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Intense Search For Suspect In Mass Shooting That Killed 18; Sources: "Significant Progress" On Negotiations Over Hamas Hostages; Saying Goodbye To CNN Center Atlanta. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired October 27, 2023 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Shimon Prokupecz is standing by where there seems to be some law enforcement activity taking place. Shimon, tell us what you're seeing.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Right. So, John, right now, what we're seeing is -- are -- these are the Lisbon police officers. This is the community, as you said, where -- the area where the suspect left his car. We're -- about the way the officers are facing, they're looking towards the woods there. These are just two officers that are on this side, who are establishing a perimeter, keeping a look out towards the woods.

They told us to stay back where we are. They told us were safe. And they said Just stay out of the woods. There are several, at least, a dozen other officers with long guns and seem -- you know, looking similar to these officers.

On the other side, they went in deeper into the greenhouse into this farm area clearly searching for something. We don't know what led them to here, but they are responding in force here. There are -- we can see at least almost two dozen police vehicles here.

And now you see one of the officers moving around here. But it seems like these two officers are on the outside, watching the perimeter, while at least a dozen other officers are more deeper inside. And I don't know if this officer is coming over probably to talk to us or what but he's coming over this way.

They're asking us to move back now, John, so we're going to move back. They're going to ask us to move back. OK, we're moving back here, John. They just came out and asked us.

BERMAN: All right. OK. Shimon, so it seems we'll let you move for a second, I will let you stay safe as you -- as you relocate. But please stay with us and stay focused on the scene as much as you possibly can.

And just to place you again. Lisbon is important in this search operation -- Lisbon is important in this search operation because that is where the boat launch -- all right, Shimon, let's go back to you.

PROKUPECZ: John? Hold on a second. We just -- BERMAN: Go ahead.

PROKUPECZ: We want to talk to someone. A witness here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, so it's all been flattened out. And it's all woods all around.

PROKUPECZ: So, did you hear something, sir, or what happened here? What did hear?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, there was a gunshot.

PROKUPECZ: You heard a gunshot?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It might. I don't know for sure. But it sounded like a gunshot there.

PROKUPECZ: And did you call 911?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, we actually took cover for a few minutes. And then they pulled in a few minutes later.

PROKUPECZ: Did you notify the police? Is -- how do they know to come here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They -- well, the helicopter was flying right above us. So, as soon as the police came in, they just came to us and said did you hear a gunshot? Yes. And what was the direction? So, we showed them and that was there.

PROKUPECZ: How many of you were hiding in those metal containers?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were four of us -- four of us.

PROKUPECZ: What's your name, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I got to go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your name?

PROKUPECZ: What did you think --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Blur (PH).

PROKUPECZ: What did you think when you heard the gunshot?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought we got to get out of there.

PROKUPECZ: Got to get out of there. OK, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where are you from Ontario, Blur?

PROKUPECZ: So, John, this is someone who works here on this farm. The police are asking us to get off the property now. So, we are moving back. But he is someone who works there. We were just talking to him. He said he heard a gunshot. And that is when the police, he says -- he said the police showed up. And that's what now we know why the police are here.

Something relating to a possible gunshot. He could have been mistaken. And it may not actually be a gunshot.

But you know, the community here, John, and I think it's important to note is, is on edge. So, any noise, any suspicious activity, certainly they're going to call it in, it's certainly going to prompt a police response. So, now we know why the police are here.

This man says that there was what appeared to be the sound of a gunshot. And so, now police are searching this area. They've asked us to move back, so that's why we're back here now, John.

BERMAN: All right. Keep moving if you have to, Shimon, but stick with this if you can. And again, I want to remind people why Lisbon is important. It's one of the communities that's been the focus of the search because the boat launch, which is right by the river -- by the Androscoggin River where the suspect's car was found, that is in Lisbon.

And you're not terribly far from there, where these witnesses now reported hearing a gunshot. And, Shimon, was it just one gunshot? And did they specify whether they believed it came from the woods?

PROKUPECZ: Yes. He said it -- again, it sounded like a gunshot. It may not like -- I think it's important to note people hear things.

But out of sort of a sense of precaution and to make sure nothing's going on, the police are here. So, he believes it -- what he describes as something sounding like a gunshot. He said that in his mind is, I have to get out of here.

BERMAN: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: And that is when the police responded here, and as we've been seeing, in force here, really searching towards that wooded area. We saw them earlier pointing and looking towards that area. And then we saw officers on the other side going in a different direction.

[11:35:08]

We did see some helicopters, law enforcement, a government helicopters over the air. We don't know if they're -- they've now gone. But we don't know where they are. But this is the situation here now. So, we're just trying to keep an eye on --

BERMAN: Thanks, Shimon. So, again, just to be clear --

PROKUPECZ: Yes.

