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Taylor Swift To Fans At VMAs: "Please Register To Vote"; Investigators: School Shooter Hid In Restroom Before Opening Fire; Shooter's Mother Expects To Speak With Investigators Today; Jon Bon Jovi Helps Talk Suicidal Woman Off Of Bridge. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 12, 2024 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:31:05]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Taylor Swift issuing a new call for young people to register to vote. This time, from the big stage at the MTV Movie (sic) Awards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: This is a fan-voted award and you voted for this. I appreciate it so much. And if you are over 18, please register to vote for something else --

(CHEERING)

SANCHEZ: Video music awards, not movie awards.

She spoke just a day after she endorsed Kamala Harris for president, posting her endorsement on Instagram moments after that presidential debate.

And Swift included a link to vote.gov, a government voting registration site. That site tells CNN more than 400,000 people have clicked on that link.

CNN senior data reporter, Harry Enten, is tracking the Swift effect in real time.

Harry, put it into context for the broader electorate.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: You know, I would never have been able to correct myself on the differences between the different VMA awards, but you're far hipper than I am, Boris.

All right, look, we're going to take a look at this because everyone is fascinated by Taylor Swift. You know I am, Boris. I know you are as well.

All right. So the vote.gov Web site visits, you mentioned that 406,000 folks who clicked on that link. I want to put that into some context for you. The normal, usual activity on a daily basis is, get this, just 30,000

folks who go to vote.gov. So if you were to quickly do that math, my goodness, it's well more than 10 times as many folks who clicked on that link in a 24-hour period than, in fact, visit on a daily basis.

So Taylor Swift, you want to register to vote? She's someone you absolutely want in your corner. And someone, obviously, that Kamala Harris wants in her corner.

Now, it's beyond just the registrations, right? There are people who might already be registered to vote. People who are in the electorate. Could Taylor Swift change their mind? Well, I'm not sure that they is that many people out there at this point who are particularly undecided

But if they are undecided, there's probably no one better to have in your corner than Taylor Swift.

Because I want you to look here. This is the net favorability ratings. Most politicians are underwater these days. Donald Trump underwater at minus six-point net favorability rating. Kamala Harris right near even but still at minus one point.

Look at Taylor Swift. My goodness, gracious. I'm not sure there's someone more popular in this country right now with a plus 22-point net favorability rating.

So, Boris Sanchez, I think Kamala Harris definitely welcomes Taylor Swift's support.

SANCHEZ: Harry, your favorability ratings here at CNN NEWS CENTRAL sky high. I've got to say, higher than the three --

(CROSSTALK)

ENTEN: Woo.

SANCHEZ: When it comes to --

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: When it comes to the actual voting demographics and the map, the electoral map itself, where could Taylor Swift's endorsement potentially make a difference.

ENTEN: Yes, I think young voters, young voters, young voters. It's a group of voters that Kamala Harris is struggling versus what you might expect from a normal Democratic candidate in a normal year.

So Democrat versus Trump margin. In September of 2020, look at this, Joe Biden was up by 28 points. He was doing particularly poorly among young voters, those under the age of 30 when he dropped out of the race, up by just seven points.

But Kamala Harris is doing somewhat better than that at this point, up by 15 over Donald Trump, but still really lagging where Joe Biden was back in 2020.

So Kamala Harris would love extra support from young voters. Maybe Taylor Swift can deliver a few of those.

Beyond that, you know, we were talking registration, registration, registration. Look at the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, North Carolina. Look, the Democratic edge over GOP voters at this point in the process.

In September of 2020, look at this. In Pennsylvania, Democrats had a 559,000 voters edge. Look where it's dropped now to. It's still there. They're still ahead, but it's just 169,000.

You see the same trend in North Carolina when you see that drop from 415,000 to now an edge of just 128,000. Democrats still ahead, but Republicans have made massive gains in registration over the past four years.

[14:35:01]

Maybe Taylor Swift getting a few of those folks to register to vote, and maybe that go Democratic, that would be good news for Kamala Harris.

Because, on this particular metric, at least in the key swing states, it's not looking particularly good for Democrats, at least compared to four years ago.

SANCHEZ: Harry, I am shocked that you did not use a song reference or a single Taylor Swift lyric.

ENTEN: Shake it off. Shake, shake, shake it off. "Bad blood." There you go. I fit it in --

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Those are the only two -- you stole the two that I had. I have nothing else.

ENTEN: I'm sorry, Boris. The fact is we New Yorkers get it over you any day of the week.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Harry Enten's version right there. I don't know what that means.

Harry --

ENTEN: Shake it off, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

We'll be right back. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [14:40:16]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: There are some new details about how the school shooter in Winder, Georgia, was able to hide out before committing the deadliest school shootings so far this year.

Four people were killed and nine others wounded at Apalachee High, just a little more than a week ago.

The 14-year-old gunman's mother told CNN that she expects to speak with Barrow County investigators today.

CNN senior national correspondent, Ryan Young, is on the story for us.

