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Father of Alison Parker Remembers Daughter; Former Reporter Recalls Deadly On Air Shooting. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired August 27, 2015 - 08:30   ET

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

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[08:30:43] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: There's a mimosa tree behind us here in Roanoke, Virginia, that has become a memorial. There are black ribbons for the two lives that were lost. There are balloons and flowers, but there's so much more. The entire community has become a memorial to Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward.

We're joined now by someone who is obviously deeply touched by this, Alison's father, Andy Parker. Mr. Parker, thank you for joining us. I know this is an incredibly difficult time for your family. I also know that it's important for you to share your daughter was in her life not just in her death. How are you this morning?

ANDY PARKER, FATHER OF KILLED JOURNALIST: Well, you know, I could be better. Yesterday, I really didn't think I would be making the news round circuit and just had no -- had no intention of doing so. And then as I reflected during the day I realized that Alison was a journalist. She does what you guys did -- did you what you guys did. And she would want me to do this. So that's why I'm here.

But I've gone through the usual emotions of being numb and then uncontrolled grief and sobbing all day long. And then, you know, anger. But my soul's been crushed.

CUOMO: In one of your statements yesterday, you said something that I hope you're feeling as well as saying, which is the measure of solace you get from knowing that, while your daughter had such a young life at 24 years of age, she touched so many people and she made so much of the time that she had. Is that helping?

PARKER: It is. The outpouring from the community and I think the nation at large -- obviously this is a big story nationally, and that has been a comfort. But she was. She was such a special person. She loved everybody that -- you know, she was loved by everyone and it was -- she touched a lot of lives. And obviously it shows in the tributes that have come her way.

And I've got to tell you, I've not watched my television. You know, I didn't see any of the recounts. I didn't want to. But after the fact I'm hearing just, you know, how much -- how much she has been loved. And, you know, I certainly -- it doesn't surprise me.

CUOMO: Part of how you want your daughter to be remembered is that you want something to come out of this situation. You were very strong last night when you were talking about how you think we need to be better after a situation like this. What do you want now?

PARKER: Well, her life was cut short. She had so much potential. And, you know, it's senseless that her life and Adam's life were taken by a crazy person with a gun. And if I have to be the John Walsh of gun control and -- look, I'm for the Second Amendment, but there has to be a way to force politicians that are cowards and in the pockets of the NRA to come to grips and make sense -- have sensible laws so that crazy people can't get guns. It can't be that hard.

And yet politicians from the local level to the state level to the national level, they sidestep the issue. They kick the can down the road. This can't happen anymore. Because Alison was one of you guys. This has got to hit home for journalists. If journalists are targets -- and we're not talking about, you know, someone going to Syria and being in the crosshairs of ISIL. We're talking about two kids that were two young people that were doing a benign story about a marina opening, or celebration, and someone -- and a crazy person with a gun shoots them.

[08:35:07] And I know that the NRA, their position is going to be -- I can hear it now. They're going to say, oh gee, well, if they were carrying, this never would have happened. I've got news for you. If Alison or Adam had been caring an AK-47 strapped around their waist, it wouldn't have made any difference. They couldn't have seen this thing coming. So I don't want to hear that argument from the NRA and you know that's going to happen. And I'm going to take it on.

I got a call from Governor McAuliffe yesterday and I told him exactly what my plan was. If I have to be a crusader on this, I'm not going to rest until I see something that happen. And he said, Andy, you go for it. I'm right there with you. We've got to have our legislators and our Congressmen step up to plate and stop being cowards about this.

CUOMO: But, Andy, you know what you're going to hear. And obviously you're very emotional right now and it's motivating you. And you have to put emotion where you can right now to help you in this situation and we wish you well with that.

But we just had Donald Trump on. He's leading in the polls. And he says these are tough issues and I'm for the Second Amendment and I don't think you should take away more guns. That doesn't seem to be the answer. And mental illness is tough and we should do more. And those things sound great to people, we hear them from politicians all the time. And yet nothing changes because the two sides are very rooted. The law is what it is and change is hard. What do you say to those issues?

