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At This Hour

Virginia Shooting Victims' Families Call for Gun Control; George, Laura Bush Tour New Orleans During Katrina 10-Year Anniversary; Florida Governor Rick Scott News Brief on Tropical Storm Erika Preps. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired August 28, 2015 - 11:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:32:02] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The loved ones of the journalists who were killed on live TV say it's not enough to just honor their memory. They want action, action on gun control.

Alison Parker's boyfriend told us there needs to be a substantive conversation on the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS HURST, BOYFRIEND OF ALISON PARKER: We need to keep the conversation going. We don't want to keep it going because it's tiresome and then we just wait for another one to happen and then we say, oh, my god, this is a huge issue, and then we forget about it until another one happens. Why do we need to forget about it? Because if we don't forget, I think the incidents will lessen. I believe that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Alison Parker's father, he goes even further saying that he will now be a crusader for gun control laws. Listen here to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY PARKER, FATHER OF ALISON PARKER: I'm not -- you know, I'm not saying let's take away guns. I'm just saying let's make it harder for people with mental issues or people that -- like this guy that killed Alison and Adam. To make it difficult for them to purchase guns. There's got to be a mechanism that gets put in place for that and I don't think that's unreasonable to do, but steps -- how many Newtowns are we going to have? How many Sandy Hooks? How many people -- how many Alisons are going to -- is this going to happen to before we stop it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And you heard Andy Parker mention Newtown and Sandy Hook. Nicole Hockley's son was killed in the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. 26 young students and teachers, they were killed. 20 of those killed were children. Nicole is here with us now. She's also the managing director of the

Sandy Hook Promise.

Nicole, thank you so much for joining us.

NICHOLE HOCKLEY, SON KILLED IN NEWTOWN SCHOOL SHOOTING & MANAGING DIRECTOR, SANDY HOOK PROMISE: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: I'm sure it really hurts hearing this father, hearing this fiance, this boyfriend say similar things that you have said after the massacre at Sandy Hook. On a very personal level, he says -- they say they want to fight. They want to be crusaders. On a very personal level, you have been fighting this for years now. What does the road ahead look like for them?

HOCKLEY: The road ahead is really hard. This is one of the hardest fights going on in America right now, what is reasonable gun legislation and how are we going to deal with mental health and wellness issues. This does not get easier, and once the shock wears off, which they're currently in right now and that pain hits them, this fight gets even harder.

[11:35:00] BERMAN: It's been more than two years now since what happened in Connecticut. Have you achieved what you thought you would achieve when you set out on this mission?

HOCKLEY: That's a really difficult question. There's a lot that is being achieved. The conversation continues. I think Sandy Hook was a catalyst to start a conversation and start change, but we still have a long way to go. There's many more voices in this movement now, and sadly many more victims and families and loved ones of victims, but it's the sad fact still that, you know, and Alison's fiance got it right, until you are touched by this violence, until you become personally involved, it's far too easy to just look away, let the conversation go away, and get on with your own daily life, and once it happens to you, it's too late. So people need to engage in this issue now rather than just hoping their community is not the next one hit.

BOLDUAN: And when reality sets in and reality has set in for you and you started your fight, is reality also setting in -- are you giving up hope? I ask that because what we heard after these latest murders was that if change wasn't brought after Sandy Hook, and it strikes me, I was looking back, your son would be a fourth grader now. If change wouldn't come after Sandy Hook, it's not going to come ever. What do you say to folks who say that?

HOCKLEY: I totally disagree with that. Change is coming. Change is slow. That's all. But change is absolutely coming, and I have not lost hope. This is my lifelong commitment to save the lives of others through proper intervention and responsible access. Mr. Parker joins me in that mission as do so many others. It's a growing movement, but change and progress take time, and you just have to keep your commitment and stamina and keep looking for solutions that can move things forward, and there are a lot of things that we can do it keep this moving forward. BERMAN: There's no one thing that can fix everything, right? Because

by all accounts this killer in Virginia, I don't think there's a gun law that's been proposed anywhere that necessarily would have kept him from getting a gun. I don't think there's any record of actual diagnosed mental illness. So how do you go beyond just laws here?

HOCKLEY: I mean, there's a lot that laws can do to ensure that appropriate access is given or not given, but a lot of this has to do with mental wellness, not just mental wellness. This shooter may not have had a diagnosed mental illness and the vast majority of gun violence is not committed by someone with a diagnosed mental illness. It's an incredible small percentage. What is it is more likely coming from is a lack of mental wellness, social skills, anger management, conflict resolution. These are issues and wellness behaviors that people give signs for. There are signals, and according to the details that are still coming out on this shooter, there were signs and signals of his unhappiness with his situation, of the way he wanted to act out. There was a time that intervention could have been made, and the more that we are aware of what those signs and signals are and are trained in them, not only do we reduce stigma, but we can help get people the help they need before tragic consequences.

