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Large Explosions Rock Dallas; Airport Security Alert; Girl Shot and Killed in Atlanta
Aired July 25, 2007 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now -- good morning, everyone. Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM.
I'm Tony Harris.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield.
We are watching a very fluid situation taking place in Dallas. Closer live shots right now of the kind of explosions that are taking place as a result of some liquefied natural gas canisters in an industrial area off I-35. And you're looking at the result of these explosions, these series of explosions that we've been watching and the kind of damage that has resulted.
HARRIS: Yes.
Well, we're getting a better look now. Before, just a short time ago, all we had was something of a wide shot, a wide view of the area, but these pictures now giving a better indication of what is going on on the ground.
And if you think back to just a couple of moments ago, of the wide view of this and the explosions that were pretty dramatic from a distance...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: ... and you'll see some of those right here, to be able to get that closer view now, closer to the ground -- and, boy, that must have been pretty dramatic, pretty intense, and a lot of heat, you would imagine, associated with this. This is happening obviously in an industrial park area.
We understand that a perimeter has been set up -- it makes all the sense in the world -- for a half mile surrounding the blast, and that entire area has been evacuated. We're also getting word of no immediate injuries. No word of any injuries at this time, but that's clearly a situation we're going to keep watching.
WHITFIELD: Which is remarkable.
HARRIS: Can you believe that?
WHITFIELD: Because you see the kind of damage, you see the cars.
HARRIS: Yes. WHITFIELD: You know, the remnants of what were cars right there at what we believe to be a gas vendor business.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: And these explosions sent flying debris, flaming shrapnel, as was described by The Associated Press, onto other buildings and of course onto that nearby highway, I-35, which is usually very well traveled any time of the day.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: But this time, being closed off as a result of this explosion as a great precaution. And we don't see any signs of the firefighters right there...
HARRIS: Exactly, Fred.
WHITFIELD: ... right there on the property.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: But for good reason, because, you know, of the explosions taking place. So it will be interesting to hear what kind of technique they are going to have to use here, if they are just indeed waiting for these canisters to burn themselves out.
HARRIS: Which looks to be the case.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: And it makes all the sense in the world. Look, if you're a firefighter, how do you approach something like this?
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: You're talking about natural gas, you don't know how many canisters you're dealing with, you don't know where they're located on this property. So it seems that they're doing everything prudent here, and certainly the right things in terms of firefighter safety, which is to set up a perimeter, evacuate the area, get everybody else out of there, and just sort of stand back.
Look, as we pull back, we still don't see firefighters, so perhaps they're outside of their own perimeter. But clearly, you sort of take a step back, take a look at the situation, and then try to figure out by talking to I guess the managers of that facility what they're up against.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And, you know, Dallas is huge.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: But this location is really right near downtown Dallas.
HARRIS: Oh, OK. OK.
WHITFIELD: So a lot a at stake here...
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ... beyond the fact that it's a very dense, you know, industrial park, even though everything, you know, is big in Texas. And, you know, this is pretty widespread area, but you're seeing some of the other, you know, businesses nearby.
HARRIS: Shrapnel. Look at this.
WHITFIELD: And there's some of that shrapnel that hit right on that highway there.
HARRIS: Yes. Up out of the yard. An explosion, obviously. Up out of the yard goes the shrapnel onto the freeway.
WHITFIELD: Right.
HARRIS: Pretty dramatic.
And what we can tell you is that the -- boy, the officials in that town did a great job -- in Dallas -- did a great job of sort of cordoning off the area, clearing, closing the interstates there so that the traffic was not impeded, and certainly no one on the roads at that time were in danger. But now we're getting a better look now...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: ... at some of the firefighters clearly standing -- standing down at a distance and waiting for this scene to play out, which for all the world seems like the right thing to do.
WHITFIELD: Right, it certainly does.
So we're going to continue to monitor the situation there. And we're continuing to reach out to various sources there on the ground to give us a little bit more information of, you know, how they were able to respond to this, how long it took, you know, before that first explosion...
