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Nine People Dead In PA, IN, TX Mass Shootings; Secret Service: Powder Found At WH Sent For Further Testing; Supreme Court Rulings Loom Over 2024 Election. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired July 04, 2023 - 14:00   ET

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

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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, for some Americans, they spent a deadly holiday weekend with several mass shootings. Philadelphia police a suspect wearing a bulletproof vest armed with an AR-15-style rifle killed several people. We're also learning more about two other shootings. All the details. Ahead.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And tensions rising after the Israeli military launches a major operation in the West Bank. Meantime, a terror attack in Tel Aviv today as police say a man drove into a crowd of pedestrians. We have the latest from the Middle East.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And later, a Fourth of July race goes awry after the leading runner takes a wrong turn costing her first place. We're going to speak to the race organizer about what happened. Something you really have to see. We are following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SCIUTTO: Police in three major cities are spending their Fourth of July investigating crime scenes. The aftermath of three mass shootings in the past 24 hours alone. In Indianapolis, at least one person is dead, four others injured after shots were fired at a block party this last night. In Philadelphia, five people are dead, two children injured after a neighborhood shooting spree. Authorities arrested a suspect they say had a bulletproof vest, an AR-15-style rifle, and a handgun.

And just before midnight in Fort Worth, Texas shooting left at least three people dead. Eight others injured. Police say they believe the violence there was related to a Fourth of July celebration.

I know it's hard to keep up. CNN's Ed Lavandera. He is in Fort Worth on that shooting. Tell us what more you know -- what more you're learning there from police.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, you know what has happened here in the KOMO neighborhood of Southwest Houston is really kind of like the schizophrenic insanity of what is happening in so many places across the country. Just moments ago, a neighborhood typical Fourth of July parade just wound up. But just not more than 15 hours ago, this very spot was the scene of a chaotic shooting where 11 people were shot. Three of those victims have died, according to Fort Worth police. And they're still in the process of trying to figure out exactly who was responsible for the shooting if there were multiple shooters involved, and what was the motive behind all of this.

But it was around midnight last night when there was a street party here. Essentially, there are people lighting off fireworks and doing donuts and spinning out here in the streets, you know, very chaotic scene. And one witness said at some point they felt like things were starting to take a turn and that's when the gunfire erupted.

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MIKE VALLE, WITNESS: Everybody was right here and there was a -- there was just popping fireworks like doing burnouts and stuff and then there's a lot of gunfire that just started ranking out. And then everybody just started running everywhere. I felt like it was going to get out of hand because my friends were telling me like, every year, usually like gets out of hand and stuff, like stuff always happens.

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LAVANDERA: That witness you heard from and someone else that he was with also told us they believe they heard about 30 to 40 shots fired. They believe multiple people were firing off weapons at this point.

Investigators here in Fort Worth have not made any arrests. They have not said if it was one gunman or multiple gunmen that were at play here. But in an incredibly chaotic situation.

And, Jim, as I told you just moments ago, this was also the site of a neighborhood Fourth of July parade that just wrapped up with their horses going by, a car parade, children getting candy, and that sort of thing. So, it's really you know the polar extremes of what has happened here on this Fourth of July.

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SCIUTTO: Goodness. Memories of last year when we saw similar in Highland Park. I know you're there covering one shooting, but I want to ask you about what we know about this shooting in Philadelphia because the circumstances, they're different. It appears that the shooting was highly planned.

LAVANDERA: Yes. That is very different information we're getting from that particular shooting. This, according to Philadelphia police was a shooting that spanned several blocks in a neighborhood there in the city. And the suspect is a 40-year-old man who has carried out the attack with an AR-style assault rifle. He was wearing a bulletproof vest, according to police, as well as having several rounds -- magazine rounds on him. He was also carrying a police radio.

There were five victims and all ranging in age from 15 to 59. There's also a 13-year-old that was wounded in the attack as well. So, some really troubling details emerging from that particular attack there in Philadelphia. As you mentioned, it definitely has an era -- an aura that it was a much more planned, coordinated kind of attack there, and a very different from what happened here on the streets here in Fort Worth.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Different cities, different native -- neighborhoods, towns, common factor, the guns. Ed Lavandera, there in Fort Worth, thanks so much. Boris.

SANCHEZ: Let's get some perspective now with CNN Law Enforcement Analyst Charles Ramsey. He was the police commissioner in Philadelphia. Chief Ramsey, first of all, happy Fourth of July. We're grateful that you're sharing the holiday with us.

