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Police: A Civilian Shot & Killed Car Rammer; Russia: 5 Ukrainian Drones Shot Down near Moscow; Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Campaigns in New Hampshire; Civil Rights Group Sue Harvard over Legacy Admissions; Video Captures GA Deputy saving Woman from Burning Car. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired July 04, 2023 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: A holiday marred by violence overnight. Three people shot and killed in Texas just hours after a mass shooting left five dead in Philadelphia. The suspect there had multiple weapons and wore a bulletproof vest.

SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: And an attempted drone attack in Moscow. Russia is blaming Ukraine what we know about the threat and the Kremlin is calling a terrorist attack.

BERMAN: Harvard accused of discrimination for allegedly giving special treatment to the children of donors and alumni. Kate is off today. I'm John Berman alongside Sara Sidner. And this is CNN News Central.

This morning two deadly mass shootings. At least three people killed eight others injured overnight in Fort Worth, Texas. Police say the violence may have been related to the Fourth of July celebrations there. So far we know that 10 of the victims are adults, one victim a juvenile. We're going to go live to that scene in just a moment.

In Philadelphia, five people were killed and two children injured after a gunman opened fire at several locations in one neighborhood. When officers arrested the suspect he was armed with both an AR-15 style rifle and a handgun. He was also wearing a bulletproof vest stock with several magazines of ammunition.

Police say they have yet to determine a motive and so far, they have found no connection between the victims and the suspect. We have CNN's Ed Lavandera and Danny Freeman joining us live. I want to start with Ed in Fort Worth, Texas. Ed give us the latest from that scene.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, one resident we spoke here with this morning, John said that they'd never seen so many people gathered out here on the streets in this neighborhood in Southwest Fort Worth celebrating the night before the Fourth of July.

This area is known as the good "Colo" (ph) neighborhood and gearing up for a traditional Fourth of July parade that supposed to be held later this morning. But we're told the streets were lined with people, hundreds of people out here last night, fireworks going off people driving around in the streets as well. And that's when the gunfire erupted.

Fort Worth police say in all 11 people shot three of those victims have died. We're still waiting more information on exactly the identities of these victims. We do know that most of them were adults and that perhaps one juvenile is one of the shooting victims, as well not clear if that was one of the victims who has died or has been treated in the hospital. But right now, Fort Worth police say they are still trying to figure out the motive and who was behind the shooting here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN SHAWN MURRAY, FORT WORTH POLICE: We don't know if this is domestic related if it's gang related. It's too early to tell. At this point we just know somebody shot multiple times and a bunch of people were injured in reference to that. Hopefully, it's just a single shooter. And it wasn't something that it was a crossfire situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And you heard there the investigators trying to talk about whether or not this was a single shooter. And that is not clear. You can imagine how chaotic it must have been here last night? We spoke with two witnesses who were John who were just on the other side of the street when the shooting erupted.

They told us that they believed that there were multiple people firing off weapons last night when everybody started scattering and running for their lives. But that is all part of what investigators here this morning are trying to figure out right now John.

BERMAN: All right, Ed Lavandera in Fort Worth that's the scene there. Let's go to Philadelphia now. Danny Freeman is there. Danny bring us up to speed on the situation this morning.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well John, what I can tell you is that a suspect is in custody after shooting or allegedly shooting I should say seven people in Philadelphia last night. But we don't know much more about the suspect at this time.

We do know he was the primary suspect. We also know he was a man in his 40s. He was taken into custody without any bullets being fired by police and we do know that he was carrying multiple weapons and wearing body armor when he was arrested.

But let me tell you John exactly how all of this went down last night. It all started around 8:30 when the Philadelphia Police Department they got word of multiple gunshots in the concessive area of Philadelphia. It's in the southwest part of the city.

They arrived and they found that they were multiple gunshot victims in the street and then they heard actually more gunshots going off. So the Police Commissioner last night in a press conference she described how officers were following the sound of gunshots and running kind of all throughout a neighborhood chasing after the suspect. They eventually cornered him and like I said they were able to make an arrest without firing a single shot. But I want you to listen to what Commissioner Outlaw about that moment when they finally were able to apprehend the suspect. Take a listen.

