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Eight Bodies in Five Homes in Missouri; Rand Paul and Jeb Bush Face Off at CPAC

Aired February 27, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Do we know how these shooting deaths are connected?

SGT. JEFF KINDER, MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL: Well, we're in the very preliminary stages of the investigation now. And I'll read to you what we do have. It was yesterday evening at 10:15 p.m., the Texas County Sheriff's Department requested assistance with a disturbance involving a weapon at a residence in Tyrone, Missouri.

A juvenile female caller indicated she was in the residence and apparently heard gunshots. She immediately fled to a neighbor's house to notify authorities and responding deputies found two deceased persons at this residence.

Further investigation revealed five additional victims who were deceased and one additional victim who was wounded in three additional residences. All three residences were in Tyrone. Another residence revealed the body of a deceased elderly female who appeared to have died from natural causes.

The apparent suspect, a 36-year-old male from Tyrone was found dead in a vehicle at a location in Shannon County from an apparent self- inflicted gunshot wound. There are a total of nine deceased individuals including the elderly female and the suspect. The injured victim was taken to a nearby hospital.

The investigation is continuing by the Texas County Sheriff's Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol division of drug and crime control.

COSTELLO: Sir, if I could ask you a question because something about this is really confusing. This elderly woman that was found dead -- what led authorities to her home?

KINDER: I believe that occurred as this was all transpiring. You know, we're unclear on that also. The responding officers were somehow led to that residence after this was all placed into motion, which was started by the young girl who made the 911 call from the residence.

COSTELLO: Is this elderly woman's death necessarily connected to the other deaths?

KINDER: I don't think so. They're calling it an apparent death from natural causes. You know, like I said, it's in the very preliminary stages and I would be speculating if I said anything more about that particular death.

COSTELLO: The highway patrol's drug enforcement division is investigating this case. Does that mean that drugs may be involved?

KINDER: No. It's just a division within the highway patrol. It's called our division of drug and crime control. And we have criminal investigators as well as narcotics investigators. At this time we have nothing to believe it was drug related. But like I said before, that could change.

COSTELLO: Do you know the name of the man who shot himself?

KINDER: We're not releasing any names at this time pending the notification of all their next of kin. We're working to do that now. And those names could become available later on today.

COSTELLO: Do you know if this man had a criminal background, this suspect?

KINDER: No. I don't have any information that would lead me to believe that.

COSTELLO: Does it appear that this might be a domestic case?

KINDER: You know, I really don't know. Like I said, at this stage of the game we're trying to sort through all of the pieces and hopefully, you know, later on today we'll have a clearer picture of what actually occurred there. And as soon as we do, we'll make the public aware of that.

COSTELLO: All right. Sergeant Jeff Kinder with the Missouri State Highway Patrol -- thank you for being with me this morning. I appreciate it.

In other news this morning, CPAC delivered one speaker after another throwing red meat to those attending the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. You're looking at live pictures outside of Washington where CPAC is taking place.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul hits the stage there next hour. So far it's been Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker who created the most buzz when he seemed to compare union members to ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R), WISCONSIN: I want a commander in chief who will do everything in their power to ensure that the threat from radical Islamic terrorists do not wash up on American soil. We'll have someone who leads and ultimately will send a message not only that we'll protect American soil but do not take this upon freedom- loving people anywhere else in the world. We need a leader with that kind of confidence. If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Walker later walked back his comments but he set the bar high for those who will speak after him like Jeb Bush. Some Republicans attending CPAC actually plan to get up and walk out when Governor Bush begins speaking.

So let's talk about that with CNN political commentator and Republican strategist Ana Navarro. She also personally knows Jeb Bush and his wife. Good morning -- Ana.

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning -- Carol. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm good. What if Jeb Bush had decided not to attend CPAC?

NAVARRO: I think he never thought of not attending CPAC. Look, CPAC is an important event. It has a lot of young people and there's a lot of diverse opinions that are actually voiced at the CPAC stage. There is foreign policy hawks. There are people who more libertarian. There's differences on social issues. So it is a more diverse event than would meet the eye.

And it's important because it is an event where you speak to the base and where Republicans get to see one after the other speaking -- their different styles, their different opinions on policy, their different agendas and visions. o it turns out to be a very good event to watch and get to know, get a brief taste of some of these potential candidates.

COSTELLO: But already there have been comparisons. Some people at CPAC are saying say Jeb Bush is just like Hillary Clinton.

NAVARRO: Well, you know, I think that was today and that was a talk show host, Laura Ingraham, who frankly seems to have like a Jeb Bush obsession going on. Yesterday she was interviewing Governor Chris Christie and she was interviewing Governor Chris Christie and she mentioned Jeb Bush eight times in a 20-minute period.

Today she even took a swipe sadly at Jeb Bush's wife, which I really found unseemly and I think -- you know I was surprised to hear another woman, another Republican woman doing that this morning. It's her choice. She obviously is not supporting Governor Bush and, you know, has used the CPAC platform to make that known.

I don't think it's a widespread opinion. I think it's her opinion and she was on the platform this morning.

COSTELLO: All right. Ana Navarro, thank you so much for being with me. I appreciate it.

