on-camera): Would he give you time? BEAULIEU: No. (INAUDIBLE). And he played the same song over and over and over and over.
ELAM: Why?
BEAULIEU: It kind of got him in that mood.
ELAM: Beaulieu also hit the road with friends for his "Dirty Mind" controversy and 1999 tours. The picture of Prince' eye on the 1999 record was also shot by Beaulieu.
(on-camera): Do you have one back stage picture that we haven't seen that's your favorite?
BEAULIEU: Where he is looking in the mirror and he's got the light bulbs around him. Another photo is I got him in a pin ball. It is a lot like Prince.
[00:40:00] ELAM (voice-over): The last time Beaulieu saw Prince was at Paisley Park during the filming of "Graffiti Bridge." A sequel to "Purple Rain."
BEAULIEU: He came up on me and gave me a big bear hug. That was the last time I ever saw him. And if I would have known that, I guess I would have held on.
ELAM: Stephanie Elam, CNN, Minneapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Well, for more now on Prince's legacy, we're joined by Kerry Gordy. He's the former executive vice president and executive producer of Prince's Paisley Park Records.
Kerry, good to see you one more time.
KERRY GORDY, CEO, KERRY CORDY ENTERPRISES: How you guys, doing?
SESAY: Well, the last time we saw you was --
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Hard to believe it's been a year.
SESAY: Hard to believe it's been a year with the time of Prince's passing.
How are you doing? How are you doing?
GORDY: Well, you know what? I'm doing better than the purple army is doing. Because, you know, hey really are, you know, the folks who really want to protect his legacy and the whole shot. I'm just, you know, still a little shaken. But for all intents and purposes, you know, doing pretty good. I'm, I'm, I'm pretty happy.
SESAY: Yes. VAUSE: You know, we now know how Prince died. It was an overdose of the painkiller Fentanyl. We also found out (INAUDIBLE) said he had opioid hidden through the house. Some of them actually not prescribed to him.
GORDY: Yes.
VAUSE: This has taken a lot of people really close to him by surprise, because he had this image of being, you know, clean living. And were you surprised by all of this?
GORDY: Absolutely. Because during the time that we worked together, he was very clean, drug-free. Totally against drugs. Totally against anybody in his surrounding being around drugs. So it was shocking. It was shocking.
SESAY: To what degree has that overshadowed his legacy do you think? Or change the way people think about Prince?
GORDY: I don't think it has overshadowed his legacy at all. You know, his music is still his music. People still love him. And, you know, I think it's a little bit of a drag but I don't think it really tainted --
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: (INAUDIBLE)
GORDY: Not his musical legacy. Not at all.
VAUSE: Yes. There is also this question about all of his unreleased music. The mythical vault was actually true. Also, there's a lot of stuff in there.
How would Prince feel about his work being released without him being around to sign off on it?
GORDY: OK. So now this is very interesting, because he recorded a lot more songs than he released. So therefore, he only released the ones that he wanted released. And there were -- he never would let anybody else really mess with his songs or his creative vibe. He did once give me the opportunity to remix one of his records which I thought was amazing. But for all intents and purposes, he did not want to put his creative thing into anybody else's hands.
SESAY: So he would be upset by this.
GORDY: I think he would be upset by someone else picking what the public is going to hear. That's why he has such an incredible vault, because if he didn't want it out, he wouldn't release it.
SESAY: I want to ask you quickly about the "Revolution." Prince's 1980s backing band. Starting his spring tour. How do you feel about that? I mean, --
GORDY: Well, I think it's great. I think, I think that's great for his legacy. I think it keeps the vibe going. I really -- I think it's great. I think it's great.
VAUSE: What about the judgement on the EP that was said to be release on Friday?
GORDY: Well, I think that personally, I think there should be an injunction. Because, you know, everything -- I ran Prince's company. And everybody that worked with prince had to sign an NDA, or some type of confidentiality agreement. And I would assume, I don't know for sure but I would assume that it was a work for hire. And I would assume that --
SESAY: Did that mean that he didn't have any --
GORDY: Legal, right.
SESAY: Legal, or he didn't own any of it.
GORDY: That's right. He didn't own it. I mean, literally. Well, first, I don't know everything for sure. But I would assume that, you know -- because he was an engineer. He was an engineer. And I would assume that he and Prince worked together in the studio and he was Prince' engineer. And when Prince left the studio, that he just left the tapes there. And so -- and I would also assume it was stuff that Prince didn't want released, because if he wanted it released, it would be released.
VAUSE: Because he's obviously a perfectionist.
GORDY: Right. Right.
VAUSE: Absolutely, they were. Thank you so much.
SESAY: Thank you. It's so good to see you.
VAUSE: Obviously, so many people will be thinking of Prince in the next couple of days.
SESAY: We will.
VAUSE: Thank you.
GORDY: See you later.
SESAY: And with that, thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. We've got some pictures to leave you with.
VAUSE: Yes, I'm John Vause. "Word Sports" is next. But here are those images. It's the I-25 West Bridge in Minneapolis. It's all lit up in purple, obviously, to honor prince, the hometown legend who died one year ago on Friday.
