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CNN International: Mass Shooting in El Paso Shopping Center; Nine Dead in Dayton, Ohio, After Mass Shooting. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired August 04, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): We continue following the breaking news, the mass shooting that played out in El Paso, Texas.
I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Welcome to viewers here in the United States and around the world. Here's what we know at this point.
At least 20 people killed, 26 people hurt, some with life-threatening injuries. The 21-year-old suspect surrendered at the scene, the alleged gunman now in police custody. And the FBI is treating this as a possible domestic terrorism case.
The Walmart Supercenter, about 10:30 am local time, that store was packed with local people, going about their regular routine, that's when people had to duck. They had to hide. Find places to take cover. As the gunman started to open fire and you hear it here.
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HOWELL: Just imagine doing that , trying to survive. Bystanders sprang into action quickly, trying to help as many as possible. This video, it's disturbing to watch but here it is.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (from captions): One injured; we have an injured person here, guys. There's a man laying down at the stand that a school set up, a man injured.
Oh, no!
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, we need CPR, we need CPR.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help, help!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need CPR. We need CPR.
Do you know CPR?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need CPR. Turn him over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: People just going about their day there, regular routines, nobody expected to be in that location, caught hiding, trying to protect themselves. Tabitha Estrada was working at a nearby shop when all this happened. Here's what she had to say.
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TABITHA ESTRADA, MERCHANT: I was at work, so I had to pull people into the store and I had a couple customers in my store and I had to close and lock the door and I had to pull them into the back. And we just kind of had to sit there and wait to see what happened.
I didn't want to freak out my customers. So I was trying to reassure them they were going to be OK, too, because I knew that I had family that I could turn to. But like my customers were from over the border. So they had it harder because they were going to have to find a way to get their family to figure out what was going on.
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HOWELL: A few lines on the suspected gunman, apparently from Allen, Texas, more than 600 miles, 1,000 kilometers away from El Paso. A document was posted online shortly before the shooting and it appears to be an anti-immigrant manifesto.
Here is the state governor.
GREG ABBOTT (R), TEXAS GOVERNOR: This is disgusting, intolerable, it is not Texan. And we're going to aggressively prosecute it both as a capital murder but also as a hate crime, which is what exactly it appears to be, without having seen all the evidence yet.
I don't want to get ahead of the evidence. But we have to be very, very clear that, conduct like this, thoughts like that, actions like this, crimes like this are not who or what Texas is and will not be accepted here.
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HOWELL: Ed Lavandera has been on the scene in El Paso and he filed this report.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in El Paso, investigators will continue to work throughout the night, processing the crime scene at the Walmart. This is the back of the building you see behind me. We are still seeing investigators coming in and out and the shopping center remain locked down.
Police here in El Paso tell us that the victims who died inside the store will remain there, as the investigators and forensic experts continue to do --
[04:05:00]
LAVANDERA: -- their work inside. That's a gruesome, horrifying scene.
That's all happening as the investigation continues. We understand that federal investigators have opened up a domestic terrorism investigation. There's a hate crime component. But local authorities here are taking the lead. Everyone from local police to the governor of Texas, vowing to prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law.
That means in the state of Texas, this could be a case where we see the death penalty inflicted upon the suspect.
There is still some very tense and agonizing moments for the families here, especially the family we met earlier today of 86-year-old Angie Englisbee, who is still missing.
Two of her children tell us they have desperately and frantically been trying to connect with their mother, who they last spoke to as she was in the checkout line in that Walmart, moments before the shooting erupted. They have not heard from her throughout the day.
And Davia Romero, outside of the Walmart store, waiting for her nephew to come out, when she started to hear the gunshots erupt. What she saw next is something she will never forget.
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DAVIA ROMERO, EYEWITNESS: I was waiting for him to come out but it was taking too long. And then I heard the first one.
So I thought, what's going on?
But it was so loud, very loud. And then I just saw everybody dropping. So that's when I just ran in there, like trying to. But then I saw him run this way, so I chased him. And I thought he had got shot.
LAVANDERA: Who was in --
ROMERO: The baby -- my nephew. There's a baby that some man carried that got shot. The guy just gave it to the ambulance. I don't know. (INAUDIBLE). It confused me. It was awful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: So those are the types of images, excruciating scene, this woman witnessing this man pull a baby covered in blood out of that Walmart store. That is the kind of moments that many survivors and witnesses are experiencing and dealing with at this very moment.
