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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Five Killed in Pennsylvania Gym Shooting Rampage; North Korea Frees American Journalists; Police Officer Sues Over Suspension for Racist E-mail; Manson Family Killers: Then and Now; John Waters Makes Plea for Leslie Van Houten; 5 Dead in Gym Shooting; Two American Journalists Pardoned by North Korea
Aired August 04, 2009 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Larry, thanks.
You have been following it tonight, breaking news on several fronts. And we are going to continue that.
The first, sadly, is a horror story unfolding at this hour in Western Pennsylvania, gunfire and fatalities at a health club at a mall in Collier Township. It's about a half-an-hour's drive southwest of Pittsburgh.
Here's what we know at this hour: local officials telling us five people are dead, including the gunman, as many as 15 people wounded in this attack. "The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" provides some details, quoting witnesses who saw a man carrying a duffel bag walk in the back door of an exercise class, then open fire.
One witness says she saw people flying off treadmills, hitting the ground, before she and others managed to flee through a fire escape -- witnesses also telling our affiliate WTAE a man unrecognized by gym staff walked in, turned off the lights, and began shooting at a class in the aerobics center.
This is a live picture coming to you right now of the scene outside of that health club. It is an L.A. Fitness, again, in Collier Township in Western Pennsylvania, just a little bit south of Pittsburgh -- these pictures from our affiliate WTAE.
We're going to continue to follow this, bring you all the latest updates as they come in to us here at CNN.
But there is also more breaking news that we are on top of for you tonight. At this moment, Euna Lee and Laura Ling are airborne. You're about to see them. Here we see them boarding the plane, former President Bill Clinton's private jet. Here they are on the tarmac in Pyongyang. After almost five months in North Korean captivity, finally, they are on their way home. They are due back on U.S. soil tomorrow morning -- their release and pardon secured by the former president today.
His trip and talks with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il described as a private humanitarian mission. But there are reports that it actually involved weeks of secret preparation, consultation with both the White House and the State Department. In fact, one Korea expert says bluntly -- quote -- "Mr. Clinton did not go to negotiate this. He went to reap the fruits of the negotiation."
Well, as for what was said in today's talks, that is still unknown -- the White House equally quiet on the development. The North Koreans claim Mr. Clinton apologized and also brought a message from President Obama. The White House denies it.
So, what, if anything, was offered, beyond a photo-op or two, for the dear leader in dispute. We will keep digging on that for you.
Meantime, as we try to learn more about just what -- what went into the story, it is a welcome chapter that is starting to begin -- to -- to be written, that is. Euna and Laura, as we mentioned, now somewhere over the Pacific. They are headed to their families in Los Angeles.
That is where Randi Kaye joins us now with the latest.
Hi, Randi.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Erica.
Tonight, we are in Santa Monica, just outside the apartment building of Lisa Ling. She is the sister of Laura Ling. We are not sure if this is where the family will be reunited. But we came here just in case.
As you know, the -- the -- the women were arrested in March. They were sentenced to June to 12 years of hard labor in one of North Korea's prison camps. So, the family of course, hoping that this day would come, but never knowing for sure if it actually would.
But, as you said, the women are on the plane heading back here to California with the former President Bill Clinton. They should be landing some time tomorrow morning. They have to refuel on the way.
But the family, of course, has been waiting now about 140 days. Laura Ling's father, Doug Ling, spoke to reporters today. He actually said that he learned the news that his daughter had been pardoned and that she would be freed on CNN. He said he was watching CNN. Then, all of a sudden, the breaking news came across. And he was ecstatic.
Here is a little bit more of what he had to say to reporters today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUG LING, FATHER OF LAURA LING: Of course, I'm elated. And this is one of the happiest days of my life. So, I'm going to go down there and see my little girl.
I knew something positive was going to happen. And it happened. And I'm so glad and I'm so thankful for all the people that -- their prayers and thoughts. I'm very thankful to the State Department. I'm very thankful for the government for doing what -- all they can to gain their release.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Of course, this has been a very tough time for the family. Euna Lee's husband, Michael, told 360 a few weeks back that their daughter, Hanna, who is just 4 years old, was starting to draw pictures just showing herself, Hanna, at age 4 and her father, showing that -- that her mother, Euna, was no longer in the picture, which was very difficult for this 4-year-old and her father to really handle.
So, the family, of course, had asked for mercy from the North Korean government. And they said that it was really just a mistake that the women had crossed from China into North Korea. The family did release a statement tonight.
I want to share that with you. It reads: "We are grateful to our government, President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and the U.S. State Department for their dedication and hard work on behalf of American citizens. We especially want to thank President Bill Clinton for taking on such an arduous mission, and Vice President Al Gore for his tireless efforts to bring Laura and Euna home."
It goes on to thank people for their support and says that they can't wait to hold Euna and Laura in their arms.
Also, tonight, Al Gore's company, who the women worked for, released a statement, Current Media saying thank you to the Obama administration, praising Bill Clinton, saying that their thoughts are with the families, who have shown remarkable courage during these 140 days.