[09:05:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMMISSIONER DANIELLE OUTLAW, PHILLADELPHIA POLICE: Our officers were able to apprehend the male and the rear alley of 1600 Fraser Street. And when they did, this male was wearing a bulletproof vest, got multiple magazines in the vest. He also had a scanner and an AR style rifle and a handgun underneath his body. He was taken into custody without further incident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Now Commissioner Outlaw initially said that there were six victims in this shooting for people who were killed and two children including one two year old who were injured. Those children though, are in stable condition at this time, but then we learned overnight there was actually a seventh victim a fifth person was found dead in relation to this shooting.

Basically, a man said that he came home found another person lying in his home, dead on the ground came out to the police officers who are already handling the crime scene and said I think this person was part of this shooting.

Again at this point we're still waiting for an update from police on a potential motive but a tough way to start this Fourth of July weekend here in Philly, John.

BERMAN: An awful way to start. Danny keep us posted when police do give that update. So that's Philadelphia, and Fort Worth. This morning police in Baltimore are still searching for multiple suspects in a deadly mass shooting at a block party there early Sunday morning. Two people were killed 28 injured.

The Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott vowed the city will not rest until the shooters are caught. The FBI is offering a $28,000 reward for any information. Seven people were shot two others injured during a shooting at a nightclub in Wichita, Kansas over the weekend. Police say at least four firearms were used inside the club one person is in custody there.

In Indiana, a police sergeant and a suspect were killed both in an exchange of gunfire at a hospital officers had initially arrived on the scene for a disturbance call. And today at 11 am there will be a ceremony remembering the victims from the shooting at the Highland Park July 4 parade one year ago that left seven people dead in dozens more injured Sara.

SIDNER: Now to the continued violence in the Middle East where a car ramming attack in Tel Aviv has lifted at least eight people injured. According to police, a driver rammed into pedestrian standing in a shopping center then got out of the car to stab people.

Police say an armed civilian then shot and killed the attacker. This comes one day after Israel launched its largest military operation in the West Bank in more than two decades. The Palestinian authority says the violence in Jenin has killed 10 people there almost 100 others have been injured.

Heavy smoke could be seen throughout Jenin today as Israeli forces carried out drone strikes and deployed hundreds of soldiers to target what they say is terrorist infrastructure in a refugee camp. CNN's Hadas gold is live in Tel Aviv with the very latest. Israel is labeling this car ramming attack and stabbing attack a terrorist attack. What can you tell us about what happened there in Tel Aviv?

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Sara. I'm here in Northwest Tel Aviv where this attack took place just in the last two, three hours or so. This is on a kind of main thoroughfare right in front of a line of shops and what police happen to say that this truck that you can actually just see behind me.

They say that it mounted the pavement running into pedestrians. You can also just see how its windshield is completely smashed the front of the car, the front bumper of the car is almost entirely torn off. This bus stop very, very badly damaged.

Police saying that after running into the pedestrians on the pavement the attacker then got out of the car and began stabbing people they say with a sharp object before an armed civilian who's actually on scene who had heard what had happened, turned around heard the noise and responded by shooting and killing the attacker.

Hamas has now claimed credit for this attack saying that the attacker was one of its fighters. A defense official telling me that he actually crossed over from the West Bank. We just spoke to as the spokesperson for the Israeli police take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN ELSDUNNE, ISRAELI POLICE: No, it was an elderly individual who actually heard the loud noise that was happening behind him turned around saw that there was an individual a terrorist with a sharp object trying to stab people after he committed the terror attack with the bus stop. And he knew right then and there this was a terror attack and he neutralize this terrorist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: Now eight people we know have been injured one of them a woman in her 40s is in critical condition. Now as I mentioned, Hamas has taken credit for this and this is coming they say in direct connection to what's been happening in Jenin.

You mentioned we are in the second day of that massive military operation. This is the biggest largest Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank since the days of the Second Intifada since 2002. Now while overnight things were not as dramatic as they were the day before.

The Israeli military saying that they're still operating there they even said that they've touched every single corner of the Jenin refugee camp. And overnight thousands of Palestinians have fled the refugee camp trying to seek safer ground as the military operation continuing.

[09:10:00]

They say they're trying to dismantle Jenin as a hornet's nest as they call it for terrorist activity. But of course civilians so often caught in the crossfire. The Israeli military saying that this operation could continue for another day or two and Hamas once this operation started Hamas called on all of its members, all of its cells can strike Israel wherever they could.