There is still the efforts to get information about victims to relatives here in El Paso. That work continues as well. But here, tonight, and in the overnight hours, crime scene investigators inside that Walmart doing their work. That will continue through the night -- Ed Lavandera, CNN, El Paso, Texas.
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HOWELL: Reporting from Ed Lavandera. Now insight from Josh Campbell, Josh also at the scene of the attack. Let's listen.
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JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: The bureau has opened what they're calling a domestic terrorism investigation that will run concurrently to the state investigation. Now, the stressing that the state is still in charge here, the state of Texas investigators have the lead but the FBI has opened a concurrent case to look into the possible motivation of the shooter to include ideology, if there is any type of hate crime angle to this, they'll be working that case, especially looking into this alleged manifesto that we've been talking about.
Again, trying to get into the mindset of the shooter, was this someone who came here causing mass loss of life based on hate and obviously the FBI, the federal government has a host of resources that they can bring to bear. I was just in California last week, we were covering yet another mass shooting. In that instance, the FBI also providing resources. They provided their profilers from the Behavioral Analysis Unit at Quantico that helped them get into the mindset of this person based on these past incidents.
So we can bet that there will be a host of resources that the federal government will be bringing to bear. We're told there are different offices, satellite offices around Texas that are sending resources here and FBI assets at the headquarters in Washington are standing by to deploy to this location should they get any requests from state officials here that are leading the investigation.
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HOWELL: Let's get some analysis now with Cheryl Dorsey, a retired Los Angeles police sergeant, also the author of the book, "Black and Blue."
Thank you for your time.
CHERYL DORSEY, RETIRED LAPD SERGEANT AND AUTHOR: Thank you for having me.
HOWELL: Given what we know at this point, 20 people dead, at least 26 others injured and the suspected gunman in custody.
What happens at this point as police carry out this investigation?
DORSEY: Well, they're going to be backtracking to see what led up to the suspect's shooting, posting on social media. They're going to be trying to identify victims, locate families and notify them. There's going to be a lot of behind the scenes work going on.
What I'm concerned about is why there's been no mention with regard to gun control and gun reform. I mean, there's an elephant in the room and nobody wants to address, why is someone 19, 21 years old allowed to have a weapon that will hold a banana clip magazine --
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DORSEY: -- with multiple rounds that can do this kind of carnage?
It makes no sense.
HOWELL: This appears to be a hate crime. Investigators are trying to determine as well whether the suspect, that they have in custody, whether he posted a manifesto to an online chat board.
If this turns out to be true, it appears the gunman wanted people to know the reasons, the motivation for carrying out such an attack, which would be exactly what police are looking for, I would surmise, in motivation.
DORSEY: Well, he was very deliberate and determined. It's been reported that he drove 600 miles, six or seven hours, from Allen, Texas to El Paso, Texas. He picked this particular location with some specificity, based on the types of customers that would be in that Walmart.
You know, there's, there's an atmosphere of anti-Hispanic rhetoric and racial animus that's emboldened, empowering and encouraging white nationalists to act out. If there's no consequence, if there's no willingness to abate guns and ammunition that could hurt hundreds of people in a few seconds, how do we stop this?
HOWELL: You do point out this touches on several things, touches on gun control. It touches on immigration as well as it's definitely, it is a tragedy to say the very least. To your point, we believe the suspect came from outside of El Paso to carry out this attack then surrendered to police without a shot.
What does that tell you about the suspect's mindset?
DORSEY: Well, you know, I can't speak to his mindset, because I don't know. But you know, what it tells me is that police officers act very differently when a suspect is a male white than they do when they deal with people who look like me.
Armed or unarmed, this suspect was taken into custody without incident after he shot over 20 people fatally and wounded 26 others and he's taken into custody without incident. More often we see officers engaging people of color, unarmed, killing them because they think he has a gun. And we have someone known to have a gun and he's taken into custody without incident.
How does that happen?
HOWELL: There is a lot of talk about that on social media right now. And I think that certainly is a conversation about people that look like us that are having that conversation. Thank you, again, for your time.