Let's start with the shooting in Philadelphia City that you know well. Police arrested this suspect. And he had a bulletproof vest, an AR-15- style rifle, a handgun, and a scanner. What does all that tell you about a possible motive?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I mean, it was a planned attack. I mean, whatever his motive was, and I don't think they found that exact motive yet but he certainly planned the attack. I mean, he had on the bulletproof vest, multiple firearms, ammunition, and so forth. So, this is something that wasn't spontaneous, that's for sure.

But one thing I do want to point out. The officers there in Philadelphia did an outstanding job. They took this guy into custody without firing a single shot.

And we spent a lot of time talking about the use of force by police, especially deadly force, it's if it's not justified. This is a situation where they very well could have used deadly force, no question about it, and yet they didn't. And those kinds of cases usually go unnoticed by many people.

SANCHEZ: That is a fair point. And, Chief, there's also a detail that stood out to me. Police arrested a second person who investigators believe actually picked up a gun and returned fire. What do you make of that?

RAMSEY: Well, I mean, they got to sort everything out. I mean, right now, you know, you've got at least two shooters. Once they really sort things out, work with the district attorney to determine whether or not that second person why they picked up a gun, why they fired, were they a target, is this a back and forth, and then no decision will be made whether or not that person is going to be charged. But right now, if you have anyone who fired a shot at that particular point in time, you're going to bring them in for questioning until you sort things out.

SANCHEZ: I'm also curious to get your perspective on the bigger picture because we have this shooting in Philadelphia, the one in Fort Worth, Texas. We're getting new details about one in Indianapolis. Earlier this holiday weekend, there was one in Baltimore, another city that you're very familiar with, Chief. Why is it that there are so many shootings on this holiday weekend in particular?

RAMSEY: Well, yes. I mean, holidays during the summer in particular -- I mean, I spent 17 years as a major city chief. And well, you know, we always kind of dreaded the holidays only because you have large gatherings of people. And then you wind up with someone with a gun who decides to use that gun under that particular situation. And it just results in a lot of tragedy, a lot of violence, and it's just unfortunate.

People need to be able to go out and just enjoy and celebrate the Fourth of July or any other holiday without worrying about being a victim of a mass shooting. But unfortunately, that's not what's happening. It's only a little after two o'clock Eastern time right now. It's not even nightfall yet. And most of the major celebrations will come this evening. So, don't be surprised if there's another one. I hate to say it. But it's just a question of when and where, and not a question of if.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Sad that we have to anticipate the potential for more violence before the weekend is over. Chief Charles Ramsey, always great to see you, Sir. Thanks.

RAMSEY: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Brianna?

KEILAR: We're also watching just terrifying moments unfold across the Middle East. Israeli police say this terror attack in Tel Aviv left at least eight people injured. This is a man ramming his vehicle into pedestrians near a shopping center. You see it right there.

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Then he got out and he started stabbing people. Police say an armed civilian shot and killed the attacker. Hamas has now claimed responsibility.

And, of course, this is happening as Israel's military operation in the occupied West Bank City of Jenin is very much underway. Israeli Defense Forces carrying out around 10 airstrikes and ground missions in what they call counter-terrorism activities. Palestinian authorities say those efforts have killed at least 10 people and injured one hundred more.

CNN's Hadas Gold is live for us in Jerusalem. Hadas, you were at the scene there in Tel Aviv earlier. What more are you learning about this?

HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this has happened in Northwest Tel Aviv. Usually, a relatively quiet sort of suburban area of Tel Aviv outside of a shopping center. And we could see this truck that you can see in that CCTV video is still up on the pavement when we were there. Its windshield completely smashed. Most of its bumper -- front bumper seemed to be taken off. And the bus station -- the bus stop that it had run into was very severely damaged. And the Israeli officials saying that eight people were injured as a result. One of them was critically injured. And as you noted, they said an armed civilian shot and killed the attacker after he had gone on his stabbing spree.

And the Hamas militant group taking credit. Saying that this person is one of he called -- they call them their fighters. An Israeli defense official telling me that this person is a Palestinian man from the West Bank who had crossed into Tel Aviv. They said that he crossed over illegally.

Now, the Hamas militant group after that Israeli military operation in Jenin started, they had called -- made a public call for all of their members to go out and they said to strike Israel wherever they could. So, there was sort of an anticipation that something like this could happen and that's what we saw happen today.

Now, as for what's going on in Jenin, it's going on as we speak. There are currently, as I'm talking to you right now, heavy clashes. Gunfire is still being reported in Jenin. We are now in hour 44 of what is become Israel's largest military operation in the occupied West Bank since 2002.