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ... and able to put this kind of plan into place where they have this half-mile perimeter to keep as many folks away from the potential danger, as we continue to, you know, watch these explosions just moments ago. And now at least we're seeing these plumes of smoke, mostly fewer flames, whereas, before, it was kind of a good combination.
HARRIS: Well, look, just a couple of minutes ago, we're talking about inside the last five minutes, this thing was very active. And we just saw a series, one after another, of canisters exploding in huge -- huge fireballs. And then the -- you know, what comes with those fireballs, the smoke. And as you see some of the traffic being held up there, certainly everyone in that traffic jam would understand the precautions being taken now.
WHITFIELD: Can you imagine being the motorist in those first few vehicles?
HARRIS: Exactly. Exactly.
WHITFIELD: You know, who've had this, you know, front row...
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ... you know, view of what's going on here, and seeing the shrapnel flying toward the highway and wondering, oh boy, how far can this shrapnel go?
HARRIS: Sitting in the traffic. Hearing the explosions.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: Right?
WHITFIELD: Scary stuff.
HARRIS: Seeing the shrapnel, the fireballs, and then the smoke. So, boy, definitely a trying morning for commuters in that area.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Now, again, so this was a gas vendor business, which explains the many canisters of the liquefied natural gas that were on the premises. It was difficult for us, of course, to discern just how many canisters we're talking about, but that explains all the -- you know, the spontaneous combustions we were seeing. One tank would explode and of course re-ignite the next and the next, and on.
HARRIS: Yes. I mean, if you can -- if you can imagine what this is like -- what time in Dallas now? Two hours difference? One hour? OK.
So, all right. It's past the morning rush, but still you would think there was some residual traffic, folks getting -- what do you have, Fred?
WHITFIELD: Well, some information from the Dallas Fire Department indicating that the cause of this fire may have been as a result of a truck behind the building which actually caught fire.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
WHITFIELD: And somehow that then led to, you know, these liquefied canisters of natural gas then exploding.
HARRIS: Yes.
Well, it's made for a dramatic morning. It has certainly made for a dramatic morning. And as we take a look at the pictures, you can see -- you don't want to get ahead of the story, but we are certainly not seeing the series of explosions anymore.
So you're hoping that part of this scenario has played out, and that any canisters that might be in line for -- to be set off, that those canisters are out of the way or that all of the canisters have burned themselves off, the explosions at least have passed, and that this is just a situation now where the gas just needs to burn off.
WHITFIELD: Yes. And you're seeing at the bottom of the screen both I-35, as well as I-30, all closed as part of that -- part of that half-mile radius of traffic being closed. And nearby businesses and structures being evacuated.
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: So a lot of people affected by this, this morning.
HARRIS: Absolutely. But it looks to be a situation -- look, the pictures have been dramatic, we wanted to stay on top of the story for you and bring you the very latest. The best news in all of this is that there are no apparent injuries.
I guess we need to maybe double check on the driver of the truck, but at least the initial reporting, no injuries. So it is a situation we will continue to follow, as it looks like at least a series of explosions has passed for the moment. But we'll keep an eye on it, monitor the situation, and bring you any updates here in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: We will indeed.
Something else we continue to monitor, suspicions and incidents taking place at airports. Were they dress rehearsals for terrorist attacks? The airports advised to be on the lookout, the public urged, don't panic.
Keith Oppenheim is at Milwaukee's airport.
And Keith, what did authorities find there, specifically in Milwaukee?
KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, here in Milwaukee, at a security checkpoint like where I'm at right now, security has found -- officials here found an odd collection of items. Get this, there were a couple of blocks of cheese that were connected to wires, as well as batteries and an electric switch.
It sounds kind of weird, but in a memo that CNN obtained from a government source, a TSA memo, that memo indicates that this package was possibly trying to resemble a bomb that terrorists may have been trying to get through security to test the system. In fact, there were other airports around the country in San Diego, Houston and Baltimore where there were similar confiscations since last September.