DORSEY: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: That was an interview we had earlier.
I regret to tell you there's other breaking news we are following. This time out of the state of Ohio. A separate shooting there, police in Dayton say they're tracking an active shooting incident in the city's Oregon district, not to be confused with the state of Oregon.
The spokesperson for a network of are hospitals there says they are treating victims in the emergency room right now. We'll bring you the very latest as we confirm information. Stand by.
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JOE MOODY, TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: There are 20 families that woke up whole this morning with their loved ones and, when the sun sets tonight here in El Paso, they'll go to bed without them.
Those families are broken but it is with our strength and resolve that we can help piece them back together.
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HOWELL: When he says families are broken, what does that mean?
It means they will wake up in a few hours, they wake up and their loved ones aren't there. That's what that means. You just heard from Texas state representative, Joe Moody, speaking about this deadly shooting. Police say that 20 people were killed and 26 others injured when a gunman opened fire at a shopping center, the Walmart that you see there.
The FBI says it has opened a domestic terror investigation into the shooting. Authorities say a 21-year-old suspect has been detained. That suspect could be charged with capital murder and a hate crime. One witness tells us what he saw in the chaotic scene.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In McDonald's, what happened?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking to see what's going on. And more people are coming in. And then I hear boom, boom, boom, boom, boom and we all run out of the McDonald's, out of an emergency door. I saw another lady shot in the head.
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HOWELL: Shortly before the shooting, a manifesto was posted online. This was about 20 minutes before the first call to police.
It said, quote, "I can't wait any longer."
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CHIEF GREG ALLEN, EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT: Right now, we have a manifesto from this individual, that indicates to some degree it has a nexus to a potential hate crime. I didn't mean to step on FBI's toes on that. But we're taking this down the road of simply a murder investigation with numerous casualties. And as I said, the State of Texas will be the lead prosecuting agency in this.
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HOWELL: Let's talk with Brian Levin, the director of the Center for Study of Hate and Extremism.
Brian, thank you for your time today.
Want to talk about the alleged gunman now. He gave up, without a shot fired.
Given your understanding of who would do this type of thing and why someone would do this type of disgusting thing, what do you think was behind that?
BRIAN LEVIN, CENTER FOR STUDY OF HATE AND EXTREMISM: I think it's chilling that it matches exactly what we wrote on page 3 of our study, that came out at the end of July. What I talked about in the study was how these kinds of extremism, and it's our believe this is an act of terrorist act of white supremacists, we're waiting until the authorities --
[04:20:00]
LEVIN: -- officially call it that.
But if one reads the alleged manifesto, which I have, it references prior acts and a book and a doctrine that is popular among white supremacists. We're seeing a vertical integration. These folks are referencing prior killers and prior writings and trying to inscribe their own in another chapter of this racist Bible of evil that is taking place on the Internet.
It's a newer trend that we've been seeing. But it's scary and something we've seen with young males, from about 19 to 21. And what they do is they're angry, they're frustrated, they're cleaving away from their families and have left school.
And what happens is, the fears, grievances and frustrations are amplified, sculpted and directed to who is regarded as legitimate targets of aggression within these subcultures. And this particular subculture is about how whites are being overrun by people of color. With him, he was talking about Latinos. He referenced texts that we're talking about Europe being overrun by Muslims.
In his world, it's going to be Latinos. And one quick thing. You referenced about political rhetoric. The Tree of Life massacre back in October, it was also around a contentious political season. And Jews were targeted. But they were targeted because they wanted to help Latino immigrants, according to that assailant.
HOWELL: We will of course continue to bring you the updates as we get it.
Brian, we appreciate your time. Thank you.
LEVIN: Thank you, as always.
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HOWELL: Keeping in mind, many people are still unaccounted for after this shooting. Earlier, Alex spoke with the mayor of El Paso, Dee Margo.
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DEE MARGO (R), MAYOR OF EL PASO: The governor and I just visited with the families waiting on information over at one of the schools here in El Paso. It's tough. It's really, really tough.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN ANCHOR: It's extremely tough and extremely heartbreaking.
What about the investigation?
What are federal authorities telling you?
We understand the suspect is a 21-year-old man who drove from Allen, Texas.
What more do we know about the investigation into him and his motive?