So, once again, Erica, families should be back here, the women should be back here some time early tomorrow morning. We are not sure if they are going to reunite here. We're told that they are flying actually into Burbank. That's what Doug Ling was saying in his interview with reporters today. So, we will just have to see and try and catch up with them at some point.
HILL: I imagine there's not going to be a lot of sleep for either the Ling or Lee families tonight.
Randi, do you know the last time that they actually heard from either of these women? When was that?
KAYE: Doug Ling said today that the last time he heard from his daughter Laura was 10 days ago. And imagine this. There she is, captive in North Korea. She -- she calls him, and he missed the call, but he did get the message. He played it on the answering machine. He said it was a very emotional message. He didn't say what she said, but imagine missing that phone call.
HILL: I tell you, he is not going to have to worry about missing her tomorrow morning. That's the good news tonight.
Randi Kaye in Los Angeles, where the former president's jet, again, expected to land early tomorrow morning -- or Santa Monica, more accurately.
Safe to say we're going to be learning a lot more when that jet does touch down, because there are still so many questions tonight, including how the women were treated, how they fell into North Korean hands in the first place, and what was done to win their release.
In that sense, of course, this story is far from over. But here is a look at what we do know from the beginning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL (voice-over): March 17, American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are near the border between China and North Korea, working on a story for Current TV, when they are suddenly arrested, possibly after crossing into North Korea, accused of being spies, and imprisoned, while, back home, two shattered families plead for their release, including Laura's sister, fellow journalist Lisa Ling.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: What has been the hardest part for you?
LISA LING, SISTER OF LAURA LING: For me, my sister is the best friend in the world. And not having her to talk to every single day, multiple times a day, has been so, so hard.
HILL: For Euna's husband, Michael, emotions overflow when talk turns to the couple's 4-year-old daughter.
COOPER: And she drew a picture recently?
MICHAEL SALDATE, HUSBAND OF EUNA LEE: Yes. Yes. Normally, the old pictures that she would always draw were always my wife in the center. And I would always be kind of aside and to -- and smaller. And that would be all three of us.
And she drew a picture, and I was the center, and it was just her and I. And I don't even know what to say. You know, I still have to say: "Thank you, hon. That is -- that's a beautiful picture." But, deep down inside, she didn't include her mother, which really made me sad.
HILL: In Washington, a push for diplomacy becomes immediately, becoming more public as a trial for the two women approaches.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We are engaged in all possible ways through every possible channel to secure their release. And we once again urge North Korea to grant their immediate release on humanitarian grounds.
HILL: Instead, North Korea holds a secret trial. And, on June 8, the women are sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp for what are described as hostile acts and for entering the country illegal. Were they being used as pawns between the White House and a regime seeking nuclear weapons?
Here is what Lisa Ling told Anderson Cooper back in June. L. LING: It is crazy to think the fact that, right now, there's a -- a -- a nuclear standoff going on, and Laura and Euna are in the middle of it. And, so, what we are hoping is that our two countries keep these issues totally separate.
HILL: North Korea had begun more missiles since the women were arrested, launching rockets in April, May, even the Fourth of July, adding to the concerns for two families in California still grappling with the fact that their loved ones were in a North Korean prison.
Laura's husband, Iain Clayton, described his reaction when he heard that news.
IAIN CLAYTON, HUSBAND OF LAURA LING: In the evening, I was actually writing a letter to Laura, you know, to -- just as I do every day, and, you know, the -- the -- the idea that this -- these three months have been the worst three months of -- of my life.
COOPER: Michael, how are you doing? How is your daughter, Hanna, doing?
SALDATE: My daughter is still being hopeful. And she just asked that -- "Is mommy coming home soon?"
And I just said, "Just keep your hope up."
HILL: And, then, late Monday night word, former President Bill Clinton was en route to Pyongyang, a trip most experts say a trip he wouldn't make if he didn't think Laura and Euna would be coming back with him. Tonight, all three are on a plane, while their families count the seconds to hold Laura and Euna in our arms.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: We will of course continue to follow our other breaking news for you tonight, that shooting at a gym outside of Pittsburgh.
And, as always, you can join the live chat under way right now at AC360.com. I'm about to log on.
Up next, though, the Clinton connection -- what we are learning tonight about the former president's role in this flight to freedom.
And, a little bit later, two birthdays at the White House today -- we will show you what you have got to do to get the president of the United States to serenade you and bring cupcakes -- that and more tonight on 360.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: More for you now on tonight's breaking news: journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee headed home. Three simple words their families have been waiting almost five months to hear -- the two women at this moment are in the air, on board former President Bill Clinton private jet. They took off from Pyongyang just hours ago and are expected to touch down in Los Angeles tomorrow morning. Ling and Lee were arrested in March near North Korea's border with China and sentenced in June to 12 years hard labor.
Today, President Clinton secured a pardon for the women and, of course, their release -- his secret mission to secure their freedom lasting less than 24 hours.
Tom Foreman has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Officially, it was all unofficial. But, when a former president and spouse of the current secretary of state comes calling, the official overtones are unmistakable. And that is why Kim Jong Il was smiling, according to Jack Pritchard, a former special U.S. envoy to the region and now head of the Korea Economic Institute.