And that's what we have today is a member of Hamas, Hamas claiming this person as one of its fighter ramming into pedestrians here in Northwest Tel Aviv and what police are calling a terror attack, Sara.

SIDNER: The PLO calling these war crimes what's happening in Jenin? Of course, the Israeli saying that they were after solely terrorists. What do you see happening going further? Now you have Hamas claiming this car ramming as a response? Do you expect another response from either Hamas or anyone from inside Gaza as well?

GOLD: Yes, we've been asking the Israeli military about this and they say that they are prepared for really a response from anywhere from the West Bank, potentially from Gaza, or from like what we saw today, this car ramming attack.

Now so far, we have no indication that Hamas and Gaza is planning on, you know, for example, shooting up rockets. There has been a response from Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in parts of East Jerusalem. They have gone on a general strike in solidarity with the people in Jenin but so far, the action seems to be very much focused on Jenin, Sara.

SIDNER: We have not seen this happen in the West Bank in more than 20 years. Hadas Gold thank you so much for that update.

BERMAN: Republican presidential hopefuls and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is spending the Fourth of July on the campaign trail as some in his circle sound the alarm about low polling numbers.

And if your mother or father went to a certain college should you have a leg up in getting in there legacy admissions now under attack in the wake of the Supreme Court affirmative action ruling, the new case facing Harvard. And a Georgia deputy likely saved the woman's life after pulling her out of a burning car. We have the dramatic video ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:15:00] SIDNER: Overnight Russia is claiming it shot down five Ukrainian drones near Moscow. In this video you can see a smoke trail there between these high rise buildings after reports of the Florida attack. CNN cannot independently verify their claim. Also this morning Vladimir Putin on the world stage for the very first time since the revolt the Kremlin Leader thanked his friends in China and Iran as he seeks to reassure them his grip on power remained strong.

This is we're learning that Russia has now deployed more than 180,000 troops to two major battle fronts in Ukraine. Both areas are in Eastern Ukraine. According to Ukraine's army more than 120,000 sent to the -- region 50,000 deployed to Bakhmut.

In Bakhmut a new round of explosions were seen hitting the already decimated city overnight. It's still one of the most contested frontlines in this war, and at least three people have now died following a Russian drone attack in the City of Sumi. The terrifying impact of that was caught on camera.

Let's go live now to Eastern Ukraine where our Ben Wedeman is. Ben first, can we talk about this new claim from Russia, saying that the Ukrainian sent drones into Moscow? Have Ukrainians responded in any way on that?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the Ukrainians as is often the case do not comment on any events inside Russia itself certainly not this is the second time there's been an alleged drone attack on Moscow. The last one was back in May when a drone allegedly was blown up over the Kremlin.

But we have heard from an advisor to President Zelenskyy saying that it's somewhat ironic that a country that since February last year has been pummeling the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine including last week in Kramatorsk that pizzeria were 13 people at least were killed.

So the Ukrainians essentially brushing this off as far as the details go. According to the Russians, five drones were shot down over Moscow four by air defenses one by electronic warfare methods. Now, the one of the drones apparently caused what are called technical issues at one of Moscow's four airports.

And as a result, according to the test, news agency, 14 flights had to be diverted to other Moscow airports now, Maria the Spokesman for the Foreign Spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry said that the target was an area that included civilian infrastructure. She also said that because -- she said Zelenskyy sent these western weapons paid for by the West.

It was therefore in her words, international terrorism rather ironic when you consider what's going on in Ukraine since last year. Now in addition to that, we've heard from the Spokesman for Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine that they believe the Russians have deployed 180,000 troops along the Eastern Front, focusing on two areas the -- in the Northeast in addition to in and around the City of Bakhmut.

[09:20:00] This might explain this huge number of Russian troops. That's more than the entire -- more than twice the entire British army would explain why the Ukrainian counter offensive is meeting such stiff resistance Sara.

SIDNER: Ben Wedeman, you always do great reporting from there. Thank you to you and your team. 180,000 troops Russia sending into Eastern Ukraine. John, you're going to explain all what that means to everybody.

BERMAN: Yes, I was being out with Retired Army Major Mike Lyons. Let me show you where these troops are to give you a better look. You can look the larger map here they're employed in Bakhmut and Kupiansk in the Far East; I can push in to this region here major.

You see around Bakhmut this is where they said 50,000; I'll put 50k here. And up here in Kupiansk that's 100 and what do you say 120,000 there, that's a lot of troops. I'll erase my bad writing but why so much of a new Russian presence in these two areas?