MARGO: Well, there isn't much update since we had the press conference. We talked about a gentleman -- I shouldn't say gentleman, this murderer who came from outside El Paso. And as I said before, nobody in El Paso would have done something like
this. This is not what we are about as a community. The investigations going through and identifying the bodies and going through their normal forensic work and families will be notified.
But nothing new is happening yet. Nothing new is happening yet. We're here at the scene as it stands now.
MARQUARDT: Was the shooter, do you know? Was he known at all to authorities?
MARGO: I don't know that. I do not know that. He came out of Allen, Texas is I think where he came from. But my point is just a real tragedy.
MARQUARDT: Can you describe the scene before the shooting? What would have been happening a the a Walmart in El Paso, Texas on a Saturday morning in early August?
MARGO: A lot of shoppers, everybody getting ready for back to school. Normal routines. Just a normal Saturday for people and yet this tragedy struck.
MARQUARDT: And you and others have talked about how tight-knit this community is. What has been the reaction since this horrific massacre happened now just over nine hours ago?
MARGO: Well, it's been reported we have had significant blood donors. This is a very generous community. It is a community that goes back 350 years and people just don't understand.
We have -- we are a close-knit -- we are the largest community of our type on the U.S.-Mexico border. There is nothing in North America that can equate to what we have here with El Paso products. So this is just totally unexpected and, as I say, probably never would have occurred with an El Pasoan.
MARQUARDT: You must be heartened to see those long lines of donors, of blood donors to come out to donate blood. There have been calls for people to sign up online. What can people do to help the community right now?
MARGO: Well, we have set up -- The Paso del Norte Health Foundation has set up a web site for donations for victims and their families. And the other -- what we are telling other people is just continue to --
[04:25:00]
MARGO: -- donate blood. That's what we need right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOWELL: We are following another breaking news story. This out of the state of Ohio, another mass shooting that took place hours ago. Nine people are dead in Dayton, Ohio. This is after the mass shooting in the city's Oregon district, not to be confused with the state of Oregon.
The shooter was killed and we understand that an official with the Miami Valley Hospital received 16 victims. We'll follow this story and bring you developments as we confirm them here on CNN.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
HOWELL: We continue following the breaking news this hour on two fronts, two mass shootings that happened within the span of 24 hours.
Welcome back to viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. First, the breaking news in the state of Ohio just hours ago.
Police say nine people are dead in Dayton, Ohio. This is after a mass shooting that happened in that city's Oregon district, not to be confused with the state of Oregon. The shooter has already been killed. And an official with Miami Valley Hospital says it has received 16 victims. We'll continue to track this story and bring you the latest.
To El Paso, Texas, 20 people lost their lives Saturday at a Walmart Supercenter, making this one of the worst mass killings in modern U.S. history. Three of those victims are Mexican citizens.
Authorities say the suspect surrendered but his motives are unknown. Authorities say an --
[04:30:00]
HOWELL: -- anti-immigrant manifesto was published online minutes before the shooting started; 26 people were hurt. The ages are ranging from 25 to 82 years old. Two of them have life-threatening injuries. Here's a look at how the tragedy unfolded.
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WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST (voice-over): We're following breaking news, gunfire, lots of gunfire, in a crowded shopping center.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police in El Paso, Texas, say they're responding to an active shooter situation.
SGT. ROBERT GOMEZ, EL PASO POLICE DEPARTMENT: The first location was the Walmart at Gateway and Hawkins.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were going to Walmart, as normal. Normal morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I came for back-to-school shopping because I needed things for school.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At first, we didn't think anything of it. Kind of sounded like fireworks. And then it started coming closer together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He walked in and started shooting at everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just see people start running. You could hear the different firing. He starts pop, pop, pop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Run, hija, run.
ARMY SPC. GLEN OAKLEY, WITNESS: I see a whole bunch of kids running around without their parents. So I put it up and the only thing I think of is just pick up as many kids I can as possible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just told her to move faster and she couldn't move faster. So I left her there. And I needed to get out because the shooter was getting closer and closer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have one person in custody, multiple fatalities.
DAVIA ROMERO, EYEWITNESS: There's a baby that some man carried that got shot. The guy just gave it to the ambulance. I don't know. (INAUDIBLE). It confused me. It was awful.