JACK PRITCHARD, PRESIDENT, KOREA ECONOMIC INSTITUTE: As you know, for the last year, Kim Jong Il has been plagued by health problems. There's been speculations that he's not going to survive very long/
FOREMAN (on camera): So, a visit like this makes him look strong?
PRITCHARD: It looks -- it make him look strong. He looks healthy. He looks happy in that picture. It puts to rest a lot of the speculation, both internally and externally, about his health and his command of authority in North Korea.
FOREMAN (voice-over): So, how was the deal done? First, through Sweden. The United States has no formal relations with North Korea, but Sweden does. The Swedish ambassador in Pyongyang, Mats Foyer, has been there since 2005. And he saw the captives repeatedly, keeping backdoor communications flowing there and at the United Nations in New York.
By all accounts, the State Department worked tirelessly through those channels. The White House has not disclosed details.
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This obviously is a very sensitive topic.
FOREMAN: But foreign affairs analysts believe the private talks drove public positions, the second key. For example, Secretary Clinton initially suggested the charges against the pair were baseless.
PRITCHARD: And Secretary Clinton indicated this was somewhat of a sham trial, and -- and she disparaged the North Koreans' legal system. The North Koreans were furious over that.
FOREMAN: Then, suddenly, last month, a much more conciliatory tone.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The two journalists and their families have expressed great remorse for this incident. And I think everyone is very sorry that it happened.
FOREMAN: The third key, when the Obama administration responded to North Korea's latest missile test by pressing for sharper international sanctions, Pritchard says Kim Jong Il needed to turn down the heat.
PRITCHARD: And this is a way, in a very face-saving way, for them to recalibrate their relationship with the United States.
FOREMAN: And the final key, Bill Clinton himself.
(on camera): Kim Jong Il had wanted then President Clinton to visit North Korea back in 2000. It did not happen, but analysts say he never gave up on the idea, and, in the end, that is what sealed the deal, a visit from about the biggest unofficial official America could send -- Erica.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Tom, thanks.
More now on the "Raw Politics" with David Gergen, who, in addition to being our senior political analyst, is also a crisis management veteran inside the White House.
Also joining us tonight here in New York, Gordon Chang, "Forbes" columnist and author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World."
Good to have both of you with us.
Gordon, there is this belief -- and it's been stated, I think, numerous times today, across the board really -- that President Clinton would not have made this trip without some sort of assurance that he was going to be coming home with these two women. How much of this deal was -- was brokered or hammered out before he even got on that plane?
GORDON CHANG, AUTHOR, "NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN: NORTH KOREA TAKES ON THE WORLD": I think about 99.5 percent.
(LAUGHTER)
CHANG: I mean, clearly, someone of Clinton's stature could not go to Pyongyang without having everything worked out in advance.
And everyone sort of thought that this was going to happen, in a sense, because the negotiations over the last week, week-and-a-half were very intense in White House.
HILL: The White House, David Gergen, has called this trip a solely private mission. How private, though, could it be? I mean, we are hearing the rumblings of what was going on at the Department of State, where, of course, his wife is the secretary of state.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think the White House and the secretary of state have been very carefully trying to describe this as a private mission, a humanitarian mission, not one undertaken at the request of President Obama, not one done for the Obama administration, in order to separate out the question of the release of these two women from the question of nuclear talks.
The White House does not want to be seen in a position of, we wanted -- in -- in exchange for the women, we will take a softer line on nuclear talks.
They want to keep the two separated. And I think they are doing that successfully. All indications are that the signals actually came from the North Koreans through the families that, if Bill Clinton were to come, that would be enough to trigger it. And that -- and that helped to set this off.
But, clearly, there has been a lot of negotiating, but also a lot of choreography, behind the scenes in order to keep the emphasis on this as a private humanitarian mission.
HILL: And to keep that -- that focus on the two women.
Gordon, you were -- you were nodding your head as David was saying this. And you also said to me earlier, these women were actually becoming a liability for the regime.
CHANG: Oh, certainly, because, the longer that the regime held them, the more and more people looked at the legal system in North Korea. And the North Koreans didn't like that.
And the longer that they held those women, the more mean and vindictive Kim Jong Il looked. And, certainly, they didn't like that. So, they wanted to off-load these two women. So, yes, it was a gesture of friendship, but, also, it was in their self-interest to do this.
HILL: Of course, but not everybody is behind this. We should point out really interesting points being made in "The Washington Post" today by former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton.
He likens this, basically saying Mr. Clinton paid a -- quote -- "form of political ransom." And this really stuck out to me. He writes: "The Clinton trip is a significant propaganda victory for North Korea, whether or not he carried an official message from President Obama. Despite decades of bipartisan U.S. rhetoric about not negotiating with terrorists for the release of hostages, it seems the Obama administration, not only chose to negotiate, but to send a former president to do" -- making North Korea out to be terrorists, these women to be hostages, and saying, quite frankly, that this was a bad move. CHANG: Well, you know, North Korea has not engaged in a major terrorist act for about two decades. But, you know, they have done some pretty awful things in that time. And look at last -- what happened since last April. They had the long-range missile test. They had the nuclear test, the renunciation of the Korean War Armistice, cyber-attacks against South Korea.