Ryan, what did Georgia investigators reveal today about what the shooter was doing before he opened fire?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna, they've pretty much detailed what students have been telling us since the very beginning here, that according to them, the accused shooter went to the bathroom and after he got that bathroom pass, he actually took a backpack with him.

We believe that's where he kept that gun, the A.R.-15-style rifle. He was able to reassemble it and come back into the hallway and start shooting.

Now, this is something that we've been hearing from student after student that it was that point where he walked outside, came back in, and we even heard students talk about him pulling it from the bag.

Some of the classrooms were able to get the door closed, but obviously some weren't.

Take a listen to one student who had an eye-to-eye encounter with the shooter as the shooting started.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALDO VEGA, APALACHEE HIGH STUDENT: They shot the first -- the first bullet, I went straight down to under my desk to cover myself. Then the -- the shooter had shot like around four to six, I think, and then went to the other classroom.

After he went to the other classroom, I stand up quickly, then went to go close the door so he couldn't have come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes, Ronaldo, just 14-years-old. At some point, he looks down, he starts to see he has blood coming from his leg. He apparently got hit by shrapnel.

He obviously was released from the hospital. We talked to him, but he obviously was scared about exactly what happened and knew some of the people who died. So you can understand the pain he's going through. Look, there's some video that just got posted to the high school Web site. We're going to show you the principal. She makes an address to the student community here.

She tells them how painful this has been as she realizes that some students may be ready to return to class, but others are not ready to return.

Of course, everyone sort of trying to figure out what the next steps are. They haven't detailed when that school is going to reopen. Now, the rest of the county returned to school just this week.

But something I should mention here. There were two deputies who were inside that school. And of course, the sheriff talked about them. That's Brandon King and Sergeant Chase Boyd. Those we're the two men who ran to the gunfire to stop the shooter.

Let's not forget, he surrendered under gunpoint to those deputies in that hallway, the 14-year-old. But it's because of those deputies' quick work that they this was able to be stopped in that hallway before anyone else was able to get hurt.

Four people lost their lives. We also know there'll be a visual and some memorials happening over the next 24 hours or so -- Brianna?

KEILAR: The survival instincts of that boy to shut that door, unbelievable.

YOUNG: Yes.

KEILAR: Ryan, thank you so much for that.

With us now is CNN security correspondent, Josh Campbell. He's also a former FBI supervisory special agent.

And, Josh, as we turn to the expected police interview with Marcee Gray, how important is she for investigators? And what do they hope to glean from her?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, three main things are looking at here. First, any information they can glean about the shooter himself.

Although this young man has confessed, according to police, to doing this awful act, they still want to know as much as they can about that suspect. So obviously, the mother would be a key witness.

Secondly, they would be working to determine anything that might help bolster their case against the shooters father. And just remind viewers, the father has also been charged in this case surrounding the access to the firearm.

We know, for example, based on our reporting, that authorities had visited that home previously and warned that the shooter was suspected of engaging in online communication threatening a school shooting.

Despite knowing that, the father then went and essentially bought this A.R.-style rifle for his son.

So again, could the mother provide information that might help bolster that case? That is certainly a possibility.

And then finally, authorities will want to ensure that she has no culpability here as well. Again, to try to interview her. What did she know?

I had previously reported that when authorities conducted a search warrant on the shooters home, they found these writings in his room where he was looking at and writing about past mass shootings, including the Parkland mass shooting.

What did the parents know? That will be key as they interview the mother.

KEILAR: And the father has been arrested. He's the one who purchased the weapon for this kid who allegedly shot and killed these four and injured these nine others.

But what about the mom? Could she be facing any charges?

[14:45:02]

CAMPBELL: Well, it's important to point out, right now, there's no indication that she is facing criminal liability, but that could change at any moment.

Just look back to the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan where both parents there were prosecuted. Again, this all surrounded that access to the weapon.

What we're hearing from legal experts, to include the D.A. who prosecuted those parents, is that, in this case with Georgia, this all comes to what is called reasonable foreseeability.

What does that mean? When a reasonable person will look at this situation involving the shooter, these alleged past threats, and then foresee that giving this young man a high-powered assault style rifle could be recipe for a disaster.

That is something that authorities will want to decide. And again, a key part of that is actually interviewing her, getting her side of the story.

KEILAR: All right, Josh, thank you so much for that.

Still ahead. Rock legend, Jon Bon Jovi being hailed as a hero this morning because of this moment on a bridge, helping talk a woman off a ledge of this bridge in Nashville.

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[14:50:32]

KEILAR: Rockstar, Jon Bon Jovi, is being praised, rightfully so, for helping talk a woman off the ledge of a bridge. He was there. He was filming a music video on this bridge in Nashville when he noticed the woman.

Bon Jovi and another woman, who you see in the frame, in the blue shirt, the woman in the middle there, they can be seen just commonly talking to her. And then after some time helping her back over the railing to safety.

SANCHEZ: National police shared a video on social media praising the singer and his team. Chief John Drake adding that it takes all of us to help keep each other safe.