The TSA in this memo called for law enforcement to be alert for the possibility of what they said was possibly pre-attack probing. But Fredricka, you know, the news, when it came out yesterday and today, officials from the TSA, to some extent, downplayed the dangers, saying that bulletins like this are relatively common. They've had 90 bulletins like this to front-line law enforcers since last September as well. And they also said that there's no credible, specific threats to the homeland.
But, having said that, the people who were interviewed did talk to authorities, and they have not yet made any specific or definite link to terrorism after these interviews. And no one has been arrested, Fredricka.
Back to you.
WHITFIELD: And so, Keith, I have to wonder, all those travelers behind you, how does this sit with them?
OPPENHEIM: You know, I think people are hearing me talk in the terminal and they're taking the information as they go by. You know, travelers at this point know that there are dangers and risks to travel, and they hope that Homeland Security and the TSA will do their job, which, you know, on some levels sounds exactly what they're doing.
WHITFIELD: Right. All right.
Keith Oppenheim, thanks so much from Milwaukee -- Tony.
HARRIS: A violent scuffle in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Now a former New Orleans police officer involved in the case is cleared of any wrongdoing.
Robert Evangelist had been charged in the videotaped beating of Robert Davis. It happened just over a month after the storm battered New Orleans.
You remember this video, the beating on a street in the French Quarter? Now a New Orleans judge has acquitted Evangelist, saying there was no evidence of excessive force.
Two other police officers were charged in the case. Charges were dropped against one of them. The other officer killed himself last month.
WHITFIELD: Unusual items found in airport baggage. A memo points to possible dress rehearsals for a terrorist attack. An airport security expert puts it all in perspective for us.
HARRIS: Also, more than a dozen people under one roof? Is that too much? A Georgia county limiting the number of people who can live in one house and catching heat from immigrant rights groups.
WHITFIELD: And sequel for an actress. Lindsay Lohan busted again for DUI, but she's not copping to drug possession.
HARRIS: Sometimes you feel like a nut, but if parents -- if peanuts are your poison, allergy sufferers, this one is for you. Our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen coming up in the NEWSROOM. WHITFIELD: And within the past 20 minutes or so, you've watching it live, the explosions from gas canisters in Dallas. Now you're looking at the result of those explosions -- shrapnel on the highway. That's why I-35 and I-30 in Dallas have been closed.
More on this investigation of this huge fire right near downtown Dallas were we come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Take a look at this, everyone. A pretty spectacular fire fueled by natural gas canisters at a Dallas industrial park this morning. Man, it made for a crazy rush hour, to be sure.
The good news is, no injuries. An update coming up for you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Boy, what a light show in broad daylight in the Dallas area.
WHITFIELD: Yes, big time.
HARRIS: Huh, Fred? Boy, thick plumes of black smoke, a series of explosions as gas, natural gas canisters just set off.
WHITFIELD: And now you can see how close to downtown Dallas, like just across the bridge.
HARRIS: Yes.
Hey, you know what? We actually have someone on the phone with us.
Linda operates a business very near this industrial park. Perhaps it's actually in the industrial park.
Linda, are you on the line with us?
LINDA, BUSINESS OWNER: I am.
HARRIS: Linda, what time did you start hearing start hearing the explosions this morning?
LINDA: It must have been about a half hour ago.
HARRIS: About a half hour ago.
LINDA: I don't know the exact time. Maybe about 30 minutes ago.
HARRIS: Do you know that business?
LINDA: I did not know the business. I know the street and I know what -- you know, there's liquor stores, you know, on both sides of that property, but I'm not familiar with that property. HARRIS: OK. So describe that area. We're describing it as an industrial park area. Maybe you can, as a local, as someone who owns a business, and runs a business in the area, maybe you can give a better description of what the area is like.
LINDA: Well, actually, I'm in the downtown area and I overlook that area.
HARRIS: Oh.
LINDA: I'm in a high-rise. And that is an industrial park area. It runs along the Trinity River. It runs along I-35. So it's mainly industrial.
HARRIS: So, Linda, if you would, just sort of describe what you heard and then how you responded. I guess you're hearing explosions, you want to see what's going on, so walk us through it.