BOLDUAN: And that's almost the hardest part because it takes commitment, and that's difficult on the parts of families, on the parts of communities, but it does take that commitment to allow for that wellness and for those flags, those red flags, those alarms to be raised and recognized.

Nicole, it's great to have your voice in this. Thank you so much for coming on.

HOCKLEY: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Of course.

Going to continue to follow that story, of course.

We're also following this. New this morning, former President George W. Bush and first lady, Laura Bush, are in New Orleans getting a first-hand look at the city's recovery. 10 years now since Hurricane Katrina. We're going to bring you live pictures, a live report on the anniversary.

And fleeing Syria scared and hungry, 71 people die before making it to safety in Europe. And there are so many more making the same treacherous trek. Arwa Damon is going to be bringing that to us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:43:09] BOLDUAN: At this very moment, George W. Bush and former first lady, Laura Bush, are in New Orleans to mark 10 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated that city.

BERMAN: They're touring Warren Easton Charter High School to show the progress the city has made since Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and honor the people whose resilience made it possible. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All of us who are old enough to remember will never forget the images of our fellow Americans amid a sea of misery and ruin. We'll always remember the lives lost across the Gulf Coast. Their memories are in our hearts and I hope you pray for their families. Hurricane Katrina is a story of loss beyond measure. It's also a story of commitment and compassion. I hope you remember what I remember, and that is 30,000 people were saved in the immediate aftermath of the storm by U.S. Military personnel, by Louisiana law enforcement, and by citizens who volunteered. I hope you remember what I remember, and that was the thousands who came here on a volunteer basis to provide food for the hungry and to help find shelter for those who had no home to live in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: It is simply fascinating to hear from George W. Bush 10 years later.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely.

BERMAN: I want to bring in CNN national correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux.

Suzanne, there's a lot going on down there in New Orleans for this anniversary.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There really is, and you talk to people here, and they're quite surprised when they learn it is President George W. Bush who is down here commemorating the tenth anniversary. Many people having bad memories and associating him with really the government's lack of ability to respond quickly and the tragedy that happened here not only on a federal level but also a local and a state level as well. But yesterday, you had President Obama who made it very clear that he believes it is going to take decades before you have some of those people, the older residents, the people who weren't age to come back, to come back to the community, but he says now is the time the city is ready for those who didn't have the resources to come back before.

President Bush clearly painting a very optimistic portrait saying that -- pointing to the school systems in particular saying the charter school system is working, that it's an improvement from what they had seen in the past and the 30,000 people who had immediately been rescued in the immediate aftermath, not talking about the slow, painful response and just the experience that the country went through seeing those bodies floating in the city, in the water, and recognizing that it was something that happened and that the federal government, quite frankly, failed to respond in a quick way.

And then tomorrow we're going to see President Clinton. He's going to be more in a celebratory mood, and he's going to be talking about more of the successes, the big businesses that have been booming, the French Quarter obviously and the tourism. But I have to tell you both, the Ninth Ward, there are places still that look like a war zone. There are still people -- more than 50 percent of the Plaquemine Parrish in this city live in poverty. More than 52 percent of black men are unemployed.

A long, long way to go, but they say that there are some shining beacons of hope, some light, if you will go, in this city some 10 years later.

[11:45:36] BERMAN: It's so important to note there is a rebirth, a re-growth in some areas, Suzanne, but it is not universal in New Orleans.

Suzanne Malveaux down there for us. Thank you so much.

A spectacular show of force. Fighter jets, bombs, commandos. South Korea stages a huge drill during a time of intense tension with the North.

BOLDUAN: And a giant sinkhole swallows five people as they wait for their bus. More of the story behind this unbelievable video ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:52] BOLDUAN: We want to take you down to Florida right now. Florida Governor Rick Scott is briefing the media, briefing the public on an update on what he's hearing about Tropical Storm Erika and preparations that need to be taken immediately. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN PRESSER COVERAGE)

GOV. RICK SCOTT, (R), FLORIDA: Well, we just had the 11: 15 briefing from the national weather service and our state emergency management team talked to the emergency management teams all across the state with the whole goal to make sure everybody -- the whole goal of this is to make sure everybody's prepared.