GOMEZ: This is the most traumatic scene that I've been close to.
GREG ABBOTT (R), TEXAS GOVERNOR: We, as a state, unite in support of the victims.
JOE MOODY, TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE: There are 20 families that woke up whole this morning with their loved ones and, when the sun sets tonight here in El Paso, they'll go to bed without them.
EDIE HALLBERG, ANGIE ENGLISBEE'S DAUGHTER: I just want to find my mom. Somebody at least tell me where she is. I want to know if she's dead or alive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Politicians are weighing in on what happened in El Paso, both Democrat and Republican, including the president on Twitter, saying the event was tragic, it was an act of cowardice. He also added there are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people.
But presidential candidate and El Paso native Beto O'Rourke called out Trump after the shooting. He suggested the president's rhetoric against minorities may have played a role in this attack.
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BETO O'ROURKE (D-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes. We've had a rise in hate crimes, every single one of the last three years, during an administration where you have a president who's called Mexicans rapists and criminals, though Mexican immigrants commit crimes at a far lower rate than those born here in the country.
He has tried to make us afraid of them, to some real effect and consequence, attempting to ban all Muslims from this country. The day he signed that executive order, the mosque in Victoria, Texas was burned to the ground.
Those chants we heard in Greenville, North Carolina, "send her back," talking about fellow American citizens duly elected to represent their constituents in the Congress who happen to be women of color. He is a racist and he stokes racism in this country.
And it does not just offend our sensibilities, it fundamentally changes the character of this country and it leads to violence. And again, there are still details that we are waiting on.
But I'm just following the lead that I've heard from the El Paso police department, where they say there are strong indications that this shooter wrote that manifesto and that this was inspired by his hatred of people here in this community.
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HOWELL: Some politicians are demanding changes to America's laws. Pete Buttigieg said the attacks were a form of "white nationalist terrorism" that are being abetted by, quote, "weak gun laws."
Republican senator Lindsey Graham called for new legislation to "deal with those who present a danger to themselves and others."
he also said the massacre was "sick and senseless" and a sentiment shared by the former vice president, Joe Biden. Here he is.
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JOE BIDEN, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can say without fear of contradiction, enough is enough is enough. It's been enough for the past five years. This is a sickness. This is well beyond anything that we should be tolerating.
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HOWELL: Let's talk about all of this with Jacob Parakilas, a U.S. political affairs analyst joining us from Lagos, Nigeria.
Good to have you with us.
JACOB PARAKILAS, U.S. POLITICAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Good morning.
HOWELL: Obviously, this is just a terrible situation, we're following breaking news on two fronts, in El Paso and also a mass shooting that we're learning more about in Dayton --
[04:35:00]
HOWELL: -- Ohio. But speaking about what happened in El Paso, we heard a moment ago from the Democratic presidential candidate, Beto O'Rourke, hitting out at rhetoric coming from the top, from Trump.
What are your thoughts about rhetoric and how it plays into extremism?
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BETO O'ROURKE (D-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it would be a mistake to look at shootings like this in isolation. The shooter posted a manifesto, referencing the shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. That shooter posted a manifesto referencing, among other things, the bombing and shooting in Norway in 2011.
These aren't individual cases. You can't say this is someone who committed a hate crime out of some kind of mental illness and expect that mental illness or case-by-case approach will stop it.
This is a series of events happening within a contagion of far-right terrorism. And regardless of whether you think the president's rhetoric, much of which has similar themes to these manifestos, is a direct cause or not, the question is, whether this administration will be willing to actually and actively look into the causes and instigate any kind of investigation or operation designed to tamp down white nationalist terrorism.
HOWELL: To your point, investigators are trying to determine if this online posting is from the alleged shooter. Of course, bringing you in to speak about the political implications, we want to be careful there, as well. This is a very fresh look. Families are waking up in the morning without their loved ones.
So politics be damned, right?
It's really more about these victims at this point. So carefully walking into this question, in the days to come, this will bring up immigration and gun control.
Do you see this becoming a major issue in the coming days?
PARAKILAS: I think it can't help but become a major issue. This is one of a series of mass shootings. Gun control is half of the problem here. You see a similar set of statements from Democratic candidates They are largely aligning along the view that there should be additional background checks.