I could go on, and...
HILL: They have been busy.
(LAUGHTER)
CHANG: They have been very busy.
And then we send an emissary. That doesn't look too good. So, maybe Bolton's words were not quite right, but I get the general drift, and I think he has put his finger on something.
HILL: So, they did win a little bit here.
CHANG: Oh, they have won a lot.
HILL: You can't deny that.
David Gergen, he went on to write that these reporters were pawns in a larger game of enhancing the regime's legitimacy and gaining direct access to important U.S. figures. Is this really going to give them better access and -- and help them dictate where the conversation flows in the future?
GERGEN: I think that is nonsense and heartless. As much as I respect John Bolton for some of his views, I just sharply disagree here.
Listen, the United States gave nothing away. Bill Clinton went in the -- in the capacity as a private citizen. That is why the emphasis on privacy is so important.
And -- and, beyond that, if -- if -- if Josh (sic) Bolton had his way, these two women would still be in prison. Finally, I must say, Bill -- we ought to take a moment here to say how exemplary Bill Clinton's behavior has been since his wife became secretary of state.
A lot of people thought he would be a loose cannon. He has been totally supportive. He's been quiet. And on -- and this occasion, he did something good for the country. I think people ought to have a higher level of respect for him after this trip, and thank him for doing what he did.
HILL: David Gergen, Gordon Chang, we thank you for being with us tonight and offering your insights.
GERGEN: Thank you.
HILL: Just ahead: one of Charles Manson's deadly followers and her unlikely supporter. We will speak with filmmaker John Waters about his friend former Manson family accomplice Leslie Van Houten.
And, later, two milestones at the White House, two birthdays spanning half-a-dozen presidents.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Just ahead on 360: the Manson killers then and now. Forty years ago, they slaughtered seven people in a crime that stunned the nation. So, what do they have to say for themselves today?
First, though, Tom Foreman joins us with a 360 bulletin.
Hi, Tom.
FOREMAN: Thanks, Erica.
Updating the breaking news we're following in Western Pennsylvania tonight: a bloodbath at a health club just outside of Pittsburgh. Police say five people are confirmed dead, including the gunman, as many as 15 people injured, all of this unfolding at the L.A. Fitness center in the suburb of Collier. Witnesses tell a gun -- say that a gunman came in carrying a duffel bag, walked through the backdoor of the gym, and then opened fire.
Iran has confirmed the arrest of three American hikers who apparently crossed into the country from an Iraqi Kurdish region on Friday. Iranian media reports say the hikers have been charged with illegal entry. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Swiss diplomats in Iran had urged Iran to provide information on the missing Americans.
Authorities today said toxicology reports found a deadly wrong- way driver had high levels of marijuana in her system when she crashed her minivan and more than twice the legal amount of alcohol. Police said a bottle of vodka was found in the wreckage. Thirty-six-year-old Diane Schuler killed herself, her daughter, three nieces, and three others in the head-on wreck last week north of New York City.
In the White House press room, President Obama shared his birthday spotlight with White House correspondent Helen Thomas, who turned 89 today. President Obama, marking his 48th year, he served the cupcakes up with a plug for his health care reform plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Helen wished for world peace, no -- no prejudice. But she and I also had a common birthday wish. She said she hopes for a real health care reform bill.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that single-payer?
(CROSSTALK)
OBAMA: I will -- I will leave it up to you, Helen, how you want to distribute the cupcakes.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOREMAN: The president is closing in on another important anniversary here, his 200th day in office.
And we are really going to be looking at that with a big special here, as you know, Erica, Thursday night at 8:00 Eastern time. We will have our national report card for the second 100 days of the Obama administration. And this is something you can really get involved in yourself, if you want to.
We have a way now you can go to our Web site, CNN.com, to the political section, and you can actually vote for how you think the president is doing. For example, question number two is on health care reform. And purple, I will tell you, is not a particularly good thing.
(LAUGHTER)
FOREMAN: So, if those are all the votes coming in...
(CROSSTALK)
FOREMAN: ... that's -- that's not good.
But we are going to collect these all the way through the special. We are going to let you actually tell us what you think about the president, not only about him, but also about Congress, about the Republicans, about how you think things are being handled by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who probably got a boost from this latest news today.
Nonetheless...
(CROSSTALK)
FOREMAN: ... it is a great chance for you to interact with your democracy.
HILL: It is. There you go.
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: And interact with your favorite network, CNN.
I have been checking it out, actually, Tom. You can also grade the media.
So, I hope you give us a great job -- a great grade.
If you go to CNN.com/reportcard, here's what you will find. These are the questions Tom was talking about, the economy. Question number two is health care reform. Click on that. It is as easy as heading up here to the grades. You can give it an A, A-minus, A-plus, B, C, all the way on down the line.
And, then, once you give a grade, you can actually see some of the other results, also see what people are saying on Facebook about it. It is your chance to be heard and to weigh in on the president's second 100 days.
Again, it's CNN.com/reportcard -- your chance to have your voice heard.
And, again, that, show -- special will be on Thursday at 8:00.