BERMAN: Yes. Stay -- look around, stay safe. I want people to know that where you are is less than a mile from the boat launch where the suspect's car was found.

PROKUPECZ: That's true.

BERMAN: Less than a mile, you were at -- it's called Spring Hill Farm -- Spring Works Farm, less than a mile. There's a -- it's on the same road as the boat launch. But I assume you could also walk through the woods to get there where these witnesses reported hearing something that sounded like a gunshot. We have no way of knowing for sure whether it was a gunshot.

PROKUPECZ: Correct.

BERMAN: It sounded like a gunshot.

PROKUPECZ: Correct.

BERMAN: Has there been a perimeter setup, Shimon? Shimon, has there been a perimeter set up around this area, the boat launch is so that if the suspect was still there, that they would, you know, somehow restrict his movement?

PROKUPECZ: No, there hasn't been. Yesterday, there were some roadblocks with barriers set up. But there weren't any law enforcement officials manning most of those barriers.

What we have seen were just blockades put up -- barriers, that anyone can come through. So -- but no, there hasn't been a perimeter. Today is the first day that we're hearing, you know, in that press conference earlier about law enforcement setting up a perimeter or doing the diving, doing more searches, more organized, searching for the first time today.

But there is no perimeter. It's kind of been very open. You know, the media that's been here since yesterday, we've been able to get around freely, see things, we've seen other searches going on. And it's been pretty open.

So, to answer your question, there's not really been a perimeter. What's been happening often here is that the local police department, the Lisbon Police Department has been responding to 911 calls. People seeing things, hearing things, and that's usually what prompts a response. Here someone as we've been saying, someone who works on the farm says that he thinks he heard a gunshot. And that's what prompted this response from police.

BERMAN: All right, a witness reporting here. It's something that he said sounded like a gunshot. A number of police -- more than a dozen law enforcement officials showed up on the scene, has moved Shimon and our team back from that area, and they are searching it now. This may be the type of thing that's happened over the last several days. We just don't know at this point.

There surely are more law enforcement arriving there. There are not more and more which you might expect to see if they really did believe this was something real or urgent. But we will wait and see. Shimon, keep us posted over the next several minutes. Kate? KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. This is fascinating to watch it play out in real-time with Shimon there. We're going to get back to John and Shimon very soon. We're also watching this.

Israeli troops are conducting what they're calling targeted raids inside Gaza. And there have also been airstrikes and a rocket strike into Israel. New reports as well on what has been called significant progress in nego -- on the negotiations to free hostages held by Hamas. We have the very latest from Tel Aviv.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:43:14]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We're following more developments here from Tel Aviv on the dozens of hostages that are still being held by Hamas in Gaza. Diplomatic sources are telling my colleagues Becky Anderson and Alex Marquardt that there has been significant progress made on negotiations to release hostages held there. But they say issues still remain.

Becky Anderson is joining me now live from Doha. Becky, what can you tell us about these negotiations?

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes. These are negotiations being led by Qatar. Significant progress has been made, they say, over the past couple of days. That are issues still outstanding, I'm told by a diplomatic source, but talks are ongoing, and we remain hopeful.

Let's just be absolutely clear about what we do know and what we don't know at this point. We do know according to Israeli authorities that there are at least 220 hostages being held in Gaza. These are foreign nationals and Israeli citizens.

We don't know what the numbers are specifically on that split. Nor do we know whether all of these hostages are actually being held by Hamas or whether some of them could be being held with other groups. This Qatar-led negotiation is very specifically with Hamas at the moment.

We also don't know the minutiae of the details here, but as we understand it, we certainly know that Hamas has been asking for a pause in the fighting, a ceasefire, a period of as many as five days. A number of sources had suggested to me they are looking -- they are demanding that the border crossing at Rafah be open for more medical aid, fuel, and food. Also, as we understand it, looking for the opportunity for injured civilians to get into Egypt through that border crossing. Again, this is something that Egypt will be involved in in these talks as well because clearly, the Rafah Border Crossing is in play at this point.

[11:45:14]

I can report that we haven't seen a pause in the fighting as of yet. So, we'll have to wait to see. And we don't understand at this point what the Israeli demands are. We certainly know that Israel had wanted to see a significant number, maybe all of the civilians released at the same time. That could be 50 or more people at this point. But the details, as I say, are unclear at this point.

Suffice to say that the senior negotiator for Qatar has said that the mediators need a period of calm. They say the situation, as we know, in Gaza is nigh on a catastrophe. It's on the edge, and they need a pause in order to -- or a period of calm to get these negotiations on track.