Many have called for a revival of the assault weapons ban. Those could have some impact on the proliferation of mass shootings. It wouldn't stop the phenomenon entirely.
And if the issue that there are those that share a white nationalist philosophy, that are willing to take lives and commit heinous acts of violence in service of that philosophy, simply adding additional gun control measures, even if that's feasible -- we've seen attempts to legislate gun control in the past and nothing has come of it. Even if that is feasible, there's still the broader question of
dealing with the ideology.
HOWELL: You cover stories like this. And we crossed information out of Dayton, Ohio, nine people dead there, another mass shooting. It's about the news and the facts for me. I don't want to put my opinions in front of it. But it's very difficult to cover these one after another and another. And it just doesn't seem to stop.
As we're covering another one in Dayton, do you get a sense that people are feeling frustrated that there's not enough movement, action of this front?
And do you feel there's more political will to do something?
PARAKILAS: There could be. "The Onion" is posting the same article after every major mass shooting. No way to prevent this from happening. I think there is a kind of fatigue, a cynicism that creeps in.
But as with any major change, things seem impossible until they're not. It's hard to do in the emotional immediate aftermath of a mass shooting -- or a pair of mass shootings -- to determine what will be the tipping point, what will make the difference.
I think there has to be a level of faith that something will eventually make a difference.
The question is how long that will take and what measures will be taken eventually. What political measures and social measures will be taken to tamp this down.
HOWELL: I just think about the people who are waking up in a few hours. You know --
[04:40:00]
HOWELL: -- the people they would expect to be in that home, in the bed with them or whatever, aren't there.
Jacob Parakilas, thanks.
We'll be right back after this.
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HOWELL: We continue following breaking news on two fronts here in the United States. Two mass shootings within the span of 24 hours. One in Texas and the most recent in Dayton, Ohio.
To Dayton, Ohio, nine people are dead, 16 others injured. This is in the city's Oregon district. That should not be confused with the state of Oregon.
Authorities are looking into the information around it. The shooter was killed. The FBI is assisting in this investigation. Police say the shooter used a long gun. Officers were in the area patrolling and were able to come to the scene quickly. At this time, the motive is unclear. We'll continue to track the story and bring you developments as we confirm them here.
Before this in Dayton, Ohio, there was a shooting in El Paso, Texas. Shootings like these have become all too common in the United States. The shooter opened fire at a Walmart in El Paso; at least 20 people are dead, 26 are injured.
Police have a 21-year-old in custody. That attack triggered panic at the mall. A member of the U.S. Army was shopping when it started. When he heard it, he says he launched into action.
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ARMY SPC. GLEN OAKLEY, WITNESS: I'm in the military.
[04:45:00]
OAKLEY: I hear a gunshot, I just -- I got my license to carry. A little kid run in and says, active shooter in Walmart. I got my gun out. They closed the foot locker. They were so scared, they lifted the cage. And I ran with them.
I went to the parking lot. I made my way out. One of the cops thought I was one of the shooters. I am heading out. I'm shaking. It was a whole bunch of kids. I hope nothing happens to the kids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: Every day, hundreds of Mexicans cross the border into El Paso to shop. This Walmart was no exception. Three of 20 people killed were Mexican nationals, according to Mexico's president.
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ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO (through translator): I'm being informed that there are three Mexicans who lost their lives in a shooting at a mall. The ministry of foreign affairs, the consul of Mexico in El Paso, Texas, are already addressing the situation.
My condolences for those Americans who lost their lives, for those Mexicans who lost their lives, this is a very unfortunate situation. I know El Paso, Texas, and I know it is a very peaceful place, one of the least violent districts in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWELL: We'll be right back after this.
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[04:50:00]
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HOWELL: You're following CNN breaking news live. Two scenes we're covering in the United States. Two mass shootings in less than 24 hours. The last happened in Dayton, Ohio, where police say nine people are dead after a shooting in that city's Oregon district. That's not to be confused with the U.S. state of Oregon.
At least 16 people, we understand, were admitted to hospitals. And the shooter was also killed.
Authorities say the attacker used a long gun and the FBI is helping in this investigation. That incident comes after a separate shooting in El Paso, Texas. That shooting killing 20 people; 26 other people were injured after a gunman opened fire at a Walmart Supercenter there.