MAJOR MIKE LYONS, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I think a couple of things John. I think first of all, you could see that this was an area occupied already by Russia. So it's a safe area from Russia's perspective is. Russia needs to find success.

And we're talking about the Ukraine counter offensive, this could be now setting the tone for what could be a Russian counter offensive into Kyiv here. And this area here that's where that major city was where the Ukrainian military had won a battle, they want to counter offensive back there in September.

They've got to do what -- Russia has to do whatever they can to show some level of success when you mass these kinds of troops in that area. That's what it's signaling to me.

BERMAN: I can show people again, on the larger map here, this region we're talking about is Kupiansk there is Kharkiv you're talking about right there. Also is Bakhmut, we had been told are under the impression that some of the Ukrainian activity was down here in the southern part of the country. So is this trying to force the Ukrainians to focus on this area?

LYONS: I think so it's going to give the Ukrainian generals something to think about because their counter offensive has been focused on here, they look to try to cut off this area here threatened Crimea, that's always going to be their objective.

However, if they put these kinds of troops if Russia puts this kind of mass in the north there, they're going to have to respond to it. What the Ukrainian military does not want to do is deploy its reserves in those reserves are those NATO tanks and that NATO equipment they've been saving for this counter offensive that they could break through. And they don't want to use that in a manner where they have to respond to a Russia.

BERMAN: And to be clear, it is our understanding that the largest mass of Ukrainian troops has not yet been deployed in this counter offensive. Major I looked at a list of a shopping list that you sort of put together what the Ukrainians would like in order to try to push this counter offensive more quickly. One of the things you say they want Reaper drones, why?

LYONS: Yes. So this is becoming more and more a drone war with regard to what Russia is doing to Ukraine and what Ukraine then can do back to Russia. And if they get the predator, the great eagles, they get the drones that can both be on station for a long time have great range of capability to attack. It gives them eyes in the sky, so to speak.

You saw this attack that Russia claims that Ukraine did on them, I'm not sure that that really makes any sense. So you're the Commander of Ukraine, you're not wasting that kind of asset to just go deep without really attacking something. But these kinds of drones would be difference makers on the ground for the Ukraine military.

BERMAN: You will also talk about assault breacher vehicles. This is somewhat fantastic imagery right here. What are we looking at? Why would this be helpful?

LYONS: So what Ukraine military needs are these attachments that go in front of tanks or armored vehicles, they're going to clear out these minefields that the Russians have laid. The Russian -- the Ukraine, counteroffensive hasn't even gotten to these defensive belts yet. And when they get there, they're going to be slowed down by obstacles.

This is going to be a critical piece of equipment. So aside from the kinetic, the tanks, and the missiles and the artillery, you're going to need this kind of engineering assets to clear those kinds of obstacles.

BERMAN: It is kind of brute force there. And finally, the attack comes you're looking at this kind of weaponry.

LYONS: Yes, another difference maker this will allow deep strikes, command and control centers. They have to go after the Russian capability for air security that they already have. This will attack some of those helicopter bases; give them an opportunity to give the legs up.

Also bring back those command and control spread out the Russian supply lines and order for the Ukrainian military. Once they break through I've got to think they'll have to blitzkrieg. They're going to successful counteroffensive means speed and shock effect. We just haven't seen that yet.

BERMAN: Not yet. They seem to be probing looking for that breakthrough. If and when it comes, that's when they might flood the zone. Major great to see you thank you so much, Sara!

SIDNER: All right. The presidential campaign in full effect this July 4th, Florida Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate Ron DeSantis is in New Hampshire on this July 4th, as he tries to increase his poll numbers. We'll dig into that. Plus, it's being called "Nature's Ozempic". But could this herbal dietary supplement really cause significant weight loss? That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:25:00]

SIDNER: Let's go to live Florida Governor and GOP Presidential Candidate Ron DeSantis is on the campaign trail in New Hampshire where he will participate in the Wolf Burrow and Merrimack Independent State Parades.

The latest CNN polling shows DeSantis is currently in second place among Republican voters but he is still trailing far behind Former President Trump basically by double digits. CNN's Omar Jimenez is in Merrimack for us this morning. Omar DeSantis's campaign last week put out a sort of a strange ad. But what are you hearing from those like his Super PAC about what they think his chance are?