PARKER: Of course. And 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, you know, 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 is this going to happen to before we stop it? And it is -- and I'm challenging you, the media, because, again, this is one of your own. And I know how the business works. It's a great story for a couple of days and then it goes to the back burner and nothing happens. But I can promise you and I can promise the American people I'm not going to rest until I see something get done here.

CUOMO: You're being motivated obviously by the loss of your daughter. You know there's been a great out pouring of support for her and the eyes of the country are on this story. What do you want people to know about your daughter?

PARKER: That she was kind and she was sweet and she touched everybody. And that -- I'm standing here now, and I got to see her in action and doing stories like this with the camera set up.

She loved us and we loved her. And I talked to her every single day. Every single day I talked to her. And right now -- she would be texting me right now saying, Dad, what did you think of my story? What did you think of it? And I'm never going to hear that again.

She was so loved by all. My heart is broken. But I want to try and do something that will change that and make her life -- will do something meaningful for her life so this doesn't happen to someone else again. But she was a special young lady and I think people across the country and certainly around here realize that.

CUOMO: Often maybe the best thing that comes out of a situation like this, Andy, is that people get a respect for the victims who were involved and what was lost when somebody decides to take out their anger the way that this madman did. And your daughter, in her own way, is becoming the best example of how precious life is. And you got to see it even in her boyfriend Chris, who you know so well, the love he had for your daughter and the love she had for him. That is one way that your daughter will live on in the hearts of the people who loved her.

PARKER: It is. And we can at least take solace in the fact that she lived -- she was only 24. She just turned 24 last week. And she had -- she packed in a great life in 24 years. She did a lot of things. And she was -- most of all she was happy with what she was doing.

[08:40:03] She loved what she was doing. She loved her family. She loved Chris very much. And at least we know, at least from what I know from the law enforcement officials, she didn't suffer. And, you know, she led a happy life. But just wish I could touch her soul right now, because -- I'm sorry. I --

CUOMO: No, Andy, don't say your sorry. Listen, I know this is difficult for you. I know that -- I know it is. And I know that you feel that you have to come out and address this because you want people to remember her the right way and you want to say what you think is important in this. But please take care of yourself and take care of your family. And you know that people will stay on this story for the right reasons, not just because Alison was a journalist, but because it matters.

And I'm sorry for you to have to share your pain like this, but I know it's important to you. And I appreciate it, sir. And our hearts and our prayers go to you and your family.

PARKER: Thank you. She would have wanted this. Thank you.

CUOMO: Andy, please take care of yourself.

All right. That's Alison's father. Obviously he is heart broken. But at the same time he feels the need not just to make sure that you know who was lost in this situation, but why he thinks it happened and why he thinks something should change. And he deserves that right as much as anybody else, especially now.

So we're going to take a break right now. When we come back, we're going to talk to somebody who has lived through a situation like this before, the same situation that Alison was in, literally, gunfire opening during an interview. What was it like for her? What did she learn from that? And how it changed her life. When we come back.

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[08:45:56] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for the five things to know for your NEW DAY.

No. 1, tributes pouring in for Alison Parker and Adam Ward. The two journalists killed during a live report in Virginia. The shooter, a former colleague, claimed the Charleston church shooting is what sent him over the top.

Donald Trump with a 16-point lead over Ben Carson in the latest Quinnipiac poll. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton slipping ten points since July with Joe Biden now outperforming her against the top GOP rivals.

A contrite Hillary Clinton now says her decision to use a private e- mail server while secretary of state, quote, "wasn't the best choice." But Clinton maintains that she never sent or received classified e- mail on her personal account.

A Colorado judge sentencing movie theater gunman James Holmes to 12 life sentences plus more than 3,000 years in prison. Holmes killed 12 people and wounded 70 others in 2012.

Sad animal news to report. One of the twin panda cubs born at the National Zoo has died. The little one was not gaining weight and possibly had respiratory issues. The cub was prescribed antibiotics and fluids but sadly, that was not enough.