The suspect surrendered and is in custody. We're hearing from some of the people at the scene there in El Paso. One woman described the pure chaos she saw as this happened. Listen.
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ADRIA GONZALEZ, EYEWITNESS: There were a lot of people that couldn't get out of there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you see people on the ground?
GONZALEZ: Yes. And then there was this man who was, like, with all blood on him. He told us that he actually carried a child with him who got shot. And he was all covered with blood. So but, yes, I, I did see a child got shot and I saw bodies outside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know how many bodies that you saw?
GONZALEZ: I only saw two.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were people saying that were there inside?
GONZALEZ: People were just shocked. They were, they were frozen. They were just running away from the scene. People were saying what's going on?
What's going on?
Other people were saying my family member is there. Please call them. Or people sending messages to everybody on Facebook, on Instagram, you know, saying be careful, do not go outside. We were all helping each other.
I also want to thank a lady, who actually picked us up, me and my mother, and also some Walmart employees got into their cars. And also I want to thank them, because they also helped us to get away from there in their car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the killer say anything?
Did the shooter say anything at all?
Was he making any type of movement?
Anything out of the ordinary?
Did he look like a regular person walking in the store?
GONZALEZ: Yes, he looked just a regular person but as, as an Army wife, I do take care of myself and my surroundings, where everything is, just in case, you know, you never know what could happen. And I -- he didn't say anything.
He just start, he walked in and starts shooting at everybody. And we just, we hide, we were hiding there for maybe like 10 minutes, until everything was calm. And we, I started pushing people out of Walmart and just telling them to get out, get out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you see what kind of weapon he was carrying?
What he was using?
GONZALEZ: Yes, we did see it was maybe like an AK but I didn't see what type of AK. The only thing I saw was it looked like an AK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like a rifle?
GONZALEZ: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like a banana clip?
GONZALEZ: Yes, yes. That's, that's the only thing that I saw and I saw him, that he had khaki pants with a black shirt. That's all, that's all that I saw.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you see him walk in by any chance?
I'm sure you weren't thinking about this is a guy who has to do all these things.
GONZALEZ: No, I didn't see him walking in. The first thing I heard was the gunshots. And then when I turned around and to see what was going on, that's when I saw him.
And that's when I ran back with my mom and I told her, let's go, let's go, let's go. And I started to help the senior citizens, help her get out and just getting people out of there, just letting them know, we need to exit out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[04:55:00]
HOWELL: That's the scene in El Paso, Texas, after the mass shooting that killed 20 people, 26 others injured. The suspect in custody.
And another mass shooting that we have to tell you about that played out in Dayton, Ohio. Police say nine people are dead after the shooting in the city's Oregon district. That's different from the U.S. state of Oregon.
At least 16 people were admitted to hospitals. The shooter was also killed. The attacker used a long gun and the FBI is helping in the investigation.
We have a guest now with us. I'll ask my producer the name of this guest. Elizabeth Long, joining us in Dayton, Ohio.
Elizabeth, thank you for being with us.
ELIZABETH LONG, KETTERING HEALTH NETWORK: Thank you.
HOWELL: Tell us more about what you are seeing at this point.
LONG: I'm a spokesperson with Kettering Health Network. We're a hospital system with nine hospitals in the Dayton area. And so far this morning, we had nine people who were involved in the shooting, treated at three of our hospitals. At least two of those persons have been treated and released.
HOWELL: All right. Thank you for that information. And just to get a sense, right now, the scene there -- and we're seeing video there from affiliate WKEF.
The scene, is it still active?
What are police telling people?
LONG: I have just been monitoring the news, as you have. I'm actually heading to one of our hospitals and also to our network command -- network operations command center. But I understand there's a police presence downtown in the Oregon district.
HOWELL: Elizabeth Long, we appreciate you joining our show at the very end. Nine people dead in the state of Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, after another mass shooting that happened there within a span of 24 hours from the shooting that happened in El Paso, Texas.
I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Our coverage continues here on CNN of two mass shootings, one in El Paso, Texas, the other in Dayton, Ohio. Christi Paul and Victor Blackwell pick it up from here. You're watching CNN.
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