As you've watched, the storm track is moving a little bit further west and the biggest concern now is, one, we don't know how much land it's going to go over. We don't know how much water we're going to get, but clearly the storm track is continuing to move west. Historically, as you know, in storms and hurricanes we get more water in the state the more the storm track goes west so we've got to continue to be prepared. I declared a state of emergency this morning, which allows us to make sure is everybody resource including the National Guard, emergency management team, make sure ever is getting prepared. We have 30 members of the National Guard that are prepositioned. The adjutant general has 8,000 individuals he's in a position to mobilize. We've got concerns across the state because the storm will be coming clear across his state. We know that the Tampa Pinellas areas have been saturated because of the storms we had a couple weeks ago so we have to continue to focus on that.

The biggest thing I'd say to every family, just stop and think about your entire family. Are there any special needs you have? If you need a shelter, no where your shelters are we have great first responders all across the state. We're going to get ready. Hopefully, we can prepare for the worst and hope for best and hopefully that's what will happen here but right now we've got to continue to be prepared.

We know we've had a lot of people that moved to Florida, but make sure you're taking the impact on this. Don't drive into standing water. Make sure you have three days of water, three days of food, make sure you have your medicines, but get ready and take your time to be prepared.

I want to thank all of our emergency management teams around the state, all of our first responders, all of our elected officials because I know --

(END LIVE PRESSER COVERAGE) BERMAN: You've been listening to Florida Governor Rick Scott briefing the press and public about Tropical Storm Erika, which looks to be headed to or near Florida over the next several days. There are concerns about flooding and also concerns the storm is incredibly unpredictable so the governor --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: It's changed a lot already.

BERMAN: Kate, a whole lot. The governor saying be careful, be alert, start preparing right now.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:56:18] BOLDUAN: After years stuck in a cycle of drug addiction and incarceration, one woman decided she had to make a change.

BERMAN: That she did, and today she is helping other struggling women reclaim their lives. Meet Kim Carter, this week's "CNN Hero."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM CARTER, CNN HERO: When I was 17 years old I had my first hit of crack cocaine. I didn't know then that I was going to lose the next 12 years of my life. I was recycled in and out of the system. I stayed out on the streets. I wanted to change. What I needed was a place to change at. Just got out of jail?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, had no shoes, no food, no nothing, nowhere to go.

CARTER: You're strong and you're ready and you're willing, because you would haven't have came here if you wasn't. We help homeless women and children to reclaim their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been homeless almost six months.

CARTER: We meet women where they are. We'll pick them up, put them into an environment where they can heal.

When a woman transitions from our shelter program into our permanent supportive housing, they stay connected with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's beautiful.

CARTER: A lot of women come in very traumatized. We have licensed counselors that work with women on some of those deep issues.

It's OK to be angry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I left with nothing. I got my two girls and left. I worked so hard to not lose them and then I lost them.

(LAUGHTER)

CARTER: Any mother that comes to us who doesn't have her children, we help get her children back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a long journey fighting for them, trying to get them back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Miss Carter, thank you.

CARTER: Homeless women, children, I call them invisible people because we pretend that we don't see them. But I see them. And I know there's something that we can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Nominations close this Tuesday, September 1. So if you know someone like Kim, someone going the extra mile to help others, go to CNNheroes.com, tell us all about them, get those nominations in.

(VIDEO)

BOLDUAN: Take a look at that. F-16 fighter jets, helicopter, state- of-the-art E 737 Peace Eye surveillance aircraft. That's some of what South Korea was showing, pulling out all the stops, if you will, to put on a spectacular show of power and force during a live fire exercise with the United States. CNN was given rare access to this exercise, to this event. The joint exercises went ahead despite the recent tensions between North Korea and South Korea.

BERMAN: They also apparently included some music after the end.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

BERMAN: After you do a military show, you celebrate with music.

BOLDUAN: I was hoping you didn't bring that one up. That wasn't supposed to be there.

And a series of meetings over the weekend to calm things down and prevent a war -- John?

BERMAN: Nothing more menacing than a clarinet.

(LAUGHTER) Dramatic video from China. People were waiting at a bus stop when, suddenly, check out what happened.

(VIDEO)

BOLDUAN: Oh, my god!

BERMAN: A sinkhole. A sinkhole opens up on the platform. Amazingly no one was hurt. Bystanders around there rushed to help the people. Officials think that a lot of rain may have softened the ground underneath that area allowing the sinkhole to form.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: How was no one injured in that? Amazing.

BERMAN: Terrifying.

BOLDUAN: Thankfully, no one was hurt there and, thankfully, we have made it to the weekend.

Thank you for joining us AT THIS HOUR.

BERMAN: "Legal View" with Ashleigh Banfield starts right now.