And the Israeli military saying their goal is to dismantle Jenin as what they call a safe haven for militants. As you noted, the Palestinian health officials are saying that at least 10 people -- I believe the latest count is 11 have been killed. Now, when the death toll was at 10, the IDF told me that they believe that no non- combatants had been killed yet, but they did acknowledge that civilians are among the more than one hundred injured.

This is a very extensive operation, utilizing drone airstrikes, utilizing hundreds of Israeli soldiers, utilizing bulldozer to tear up roads, the Israeli officials saying that's because there are IEDs they believe hidden under the roads, and there are still heavy gunfights. And for the ta of people who live in this refugee camp, they have been describing it as almost like a natural disaster when they look outside the windows. Many of them -- thousands of them have fled overnight because they're giving all the indication that this will continue now for at least another day or so.

And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is saying that whoever thinks that such an attack in Tel Aviv will deter us from continuing our fight against terrorism is mistaken. Saying that they are simply unfamiliar with the spirit of the State of Israel. Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, we're watching this very carefully. Hadas Gold, live for us from Jerusalem, thank you for the report. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Russia, which launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine nearly a year and a half ago is now accusing Ukraine of what it calls a terror attack after it says several drones were intercepted near Moscow. That forced the airport there to divert flights. We're going to be live in Eastern Ukraine with an update on the war.

And the PAC supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says his presidential campaign is fighting an uphill battle. Details on that and how the candidates are marketing July Fourth as well.

And later, officials are warning beachgoers in California to avoid poisoned sea lions. We're going to explain what that's all about. You're watching CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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KEILAR: This just into CNN. We're getting some new details about a hazmat scare at the White House. The Secret Service telling CNN that it found a powdery substance on Sunday that triggered a temporary evacuation.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live for us at the White House. Jeremy, what more are officials saying about what they found?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna. Well, Secret Service followed protocol here because they discovered this powdery substance on Sunday evening. They briefly evacuated the White House complex. A hazmat team came in and clear the substance as not a threat. But what they did discover a field test according to two sources telling CNN that the white powdery this substance that was discovered tested positive for cocaine. Now, these field tests are not conclusive and this substance was sent in for further evaluation and testing.

President Biden for his part, he was not at the White House as all of this was occurring. He was at Camp David over this holiday weekend. Now, a secret service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, he says that the powdery substance was found "in a work area within the West Wing," but we don't know exactly what that would entail.

We should note that over the holiday weekend in particular, but over any weekend, you typically do have guests who are visiting the White House. Sometimes getting tours of the West Wing, often accompanied by a White House staff. So, that is a possibility here as we look at how this white powdery substance which did test positive for cocaine on a field test, how that substance was discovered here at the White House, Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Jeremy, many questions left to be answered there. We appreciate the update on that. Boris?

SANCHEZ: Multiple Republican presidential candidates are spending America's birthday campaigning in two critical states. Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Will Hurd, and Doug Burgum marched in an Independence Day Parade in New Hampshire, while Mike Pence and Francis Suarez are stumping for votes in Iowa. CNN's Omar Jimenez is in New Hampshire for us where four candidates were today. Omar, what's the reception like there? What kind of greeting are they getting?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, for starters, they got a rainy greeting. Right as soon as this of the parade started, it began to downpour. It didn't stop anybody, though.

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They continued to walk through, shaking hands, meeting people over the course of this parade. Again, car after car, person after person walking all the way through. So, all of these people are trying to of course make some inroads to what has been the shadow over this entire GOP primary field up to this point, which polling has shown is former President Trump way out ahead.

And along those lines, that is why the spokesperson for a pro-DeSantis Super PAC never backed down, said himself that he feels they are way behind -- that DeSantis is way behind President Trump when it comes to the polling. But he's now -- they are trying to use that as sources have told CNN to try and light a fire in the campaign to keep moving forward and close some of that gap. But obviously, a lot of that work starts at events like these.

SANCHEZ: Omar Jimenez, live for us in Merrimack, New Hampshire, I hope the rain clears up so you can catch some fireworks later, my friend. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Well, those candidates hitting the trail just days after the Supreme Court ended its term with several landmark conservative rulings. In that blockbuster finale that six Republican-appointed justices struck down President Biden's student debt forgiveness program, limited protections for the LGBTQ community, also ended race- based affirmative action in college admissions. That rulings could have a major impact on the 2024 election.