Just ahead on 360 tonight: Is he a racist cop or a victim of discrimination? Our interview with the Boston police officer suspended for his explosive remarks about Professor Henry Louis Gates. Now he is suing the city, the police department, even the mayor of Boston. Why? We will get his side of the story ahead.
And a bit later: a famous filmmaker defending one of the Manson family killers. John Waters tells us why he believes one of them should be released.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN WATERS, FILMMAKER: ... a lovely person that could be at a dinner party, and no one would ever imagine that this was this person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: The so-called beer summit is over, but the battle over a white officer's arrest of a black Harvard professor continues to make news. And it still has many Americans talking.
A new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows the controversy divided along racial lines. According to the survey, nearly 60 percent of African-Americans agree with President Obama's assessment that Officer James Crowley -- quote -- "acted stupidly" in his arrest of Henry Louis Gates. But just 29 percent of white respondents felt that way.
Meantime, there is more news from another Boston cop, suspended for making what many consider to be racist comments about Professor Gates.
Tonight, he says he is the victim.
Joe Johns reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): First, he fired off a racially offensive e-mail to "The Boston Globe." Then, when it got him suspended, he fired off a lawsuit against the city of Boston, claiming his civil rights were violated.
Officer Justin Barrett's e-mail complained about a column sympathetic to Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, recently arrested by the Cambridge police. The e-mail got him suspended from the police department.
Should the e-mail be enough to cost him his badge? You be the judge.
(on camera) He wrote, "If I was the officer he verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey, I would have sprayed him in the face with O.C.," apparently a reference to police-issued pepper spray. Barrett called part of the writer's column "jungle monkey gibberish."
In closing, Barrett said Gates had, quote, "transcended back to a bumbling jungle monkey" and told the writer her column should have been titled "Conduct Unbecoming a Jungle Monkey: Back to One's Roots."
(voice-over) Barrett did assert in the e-mail that he is not a racist and went on TV to apologize.
JUSTIN BARRETT, BOSTON POLICE OFFICER: I am not a racist. I did not intend any racial bigotry, harm or prejudice in my words.
JOHNS: but once the e-mail made the rounds, the higher-ups in Beantown erupted. The mayor was quoted as saying, "Barrett is gone, G-O-N-E." The police chief put Barrett on administrative leave.
EDWARD DAVIS, BOSTON POLICE COMMISSIONER: Barrett's e-mail was racist and inflammatory. These racist opinions and feelings have no place in this department or in our society and will not be tolerated.
JOHNS: Barrett's lawsuit claims he was effectively terminated without due process or equal protection of the law, among other things. That his contract rights were violated and accused the city of intentional infliction of emotional distress.
But CNN legal analyst and former civil rights lawyer Lisa Bloom doesn't see much merit to the suit.
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Officer Barrett's comments in writing are so extreme and beyond the pale that his continued presence on the police force would be a disruption and a distraction. And I think he has to go.
I think he is entitled to a hearing. That's one thing he asks for in the lawsuit. He probably is entitled to the hearing. But at that hearing he's going to lose.
JOHNS: Some might say his words speak for themselves.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Digging deeper now, we are joined by Justin Barrett, along with his attorney, Peter Marano, joining us tonight from Boston.
Gentlemen, thank you both for being with us.
BARRETT: Good evening.
PETER MARANO, ATTORNEY FOR JUSTIN BARRETT: Good evening.
HILL: In the complaint that you filed, and I'm quoting here, you allege the mayor and the commissioner's actions caused "pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, posttraumatic stress, sleeplessness, indignities and embarrassment, degradation, injury to reputation, and restrictions on personal freedom."
Justin, though, in many ways didn't you actually bring this on yourself with that e-mail that you sent on July 22?
BARRETT: Erica, I don't -- I don't think so. I composed the e- mail. I did not mean it to be offensive. I apologized.
I've served my country. I volunteered to go to Iraq. I serve my city of Boston. And if I'm charged with a crime, I want the chance to answer. I want the chance for a fair hearing. That's why I got my attorney.
MARANO: Justin, in numerous conversations with myself, has regretted the choice of words. The choice of words were poor, but they weren't meant to characterize Professor Gates as a banana-eating jungle monkey. They were meant in a response to behavior, and characterizing that behavior. Not the person as a whole.
HILL: So what do you believe, specifically, the mayor and the police commissioner did wrong? Why -- why should they be paying damages to Justin Barrett?
MARANO: Well, the damages to Justin Barrett are that he's been fired. He's been fired for...
HILL: But he's been suspended. He hasn't been fired yet. He's been suspended. He was suspended with pay.
MARANO: He actually has been fired.
HILL: When did that happen?
MARANO: He's been fired. The mayor -- the mayor of the city got on TV and said, and spelled it out, "He's gone, G-O-N-E. Gone."
HILL: When I talked to the police department this afternoon, they didn't -- they didn't tell me he was fired. He was suspended. And they're waiting to set that hearing date. So he hasn't officially been fired, correct?
MARANO: OK. Well, in our opinion, he has been officially fired.
HILL: I just want -- I just want to be clear for everybody at home, because it sounds like we're talking about different things here, that in fact, he has been suspended and suspended with pay. You claim that the mayor fired him on TV, but yet, no one has come to you and officially told you that your client has been fired.