For more on the five things to know, you can go to CNN.com for the latest.

Well, the deaths of those two journalists in Virginia are bringing back haunting memories for one former Telemundo reporter. The woman that she was interviewing was murdered right in front of her. What's happened to her life since that time? We'll talk to her next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:51:14] CUOMO: This shooting of a reporter and cameraman on live television here in Virginia is all too familiar for one former journalist. In 1993 Telemundo reporter Ingrid Cruz was interviewing a woman at a cemetery. The woman's ex-husband runs up and shoots his former wife 12 times, killing her.

An obviously horrific incident that obviously had a profound impact on Cruz's life. She ultimately left journalism because she wanted to become a registered psychotherapist. She wrote about the shooting in her autobiography that's called "The Lens, the Reporter, the Murder."

Ingrid joins us now live from Orlando. Ingrid, thank you very much for joining us. I know that you have made this moment in your life into a mission to understand more how this happens and how to help people that cause this kind of violence and destruction.

When you hear Alison's father, when you see him on television, the pain, the exposure, what do you think is the value and what do you think is the risk to him and to others like him?

INGRID CRUZ, 1993 INTERVIEW INTERRUPTED BY GUNMAN: First, thank you for having me on your show and my heart and my prayers are with Alison's and Adam's families, loved ones and friends. Because since I saw the news and heard the news yesterday I've been praying for them. This is the most difficult part, the process of grieving, they lost their loved one. We lost a colleague. I did not know them in person, but they are in my heart and in my prayers.

It's very hard, Chris, to survive a tragic incident like this. In my personal case, it took me almost ten years to heal. I went to counseling. I looked for help. I grieve my pain. I look for the help of my loved ones, (INAUDIBLE) because your lives change. My life changed that day, January 18th, 1993. Mr. Parker and Mrs. Parker and the family of Adam are changed yesterday because they lost their loved one.

Not only I lost a woman in front of me when this guy killed her, her ex-husband, I also lost my mother seven years before as a victim of a crime, as a victim of domestic violence. Someone killed her. So it's two murders in my life. One as a daughter, one as a journalist. This is the reason that my heart is with them. And I learned, really I learned that I have to forgive the pain that I have and put in perspective that if I wanted to use that ugly experience to help others, I went to study -- a Master in counseling and psychological - and I learned that share the story, share the pain, is a process of grieving.

CUOMO: So when he comes on, as painful as it is and as much as we doubt whether he wants it or not -- and he very much wants the platform right now to talk about his daughter and talk about what he thinks matters - the main is obvious, it's hard to see how I can be helpful, but you're saying that it is part of grieving.

What can you help us understand about why someone does this? We ask the same question every time and we get a variety of answers. But it never justifies it, never satisfies. What do we take from understanding the motivations of a madman?

CRUZ: It is so hard. Me, as a counselor, when I see my clients, it's very important to understand the background. Every bad situation, trauma start at home. From the beginning of childhood, the process of growing, that person -- something happened to that human being that has anger in his heart, has hate, has envy. It's a lot of negative emotion that we're accumulating in his mind. He creates a story, he believed this story and he make an action on this story that he believes in his mind.

[08:55:14] Because what happened on the murder that I witnessed as a reporter and the reason I understand people believe their story in their own mind and they take action of their story and it's always some -- you can see some identification. You can identify some behaviors in this human being. Something is happening with that human being that can be a trigger. You can identify that. It's too late for Alison and too late for Adam, but for the coworkers, for you as a journalist, it's important to heal to release that pain. Because we sometimes do not understand the capacity of the human being to act like this guy. It is very hard. But it is help, I highly suggest and advise to look for counseling in this process of pain.

CUOMO: Ingrid Cruz, you lived through it, it shaped your life and you're trying to make it easier for others. Thank you for sharing your message with us. I appreciate it here on NEW DAY today. Thank you, Ingrid Cruz.

We're trying to get perspective on something that makes no sense. It never does. But there are things to be learned, there are questions going forward that need answers and the coverage will therefore continue.

"NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello will be here for you right after the break.

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