NAVARRO: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, when it comes to stopping is from spreading radical messages online, the FBI says the U.S. is actually losing that battle big-time. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: The White House in wait and see mode this morning as Congress battles it out over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The Senate now holding votes on a so-called clean bill that would fund the agency through September and prevent DHS from running out of money at a midnight deadline tonight.

But the house of representatives is likely to reject that proposal and instead take up a bill crafted by House Speaker John Boehner.

CNN senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta joins me live from the White House with that perspective. Good morning.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. And you know, over here at the White House they are really bystanders to what's happening on Capitol Hill right now. As you mentioned senate majority leader Mitch McConnell he has a plan to keep the Department of Homeland Security funded until September.

But that's not the likely winner in the outcome today. What we're likely to see it what's happening over in the house and the proposal there from House Speaker John Boehner for short-term spending bill for DHS that would really only fund the department for three weeks, take us into march and we do it all over again, which is why over here at the White House they're not saying the President would veto something like that but they are basically casting all this as an intra-party fight among Republicans.

Here's how White House press secretary Josh Earnest put it yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The Republicans made an aggressive case over the course of last year about why the American people should entrust the United States congress to Republican leadership. Here we are seven or eight weeks into their tenure and they're the precipice of falling down on the job particularly when -- and that's notable when we're talking about something as important as funding the Department of Homeland Security.

ACOSTA: Now, you know who not in favor of this short-term spending bill for DHS and that's the secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson. He sent a letter to lawmakers yesterday. We can put up on screen, a clip from that.

It says "a short-term continuing resolution" -- the secretary writes, "exacerbates the uncertainty for my workforce and puts us on the same position on the brink of shutdown just days from now."

So Carol -- as we're about we're about 13 hours away from the Department of Homeland Security running out of money, Washington is once again peering over a cliff. This time it's the homeland security cliff. And even though it looks like this is going to get resolved in the house, it will get passed in the senate quickly and it will go to the President. So the department will not have a lapse in funding. Really it's anybody's guess as to whether or not that actually works out later on today -- Carol. COSTELLO: All right. We'll keep an eye on it, of course, Jim Acosta,

many thanks to you.

ACOSTA: You bet.

COSTELLO: Right now, Canadian officials are trying to hunt down at least four teenagers who may be en route to Syria to try to and join. It's a grim reminder of the complicated threat posed by that terror group. Here at home, the FBI says ISIS is trying to recruit children as young as 15 years old. One of their biggest tools, they say, social media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL STEINBACH, FBO CONTERTERRORISM DIVISION: From a homeland perspective, it's ISIL's widespread reach through the Internet and social media which is the most concerning as ISIL has proven dangerously competent like no other group before it at employing such tools for its nefarious strategy. ISIL utilizes high quality traditional media platforms as well as a multitude of multi-social media campaigns to propagate its extremist ideas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was the head of the FBI counterterrorism division Michael Steinbach. He went on to say that when it comes to stopping ISIS from spreading radical messages on line, the U.S. is quote, "losing the battle".

So let's talk more about this with Jason Tanz. He's the editor at large for Wired Magazine. Welcome Jason.

JASON TANZ, WIRED MAGAZINE: Thanks Carol.

COSTELLO: Losing the war. You brought up a very good point in the break. A couple weeks ago they were kind of like battling back with their own Internet campaign.

TANZ: Yes. Rick Stengel the undersecretary said It was said as recently as last week I think. You know these guys aren't exactly buzz feed. They're not social media professionals. We should be able to combat them and now --

COSTELLO: So what changed?

TANZ: What changed -- that's hard to say. I mean I think what changed is the story about Brooklyn obviously. The idea that this is now infiltrating the U.S. makes it a different kind of story. It's not just that people are leaving for Syria. It's that, you know, these messages can get out and actually seep through the homeland which is frightening.

COSTELLO: So but come on, get into it. Because you believe this is setting up something else.

TANZ: Well yes. I mean if you were the news reports today, look, do people read one tweet and all of a sudden become radicalized? I doubt it -- right. And what If you read the today was government officials saying look, that's why we need access to your phone. You know Apple has been encrypting phones and the government's been fighting them on that. And they bring this up and say, this is why we -- this is why we're asking for that access. And I'm not saying their not. I'm just saying --

COSTELLO: That's a pretty good conspiracy theory.

TANZA: Yes, right, right. It just makes me say, you know, these things are brought up for a listen.

COSTELLO: Ok. Well, let's talk about the problem at hand. Because you know, social media is a problem -- right.

TANZ: Oh yes, sure.

COSTELLO: We're all figuring out how to stop it. I talked to a congressman yesterday who said that Twitter is not doing enough to shut down these hateful messages coming over its site. Is it

TANZ: Yes. And Twitter has done enough and it's getting death threats from ISIS. You know they are shutting down accounts as they are brought to their attention. It's a very hard thing to do.

I mean more broadly I think if your strategy is we need to stop messages from getting into the country, that's a losing strategy. I think you just can't do it. Even if you are able to stop them on Twitter, they're going to get through. It's just not realistic to think that that you can build this wall that's going to prevent messages that you don't like from coming into the country.