MARANO: My client, it's our position, has been fired. Whether we get a formal letter in the mail or we have Peter Marano (ph) on television telling an audience that he's fired.
He's the man who is supposed to sit and listen to my client's explanation about his actions. He's supposed to be afforded a fair hearing before anyone says he's gone or before anyone says he's a cancer that needs to be cut out.
HILL: When you are a police officer, as with so many other jobs in this country, specifically public servants, aren't you held to a higher standard? Whether you are on duty wearing that uniform or whether you're off duty sitting at home. There are certain things that are expected of police officers. Did your client violate that trust that the public has with him?
MARANO: My client offered a response that was expressing his opinion as a private citizen. Is he held to a higher standard? Absolutely. But the problem becomes, is being held to a higher standard shouldn't eradicate his right under the First Amendment for free speech. And that's part and parcel of the lawsuit.
HILL: If you are reinstated, do you feel that you could continue to do your job effectively?
BARRETT: I would stand up and perform my duties every day like I have done. I've been working since I've been 12 years old. And I worked every day of my life. And that's -- I'm a hard worker. I'm honest. I can perform my duties.
HILL: We will continue to follow the case. Justin Barrett, Peter Marano, we appreciate your time. Thanks for being with us tonight.
BARRETT: Thank you.
MARANO: Thank you, Erica.
HILL: Tomorrow night we will take you deep inside the "War Next Door." Michael Ware uncovering the most ruthless cartels, know as Las Zetas. This is their latest work. Check this out.
A death squad descended on this home with guns and grenades. It happened pre-dawn. Inside a police commander, his wife and four children killed. The youngest victim, just 6 years old.
The DEA calls them the most technologically advanced, sophisticated and violent of the cartels. And they already have a strong hold north of the border, and it turns out they are getting stronger. You don't want to miss Michael Ware's report, coming up tomorrow night on "360," right here.
Still ahead tonight on "360," the Manson killers have been locked away for decades for the grisly murders they committed. Their crimes stunned the nation. Tonight, you'll hear from one of the killers, why she believes she deserves to be set free.
Plus, an update on breaking news out of Pennsylvania: a deadly shooting at a gym near Pittsburgh. Reports that the gunman turned off the lights before opening fire. We have the latest.
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HILL: We are getting more information on that breaking news outside of the Pittsburgh area. We're going to get you that as soon as we can. We're just getting some news in from witnesses. Want to get that to you, try and get it to you. So stay with us for that.
Meantime, as we get that together for you, we look back at one of the most shocking crimes of the 20th century. In fact, all this week, we're taking a look at a madman named Charles Manson and his so-called family, who butchered seven people. This Sunday is the 40th anniversary of those murders.
Last night we brought you back to the crime scenes. Tonight, we profile the Manson killers, then and now. We're also going to take a look at a rather controversial plea from one very well-known filmmaker. You may know him: John Waters. He is a well-known filmmaker, as I mentioned. He's also become friendly over the last quarter century with one of the killers and now believes that she should, in fact, be released.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Leslie Van Houten was 19 year old when she and other followers of Manson went on their infamous killing spree. Forty years later, Van Houten remains in prison. She's been denied parole more than a dozen times yet still continues to plead for her release.
LESLIE VAN HOUTEN, CONVICTED MURDERER: I was raised to be a decent human being. I turned into a monster, and I have spent these years going back to a decent human being. And I just don't know what else to say.
HILL: Van Houten wants her freedom. And she has her supporters, including well-known filmmaker John Waters. Waters discusses his relationship with Van Houten in his upcoming book, "Role Models." It's out next year, but you can actually read the first chapter right now on the Huffington Post.
John Waters joins us now.
Good to have you with us.
JOHN WATERS, FILMMAKER: Thank you.
HILL: A lot of people may be surprised to learn that you two have actually become friends, that you were inspired in your early days, really, by Charles Manson in many ways. WATERS: Well, I certainly was -- it was amazing. We were making movies that were trying to shock the world, and they did. But certainly, I've learned, too, over the years how irresponsible I was in kid of being a punk rocker for Charlie Manson and all that, when I've seen the horrible things that happened, not only to the victims and their families, but to the families of Leslie Van Houten and what she has gone through. And, as I feel, has been in jail 40 years and has taken full responsibility for her part in the acts.
HILL: What is it specifically, though, about Leslie Van Houten that tells you this woman should be out, free on the street?
WATERS: Because she doesn't -- she takes blame. She doesn't just say, "Charlie Manson made me do it. LSD makes me do it." She said, "I take full responsibility for everything that happened in the La Bianca home."
I think, actually, she should be the poster girl for the prison system, because she went in a complete lunatic and ended up someone, a very sober person who -- who really takes responsibility and wants to lead a quiet life if she ever gets out.
HILL: That would be, though, I would imagine, a very tough pill for any of the victims' families to swallow, to know that she was, in fact, free, whether or not she had been rehabilitated. Have you spoken with any of the victims' families?
WATERS: No, I haven't. But nothing they can say is wrong. I am -- they are speaking from a personal thing, and they have every bit -- and I address in my piece all the most devastating things they have said against Leslie. And I have quoted, I think, the best things they've said.