With me now. Alex Thompson. He's the national political reporter for Axios. Alex, good to have you on.

ALEX THOMPSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, AXIOS: Thanks.

SCIUTTO: You know, it's interesting. When you look -- when you look at these decisions, it strikes me that it's not a monolithic case when it comes to the political effects of this, right? Because, for instance, if you look at Dobbs that had a very clear effect, particularly for Democratic voters. But on some of these issues, it's not as unified, for instance, on the student debt for big -- forgiveness program when you look at the polling here. So, how are Democrats looking at these decisions, and how are Republicans?

THOMPSON: Well, I can tell you. The White House really didn't have any good options here on the student loan because, you know, on one -- on one level, it looks like Biden might be ineffective.

It might look like all these people wanting relief here. He was promising relief. And they don't actually understand why. All they just know is that it didn't happen.

SCIUTTO: Right.

THOMPSON: That's why you saw the White House come out swinging with a lot of things that are really legally questionable on Friday saying you're at least untested. Saying basically, you know, we're going to keep fighting. We're going to keep fighting. SCIUTTO: Right.

THOMPSON: And what the White House doesn't really know. Do voters resonate with that to say, like, oh, he's still fighting for student relief, I'm going to come out and vote next time because I know he's fighting for me, or do they see a president that's ineffective? I can tell you even before the decision came out, talking to White House sources, that student loan relief was one of the top issues that people wrote into the president's --

SCIUTTO: Interesting.

THOMPSON: -- into the White House for it. And that was actually part of the reason why Biden, who was a little bit reluctant to grant student loan relief for the same reason that this polling, is part of the reason that sort of won him over. Realizing that you know, this isn't just really affluent people that would be rewarded by this.

SCIUTTO: Right.

THOMPSON: This is actually a lot of people of color, a lot of poor people that would be really rewarded by relief.

SCIUTTO: How about on the other decisions? Is the -- is the president's team planning to run on the decision, for instance, against affirmative action or the LGBTQ decision as well?

THOMPSON: I can tell you. You know, President Biden going back to your very well remember 2011, 2012 has been sort of on the forefront of the Democratic Party in LGBTQ rights.

SCIUTTO: Think so, yes.

THOMPSON: It has been part of his brand.

SCIUTTO: People forget even he pushed Obama on same-sex marriage, right?

THOMPSON: Absolutely. So, you know, I think you're going to see this part of a broader message of labeling Republicans --

SCIUTTO: Right.

THOMPSON: You know ultra MAGA, MAGA extremists. You saw that with the controversy of Ron DeSantis's ad this weekend.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

THOMPSON: It sort of took delight in some ways of really trying to -- you know, instead of just saying we're protecting the rights of parents, it was really like, we're going to sort of bash LGBTQ.

SCIUTTO: Right.

THOMPSON: And they're really going to try to label us as a MAGA extremist. The other stuff, I'm not sure as much. SCIUTTO: OK. So, the Republican race heating up here now. Trump retaining a big lead here. But notably, and you just wrote a piece about this, what's being called Trump's basement campaign, of course, resonating with the 2020 basement campaign for Biden, which Trump himself criticized. So, is Trump doing something similar this time around?

THOMPSON: Absolutely. I mean, basically, Donald Trump is really not campaigning that hard. He's really taken his foot off the gas. And honestly, he may not have to.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

THOMPSON: All these other candidates, they have to go introduce themselves to all these Iowa activists.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

THOMPSON: Something that Trump had to do back in 2015 -- 2016. Trump has only done four events in Iowa, five in New Hampshire, and only three in South Carolina. Zero in Nevada.

SCIUTTO: Interesting.

THOMPSON: Has only held two rallies all year.

SCIUTTO: Do -- is there any new sense of whether he's going to participate in the first Republican debate in August? It's coming up.

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THOMPSON: You know people can't decide including other campaigns, if him playing coy is just the leverage play, or if it's real. Because I can tell you that the feelings about Fox just hosting the first debate --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

THOMPSON: -- and relationships between the two sides are as contentious as ever because the Trump campaign is convinced that they are in the tank for Ron DeSantis right now.

SCIUTTO: Interesting. Yes, Trump using the fake news term for Fox News interestingly, of late, and in some of his posts. Alex Thompson, thanks so much as always. Brianna.

KEILAR: Still to come. The Supreme Court says it will review a case over whether the Second Amendment protects gun owners who are facing domestic violence restraining orders. Victims are watching this case nervously as you can imagine. We'll have more on that. Next.

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