We've got a U.S. official telling CNN that while they welcome this optimism, they are cautious about the term breakthrough. I was told that that word is being used. They do feel that there has been a breakthrough according to diplomatic sources. But we need to be very cautious about what that breakthrough is at this point, and what it is that we might see in the hours to come, Sara.

SIDNER: Well, there are certainly a lot of families -- dozens of families waiting to hear anything -- something about their loved ones there. We should also mention there have been airstrikes again today in Gaza by Israel. Those airstrikes over these last almost three weeks now have been devastating to Gaza, to Hamas, but also to the civilians there with thousands dead, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Also, we should mention that there have been rockets that have come over. The folks have seen them here in Tel Aviv today. We see them just about every day. So, the war is very much on as these negotiations continue making all of this very tricky.

Becky Anderson, thank you so much for your reporting there on the status of the hostages that Hamas has in Gaza. Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much, Sara. Coming up for us. Still, we're going to take you back to Maine, where the manhunt is very much underway still for the man that police say killed 18 innocent people there on Wednesday. Our team has seen some new police activity, and we're going to go right back there for an update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:51:53]

BERMAN: All right, welcome back to Lewiston, Maine. I'm John Berman here. Kate Bolduan is in New York.

And just to update you on something we all saw a few minutes ago, our Shimon Prokupecz was in Lisbon, Maine, which is about 15 minutes from here. And we saw a law enforcement presence at an organic lettuce farm less than one mile from the site where the suspect, Robert Card, where his car was last found at a boat launch in the Androscoggin River. You can see some video of what we were just looking at moments ago.

Shimon now tells us they were investigating a tip, some of the more than 530 tips that have come into law enforcement over the last 40- plus hours now. They got a tip. Someone at the farm reported they heard something that sounded like a gunshot. Law enforcement went there and is checking it out right now. It goes to show you where this investigation is at this moment.

Mainly, that there is still a manhunt underway for Robert Card who is still believed to be armed and dangerous. There is still this shelter- in-place situation, Kate, for some 700 square miles, including tens of thousands of people. And the only update that we have from law enforcement is what they will be doing today which involves more searches like the one you're seeing on the screen right now as tips come in.

But also focusing on some specific areas including primarily, Kate, today, the river where that car was found. They're going to have divers searching the river for evidence but also presumably for the possibility of found -- finding the body of Robert Card to rule in -- really to rule out --

BOLDUAN: Yes.

BERMAN: The possibility that may -- he may have killed himself and be in that river right now, Kate.

BOLDUAN: And some of the reporting that we're getting -- we've been getting in that -- is that right now, still no known -- no confirmed sightings, as you know, John, and no known leads, though they are following up on these hundreds of tips that have been coming in. We have the new reporting today that investigators have found a cell phone belonging to Robert Card that he left behind as well as a note that was left behind, though investigators tell Shimon Prokupecz -- Evan Perez that they -- it doesn't say anything to motive.

So, there is information but there's still a lot of unanswered questions and so much still happening. As you're seeing behind you, there's they're processing that crime scene now for, I think they said a couple more days. And we have all their -- all of our correspondents spread out around the community.

John is going to be on the ground for us. We're going to get back to it. It's great to see you, John. Thank you so much. We're going to have much more after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:59:03]

BOLDUAN: Before we go today, we are marking an important moment today in CNN's history. Today's show will be the final broadcast from the CNN Center in Atlanta. We're actually going to show you a live look outside the CNN Center in Atlanta. See the big CNN signs there.

We anchor the show out of New York, but the control rooms of this show and much of our editorial staff has always been in Atlanta at that iconic building at the CNN Center, also known as CNN's World News Headquarters. Starting Monday, our team there will move to a new home just a couple of miles away. But it's actually -- the new home is actually the place where CNN founder Ted Turner started the network back in 1981. I'm going to show you what CNN looked like on its first broadcast from the CNN Center.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is "DAYBREAK," Monday, July 13 with Donna Kelly and Brian Nelson from CNN Center in Atlanta, and Reid Collins in Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:00:11]

BOLDUAN: It's amazing. As our team says goodbye to the CNN Center, here is a live look at the warriors behind the scenes, our control room team, and a few others. First, we need two rooms to get this fantastic behemoth of a show on the air every day.

We -- you see everyone now crowded into one. And -- is that -- is that Jack Womack in there until for the final hoorah? A moment to mark in CNN's history onward and upward, team.

It's great to see you, guys. It's really the only time we ever get to see them, by the way. Thank you so much for joining us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "INSIDE POLITICS" is up next.