HILL: You have quoted them extensively in this -- in this book. Put in a number of the things that they said. And you understand where they're coming from. And yet, still you're pushing for her to be released. Have they ever contacted you and said, "You know what, Mr. Waters? We get where you're coming from, but please back off"?
WATERS: No, they haven't. But they would have every right to do that. And I'm speaking because -- for what society does. If there are rules for parole, and I do believe that there are some people that can be rehabilitated and deserve a second chance.
HILL: Why do you think it is that Leslie Van Houten has not been granted parole? Is it simply because of the notoriety of these murders?
WATERS: Yes. I think, basically, Charlie Manson has become Freddie Kruger. He's a Halloween outfit now. And -- and people don't know the whole story, and they look at it, and they just think it's like a horror movie.
And Leslie has tried everything. As she said, "I've spent 40 years trying to become the person I would have been if I hadn't met him." And I think she actually has. HILL: And what about the other convicted murderers here who are also still in jail? Do you believe they should be released, as well?
WATERS: I can't -- I'm not here to talk about them. You know? It doesn't matter what I think about them. Leslie is my friend.
HILL: It is a fascinating tale. Understandably, one that really could leave people feeling very divided. John Waters, thanks for your time tonight.
WATERS: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILLS: Well, last night we brought you back to the crime scene, as we mentioned tonight. We were profiling some of those involved, Van Houten and the rest, then and now.
Here now is Ted Rowlands with that report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They shocked the world. Young, good looking American kids in their 20s, laughing about butchering their innocent victims.
The Manson killers are now in their 60s. Tex Watson, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkle, and Susan Atkins, all disciples of a madman who turned them into monsters.
(on camera) Watson and Krenwinkle took part in all seven murders, five at the home of actress Sharon Tate in Beverly Hills. Then, the next day they came to this house with Van Houten, about 10 miles away, where they tortured and killed Leno and Rosemary La Bianca.
VAN HOUTEN: I stood in a hallway and looked into a blank room that was like a den. And I stood there until Tex turned me around and handed me a knife, and he said, "Do something." I went back in the bedroom and Mrs. La Bianca was laying on the floor on her stomach, and I stabbed her numerous times in the back.
ROWLANDS (voice-over): Atkins was with Watson and Krenwinkle during the Tate murders, holding down 8 1/2-month pregnant actress Sharon Tate as she pleaded for her and her child's life.
SUSAN ATKINS, CONVICTED MURDERER: She asked me to let her baby live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What'd you say to her?
ATKINS: I told her that I didn't have any (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ROWLANDS: How Manson convinced his flock to kill and torture without remorse baffled the world. Manson Family members say it was a combination of charisma, drugs and Manson's knack for recruiting the right group of vulnerable followers. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was us, like little birds with our mouths open: feed us. And he would be saying the things we had been thinking. We thought that he had an in to our very thoughts and our very hearts.
ROWLANDS: Atkins, Krenwinkle and Van Houten say they left broken homes. Watson would turn out to be Manson's right-hand man.
The faces of the Manson killers have gotten older, the courthouse smiles and giggles replaced with pleas for forgiveness.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm appalled that I could even have been involved with something like that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's terribly difficult to deal with this. I admit I made a mistake, because I feel terrible about it. But I cannot change it, no matter what I do. I cannot change one minute of my life.
TEX WATSON, CONVICTED MURDERER: Granted, I have committed one of the most heinous crimes in the history of mankind. I realize that, and I'm very remorseful for that and would give anything if I could pay for it.
ROWLANDS: First sentenced to death, the Manson killers were given life sentences when the death penalty was abolished by the state supreme court. Charles Manson remains in prison and has over the years attended his parole hearings.
Susan Atkins has terminal brain cancer. Last year her request for compassionate release was denied. But she's scheduled for a parole hearing next month.
Krenwinkle and Watson have parole hearings before the end of the year. Van Houten is not expected to have a hearing until 2010.
Forty years later, all four claim they're remorseful. But the family of Sharon Tate doesn't believe any of them deserve the mercy that Sharon and her unborn child never saw.
Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Not only the family of Sharon Tate speaking out. You've heard there from John Waters, who believes that Leslie Van Houten should be released, and from the killers themselves. But what about the other members of the families of the victims?
Alice La Bianca is the ex-wife of Leno La Bianca. Leslie Van Houten and the other Manson killers murdered him in 1969. Alice La Bianca read a letter at her 1998 parole hearing. Here's what she had to say in that letter. Quote, "Leslie Van Houten chose her own path. She chose to follow the instructions of Charles Manson. She chose drug-crazed killers as her family, and she became one of them. But what about my family? When do we get our parole? When does Leno get his parole? Sympathy for these killers, and especially this one, is misplaced."
We want to update you now on our breaking story out of western Pennsylvania tonight. New and frankly chilling details are emerging from the shooting at a health club just south of Pittsburgh. Five are reported dead, including the gunman, who apparently killed himself, according to local authorities. Fifteen are wounded.