LINDA: Yes. I was sitting here and I heard something. And I -- the building was, you know, shaking somewhat. And I couldn't tell.
I mean, I looked out my windows here and I didn't see anything. It was like they were either demolishing or there was an explosion. And so, you know, our security, they did not come on and alert us of anything. So I just went to another window on the other side of the office and saw the massive explosion.
HARRIS: Linda, I have to you to ask -- you know, in this whole post-9/11 world, did your thoughts turn to, go to, boy, what is going on here?
LINDA: Well, what I did, I went to my window here and looked down at the Earl Campbell (ph) building because I overlook it. And so, I -- yes, of course, it concerns you.
HARRIS: Yes.
And are you comforted now? Do you have the information that you need, that at least it looks like the situation in this newest picture here is pretty much under control?
LINDA: I think so. I have been watching our local station here, and also, of course, standing over by the window and watching that. And so, no, I feel -- I feel comfortable that it is what they say it is. So...
HARRIS: Hey, if you would, just, what are you hearing from your local station? Just give us -- because we're trying to track the information as best we can.
What are they saying about the explosion and situation on the ground right now?
LINDA: Well, if I'm saying it correctly, pronouncing it, acetone (ph) or acetone (ph) gas tanks. One tank exploded, and so then, of course, it caused the fire, and it rapidly spread to the other tankers that were -- they undoubtly -- on that property they store tanks with -- you know, with this gas.
HARRIS: Yes.
LINDA: And so that's -- you know, I don't -- to my knowledge, there is not a building on that property, it was just these tanks.
HARRIS: And the local affiliate there is saying that the situation is pretty much under control, or are they telling you something different?
LINDA: No. I think it's pretty much under control at this point.
HARRIS: OK. All right.
Linda, we'll let you go and let you get back to work. Linda, appreciate it. Thanks for your time.
WHITFIELD: Wires, batteries, blocks of cheese, suspicious items found in airport baggage, possibly made to look like bombs. The incident is raising concerns about a dry run for a terrorist attack.
Rafi Ron is president of New Age Security Solutions and an airport security consulting firm. He's joining us now from Washington.
Good to see you.
RAFI RON, AIRPORT SECURITY CONSULTANT: Good to see you, too.
WHITFIELD: So why is this a question of, is this a dry run for terrorists? Does anyone believe that this is just some bad practical joke?
RON: Well, there is a certain pattern here that is well known and something we have witnessed in the past. When terrorists have been testing the system, you know, to learn about our performance and our ability to detect the real thing when it comes up, but without the risk of actually carrying real explosives into an unknown environment...
WHITFIELD: OK. Rafi, let me just interrupt you for a moment.
I'm going to come back to you in a moment, but we've got some other information, some breaking details we want to get from Tony right now.
HARRIS: Well, Fred, we just talked to Linda just a moment ago and got her account of what was going on in Dallas about a half hour, 45 minutes ago, with respect to that series of explosions, these gas canisters going off.
On the line with us right now is Lieutenant Lavander with the Dallas Police Department -- Fire Department. OK.
Lieutenant, thanks for your time this morning. LT. JOEL LAVANDER, DALLAS FIRE DEPARTMENT: Good morning.
HARRIS: Hey, can you give us a sense of what your units responded to this morning? We're watching it on television, and it was pretty dramatic.
LAVANDER: Well, basically, what we understand is that a truck was -- a truck caught fire behind a building that dealt with oxygen canisters, things of that nature. And of course this is the result of that same fire. Our real concern right now is to make sure that we keep our citizens safe and also keep our firefighters safe as we put together a perimeter around this location.
HARRIS: And how is that effort going? I can certainly understand that you want to keep everyone safe. Have you ordered some evacuations? Are you getting folks out of the immediate area?
LAVANDER: Well, initially, we ordered some evacuations, and then as we got more personnel on scene what we decided to do was shelter in place. And that gave us a chance to go in and effect a rescue of anyone that was in danger of in need of care.