COSTELLO: So this congressman likened child pornography, you know. You know, finding child pornographers on Facebook to finding potential terrorism recruits. So can you compare it that because I know they have algorithm's right -- that kind of like pornography on Facebook and it's very effective.

TANZ: It's not just -- actually it's not just algorithm. They actually higher armies of people in the Philippines to go through and look at screens of material and single-handedly flag it. so yes, there are systems in place for taking offensive material down.

COSTELLO: So Why aren't they doing the same thing --

TANZ: Well I think it's a question of scale. They probably are doing this with ISIS as well. The problem is, you know, if somebody sees a message and that gets spread, if someone is spreading child pornography, usually they're not sharing that with friends. It's staying pretty close to the source. This spreads very quickly. The social media is very good at spreading lizard brain emotions like Fear,. Maybe humor, shock Humor. Shock.

That's the kind of thing that this material is meant for. So it spreads very quickly. It's hard to tamp down.

COSTELLO: All right. Jason Tanz, editor al rage fro Wired magazine, thanks so much you for stopping by. I appreciate it.

TANZ: Thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a candid interview about the terror fight. What our attorney general is revealing before he leaves office. That's next and it may surprise you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: As he prepares to leave office, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is weighing in on the fight against terror. He sat down with CNN justice correspondent Pamela Brown who joins us live from Washington to tell us what he said. Good morning to you.

PAMELA BROWN CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning too, Carol. That's right. I had the opportunity to sit down with Eric Holder before he leaves his post as attorney general just in the coming weeks from now. One of the first questions I asked him was how will the U.S. government bring one of the most wanted terrorists in the world known as Jihadi John to justice.

Here's what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have shown that it doesn't matter how long it takes. It doesn't matter where you are we'll find you. We'll hunt you down and we will hold you accountable.

But in the words on (inaudible), can you really do that?

HOLDER: Whether it's through the use of our military, through the use of our law enforcement capacity. If you harm Americans, it is the sworn duty of every person in the executive branch to find you and hold you accountable.

BROWN: Do you think that we would go as far as sending in our U.S. troops to find him and hunt him down.

HOLDER: I wouldn't put anything off the table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Very strong statement. All right. I also asked him about the recent al Shabaab video of the terrorist group based in Somalia calling on attacks on U.S. malls and he actually sad Carol that he would recommend as the nation's top law enforcement official more security at malls at easy targets like malls. He said it would be a wise thing for mall operators to consider that in the wake of the current threat landscape -- Carol?

All right. Pamela Brown, live from Washington. Many thanks. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: In premiere episode of CNN's new show, "THE WONDER LIST" Bill Weir travels to an island nation in the south Pacific that offers five stars but no resorts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Instead of packing food for his camping trip. They brought bows and arrows for the shallows. And spears made of bicycle spokes for the reef. The most stunning example of bounty of these waters comes when they grab a net. Once it is in place, the catch is over in about 90 seconds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not fishing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's unfair.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE; When I fish, I have to sit and drink beer for eight hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess we have dinner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I want to go. I want to go right now.

BILL WEIR, CNN HOST: Let's go back.

COSTELLO: My gosh. Bill Weir joins me now. Also the show's director and photographer: Stella Bloom. Welcome to both of you. That was such an unbelievably beautiful place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was so nice. We picked this place because it's really a country at a crossroads. Feels like it's 100 years back in time and some folks like those guys think tourism is their way to a better life. Others not so sure.

They tell a story about a guy from California that said I want to buy this island. Name your price. The guy threw out the biggest number he could think of -- $5,000. And in the end you'll have to see where they went in the end. I have to thank this man from capturing those stunning images.

Those pictures are so beautiful.

WEIR: I think it was a fantastic place to go and it's just hard to make it look bad. It's hard to make it look bad. It was absolute paradise. It was worth three days to get there. It was quite a trek for all of us. To film that place was amazing. All of the places we went to had different visuals. And it was really excited for us to just try it out.

COSTELLO: In this remote place what did natives think of you two?

It was interesting that they were excited to see us. We got to that island and there's one car on this island. You saw a quick shot of it there. There's a young 15-year-old kid in the back who never met outsiders before but they have cell phones and Internet. They know what's out in the world.

What do they think about America?

They love it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They love it.

WEIR: Especially the volcano guys because they actually worship the -- it's strange.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the islands in Vanuatu they believe that in the 1940s a god appeared in the form of an American serviceman named John Fromme who told them if you reject missionaries and stay true to customs and you'll be rewarded with tons of cargo. Then came world war II in the south pacific. Tons of American cargo. And to this day to this day the American flag and red cross are religious symbols.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Prince Phillip as well. They have a massing thing for Prince Philip. They think of him as like a god as well. I mean it's bizarre.

COSTELLO: I felt like it didn't see the about the Kardashians?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: yes, it's only a matter of time.

WEIR: Give it five years -- yes.

COSTELLO: Bill Weir. Philip Bloom thanks to both of you , for stopping by I appreciate it. Catch their amazing journey on the premier episode of the "WONDER LIST" with Bill Weir this Sunday, 10 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

And thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan straight ahead.