Witnesses tell local station, our affiliate WTAE, that a man with a duffel bag walked into an exercise room and turned off the lights before opening fire. Police described the scene as utter terror, some of it lit only by muzzle flashes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was in a spinning class. I -- the class was over with. I was in the locker room getting my items, and I was on my way out. I stopped, I guess to wash my hands. And at that point I heard gun fire, what I thought to be gunfire.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Which you were not expecting, so...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was right. That was the furthest thing from the truth -- like I actually kind of talked myself out of it: "Surely that's not gunfire in the gym."
I would probably say a few seconds later a guy came running into the locker room, and I said, "What's going on?"
He said, "Someone's shooting."
So at that point, myself and him and some other guys who -- that were in the locker room, we made our way out the back door through the pool exit. We get outside, and all of a sudden I hear a couple of guys saying, "We've got some girls shot over here." I turned around, there was one girl shot in the thigh. And there was another girl shot in the back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What happened was is they were -- they were in a Pilates class or something like that, and they turned the lights out, and all of a sudden, the shooting started. So she said she saw one of the guys had a black hat on. And that's all she knew.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He shut the lights off in the aerobic room. And by the time I realized what was going on, I looked over at the aerobics room, and I could see flashes in the dark. That's when I realized that someone was actually using a firearm inside of there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I took my headphones off, because I had my headphones on. And then I heard a loud banging noise repeatedly, like three or four. And that's when I kind of knew what was going on, you know, that someone was shooting the place up with a firearm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how shocking was that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was pretty intense.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: There is no word at this hour on the killer's identity ,nor an apparent motive. But we'll, of course, continue to follow the story, and we'll bring you more as we learn it.
Just ahead on 360, a ban against Facebook and other social networking sites. Who is no longer allowed to use them? And why others may face the same restrictions.
And a bit later, reunited. After years away, a best friend returns. Our favorite kind of story. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Coming up in the next hour, we'll have more on our breaking news. Americans coming home. Two journalists freed in North Korea with help from former president, Bill Clinton.
But first, Tom Foreman back with us now for the "360 Bulletin."
Hi, Tom.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Erica.
The top U.S. commander in Iraq disagrees with the colonel's call for the U.S. to declare victory and leave the country earlier than planned. General Ray Odierno said today the U.S. is needed in Iraq until the end of 2011. Last week a memo written by an adviser, Colonel Timothy Reese, was leaked, in which he called for U.S. withdrawal next August.
A new study suggests people as young as 40 with borderline or high cholesterol levels are at greater disease for developing Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia. Researchers with Kaiser Permanente tracked 10,000 people over four decades to find this link.
The Pentagon is reviewing its policy on access to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter for all military personnel. The move comes one day after the Marine Corps issued a ban on those sites on its own computer network for security reason. Marines can still access Facebook and similar sites on their own personal computers, however.
And a 360 follow-up. Nine years after an Australian family saw their dog vanish, they're all reunited. As we mentioned last week, Muff was found 1,200 miles from home, thanks to a micro chip embedded in her neck. Today, she was reunited with her owners, who were happy to have her back.
HILL: Look at that sweet face.
FOREMAN: Nice. Everybody's so happy.
HILL: Is your dog chipped, Tom Foreman?
FOREMAN: My dog -- our dog is chipped. HILL: So is mine.
FOREMAN: And our dog stays under our control at all times. So hopefully, she'll never be 1,200 miles away.
HILL: Just in case, you're prepared.
FOREMAN: Just in case we make a mistake.
HILL: That's good to know.
FOREMAN: She's a lovely dog and that looks like Muff is a lovely dog.
HILL: Actually, you're right. I think Muff probably is.
We're not done, of course. Still ahead, we have more. We're going to bring you the latest on that breaking news out of North Korea. American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee in the air at this very moment, on their way home to their families, pardoned by North Korea's leader.
So what exactly did former President Clinton do and say to secure their release?
Plus, on a lighter foreign policy note, look out, Michael Phelps. Who is that manly swimmer, you ask? How about Vladimir Putin? Oh, yes. It's summertime. The living is easy, and Putin is shedding his dark suit, showing off his unclothed side. It's tonight's "Shot" when 360 continues. Stay with us, Tom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: We continue with our coverage of our breaking news on the release and pardon of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee from North Korea. White House correspondent Dan Lothian is standing by tonight at the White House with some late-breaking details on what has happened with this private mission, as it is being called today -- Dan.
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I just got off of a phone call, a briefing with some senior administration officials, and some highlights from that phone call.
First of all, we found that President Obama did reach out to the family members of both the journalists, calling them between 8:30 and 9:30 tonight to congratulate them.
We also learned that this whole meeting between the former President Clinton going to North Korea started by a phone call from the two journalists to their family members in July. And they mentioned that the people in North Korea who are holding them had said, "We would be willing to grant you amnesty if you can get a high level envoy like President Clinton to come here and gain your release." That is how it all started. Officials saying that President Clinton said he was willing to do this, if he could ensure that his mission would be successful. They got that guarantee. He decided to go.
That's the very latest from the White House. Now back to you.
HILL: Dan Lothian, thanks.
It's clear that mission was successful.
Stay with us. We're going to have much more at the top of the hour, right here on 360.
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