HARRIS: Well, Lieutenant, it looks like you did a great job of getting the word out to folks. We see some traffic backed up, but it looks like you did a great job of closing the interstates.
LAVANDER: Well, that's one of our number one priorities, we've got to save our citizens, because to us they're basically family. But our -- so our concern right now is to find out what happened, why it happened, and basically extinguish this whole situation.
HARRIS: To that end, are you getting reports -- some of the information that we're getting here is that a truck behind a building there in that industrial park area may have caught on fire. Are you hearing that? And if not, what are you hearing in terms of a possible cause?
LAVANDER: That's exactly what we're hearing now. But until we can get our investigators inside and dot the I's and cross the Ts as far as our investigation is concerned, we will not confirm that.
HARRIS: Lieutenant, is the situation under control right now? We're looking at some earlier pictures of the series of explosions, the fireballs and then the thick black smoke. But is the situation right now on the ground contained, in your estimation?
LAVANDER: The situation is contained, but it's still not safe.
HARRIS: Do you have an idea as to whether or not there are more canisters on that property that could potentially blow?
LAVANDER: That's our real concern right now. Until we find out for sure, we're not going to make a mistake that can put anyone's life at risk.
HARRIS: Have you talked to the owners of that particular property or the managers of that property? Have they been able to give you any indication as to what's on the property?
LAVANDER: I have not personally, but we do have individuals here on scene that are going through that.
HARRIS: Your firefighters, I'm wondering, we've watched them at a bit of a distance, which seemed absolutely the prudent thing to do. Have your firefighters been able to advance on the seen at all?
LAVANDER: Not at this time. That's why we've got a perimeter set up and we're trying to determine our next mode of attack as far as extinguishing the fire.
HARRIS: So what are you going to do? Are you going to wait for these canisters to burn out?
LAVANDER: That may be the safest thing to do, and our incident commander will make those determinations for us.
HARRIS: OK. Lieutenant, any word of any injuries?
LAVANDER: At this time we have no word of injuries. And hopefully it stays that way.
HARRIS: OK.
Lieutenant, thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
Lieutenant Joel Lavander of the Dallas Fire Department with us this morning -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: So, Tony, the lieutenant underscoring there it's contained, but it's not necessarily safe. And they have come up with this plan of attack because they are, you know, also working as a team effort...
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ... fire department, hazmat, as well as the police department.
And so on the phone with us now, Sergeant Gil Cerda, who's the supervisor of the Dallas Police Department. He's on the line with us as well.
And so, Sergeant, give me an idea of the step towards this investigation. While firefighters can't quite get on the scene there yet to get a closer look at what's happening here, what's the police department's role in this investigation as it begins?
SGT. GIL CERDA, DALLAS POLICE: Well, basically at this point, our department is supporting the fire department. And by that, we mean that we're going to be able to control the traffic in and around the area, in the immediate area, make sure that citizens aren't close to this area where it could be very, very dangerous for them.
You've got several explosions going on. My understanding, it's a welding plant that stores gas tanks that are I believe used for welding. So, at this point, I've been told that there's been several explosions, one right after another.
WHITFIELD: And can you confirm for me now that we're hearing that possibly two people were injured in the blast and were taken to nearby Parkland Hospital?
CERDA: I can at this point. I haven't received that information as of yet. I just basically got some information from communications just a little while ago, but there's a lot of traffic on the radio at this point, so it's very difficult to get through at this point.
WHITFIELD: OK. Now, you had mentioned the importance of getting the traffic under control, that this is right at I-30 and I-35E, very heavily, you know, traversed areas.
Give me an idea of how difficult that has been to try to form this, you know, half-mile radius around this explosion/fire site.
CERDA: It is difficult because it's in an area in what we call the mix master (ph), in which a lot of the traffic comes into the downtown area of Dallas. I'm talking about several highways that connect at this particular venue. So, therefore, we're trying as hard as possible and as quickly as possible to get it all under control.