We're joined now by Kevin Hines. He actually attempted to take his life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge and survived, miraculously. He's now a suicide prevention activist and made the films, "Suicide, the Ripple Effect" and "The Net."

Thank you so much for being with us. We're really grateful to have you.

I'm wondering what you think when you see Jon Bon Jovi and the other woman handling this situation?

KEVIN HINES, SUICIDE PREVENTION ACTIVIST: You know, when I saw this, this morning, when it came out, I was very grateful to Jon Bon Jovi and to anyone who would go at that length to reach out to someone in need and someone in lethal emotional pain and get them back to safety.

What he did was absolutely beautiful, impactful. And we can all be that light for someone at the end of the tunnel and so they can be here tomorrow.

KEILAR: And, Kevin, speak about why it can make such a difference. I mean, there isn't always you, know, the luck of having someone there and able to say something that might make someone think twice.

But speak about what a difference that can make and why that makes a difference.

HINES: Certainly. I'll speak first from first experience, lived experience.

When I was on the Golden Gate Bridge, ready to leap off, believing I was useless, worthless, had no value, hearing voices in my head telling me I had to die due to bipolar depression, all I wanted was for one person to see me say something kind and compassionate.

"Brother, you OK? Is there something wrong? Can I help you?" I would've told that person everything and begged them to save me.

I couldn't say myself, in that moment, and I needed someone to reach it and reach out. And that's what Jon Bon Jovi did. He reached into someone who was in desperate, lethal emotional pain. And he and his team got them back to safety.

Because they showed what matters most, that they cared, and that that person had value. And when you can show someone who feels valueless, who is hopeless, that they have value and there is hope around the corner, you can be the catalyst to saving a life.

SANCHEZ: Kevin, we should point out September is National Suicide Prevention Month. And in that situation, obviously, her intentions were clear.

But a lot of folks out there are struggling and the signs aren't always easy to spot. So what would you say we should look for in folks in our lives that might be struggling and may need a helping hand, but we don't know it?

HINES: Once of the biggest struggles we have today, there's so many people silencing their pain and pretending they"re OK. So what we need to do is go to our strong friends, our loved ones, our family, our friends, and say, hey, I want to ask you three questions, and I want you to be very honest with your answers.

These questions, there are statistically proven, when to get more honest answers than even the question or you thinking of suicide or self-harm? Because the word "suicide" has such a taboo on it.

But those three questions we must ask our loved ones, family and friends and colleagues, who are struggling, are you thinking of killing yourself? Have you made plans to take your life? Do you have the means?

Statistically, they get a more honest answer than those other options. Because they are not putting the thought in someone's mind. That's a myth.

They're giving them permission to speak on their pain. And a pain shared is a pain have.

And that's what Jon Bon Jovi did today. He had that woman's pain by sharing the moment with her and allowing her to come back to safety, which was incredible.

KEILAR: And, Kevin, what do you wish people who we're struggling knew? Something that they could know so that they might be able to see -- see-through the moment they're in that can seem never-ending?

HINES: Absolutely. You know, I was in that position. I felt like it was never ending moment that I couldn't get past. I thought I'd feel depressed and suicidal for the rest of my life. I couldn't see a day past that moment.

[14:55:10]

And I wish people who are struggling in that depth of pain recognize that just because you're in a world of pain today, right here, right now, does not mean you don't get to have that gorgeous tomorrow.

But you've got to put in the time, effort, energy, and hard work because nothing good ever came without it for things to change. We're all going to pass away. None of us have cracked the code to immortality.

Give yourself time, effort, energy, hard work for things to change or get better, because they can, and they will if you put in the effort.

Now I understand there are people with severe psychosis, who it's a different story for it. But I was in that severe psychosis.

I got to this better place by putting in the effort and hard work after being in a place like a psych ward where I could better my brain health and change the chemistry of my brain for the better.

SANCHEZ: Kevin, it's so inspiring to talk to you and to hear from you. We're really grateful that you're sharing your perspective, not only with us, but with the world through your work and your efforts.

Thanks so much, Kevin Hines, for being with us.

Listen, if you or someone you know needs help, it is available. You're not alone. Text or call 988. There are counselors there to talk 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org. People are willing to listen and they're eager for you to get the help that you need.

Stay with CNN. We're back in just moments

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to vote from the stage at the MTV Music Awards days after she endorsed Kamala Harris, and so far, over 400,000 have clicked the vote.gov link she gave them. New details on how the school shooter in Winder, Georgia, was able to hide out before committing the deadliest school shootings this year, with students saying he hid in the restroom before opening fire, killing four and injuring nine. The Georgia school shooter's mother, Marcee Gray, is expected to speak to investigators today, and investigators will be looking for any information they can glean about the shooter himself and his father, who provided the weapon. Rock legend, Jon Bon Jovi, is being hailed as a hero this morning after he helped talk a suicidal woman off the ledge of a bridge in Nashville.>