WHITFIELD: And so, just if, you know, say, the fire, the smoke does clear, firefighters are able to get closer in, ascertain what is taking place, we're still talking about a long way away before you can open up that traffic if, as we saw in videotape earlier, analyzed pictures, there's so much debris on the roadways as a result of the, you know, flaming shrapnel that was being tossed through the air.
CERDA: That's correct. It's throwing out a lot of shrapnel into the air, several feet away from the plant. So it's dangerous. So that's why we're having to control this as closely as possible, any kind of traffic that's going in and around that area.
WHITFIELD: All right.
Sergeant Gil Cerda, supervisor of the Dallas Police Department.
Thanks so much for your time. We're going to continue to check in with you and others on the ground there as this investigation is really just beginning.
Huge fire, many explosions taking place at a -- what appears to be a gas vendor site right there near downtown Dallas. It has meant that many roadways around that area have been closed and even evacuations under way as well.
And in a moment when we come right back, we're going to continue our conversation with Rafi Ron as we talk about the suspicious items that were located at at least four airports throughout the country.
More on that when we come right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield along with Tony Harris.
HARRIS: Busy, busy.
WHITFIELD: A lot going on, I can't even say my own name.
HARRIS: Over the last half hour, 45 minutes or so ...
WHITFIELD: Yes.
HARRIS: ...we have watched mad, dramatic pictures here in the NEWSROOM of a series of explosions in the Dallas area, right there, very near downtown Dallas, to be more precise about it. And what looked like a welding plant that was storing canisters with acetylene and that is a gas used in the welding.
Boy, a couple of injuries now. We're getting a fuller picture of what may have happened here. Initially, we thought that the scene was pretty much self-contained. Now, we're getting word of a scene where people were fleeing the explosions. We now understand that there are at least two injuries of those people taken to Parklane Hospital.
And on the line with us right now, Fred, is Robert Behrens with Parklane Hospital.
Robert, thanks for your time this morning.
VOICE OF ROBERT BEHRENS, PARKLANE HOSPITAL: Of course.
HARRIS: How many people were -- our wire reporting indicates two people with injuries. Is that what you have right now, two people that you're treating?
BEHRENS: Yes, we do have two patients here at Parkland. Both of them are currently in serious condition.
HARRIS: Serious condition. Can you describe the types of injuries?
BEHRENS: Unfortunately, due to patient privacy laws, we're not able to elaborate on their injuries, the one word condition is all we're able to give out, but ...
HARRIS: Sure, serious, would you consider those life-threatening injuries, just to try to put a finer point on it?
BEHRENS: Like I said (ph), we really can't elaborate on that. I can tell you that in our range of conditions, it goes anywhere from good to fair, serious and critical being the worst.
HARRIS: Got you. OK, and are you getting any kind of radio traffic to indicate that you might be seeing more injuries coming to your hospital?
BEHRENS: We have not heard that at this time.
HARRIS: OK, all right, well Robert, we will check back with you and get an update on the condition of those patients there at your hospital. We appreciate it, Robert Behrens with Parklane Hospital. Parklane has received two injuries associated with this series of explosions at this industrial park, this welding plant there in Dallas.
WHITFIELD: And now Tony, this very horrible situation under way. We're just learning about it, you're looking at live pictures right now of an active scene in Atlanta because a 9-year-old girl has reportedly been shot and killed in northwest Atlanta. It happened at an apartment complex on what's known as Fairburn Road (ph) near Interstate 20.
You're looking at the beginning stages of this police investigation there with the cordoned area. You're seeing views of a lot of folks, not quite sure who's who there. But police apparently are looking now for the person or persons responsible for this shooting death of what we're understanding now to be a 9-year-old.
Looking at these shots right now, just trying to read some of the body language of, you know, some folks ...
HARRIS: Sure.
WHITFIELD: ...either just simply reacting and consoling one another of what are some very sad, horrible news of a 9-year-old girl being shot there at an apartment complex in northwest Atlanta.
And now, I want to resume our conversation. We were talking earlier about wires and batteries and blocks of cheese. These kinds of suspicious items that have been found in airport baggage, possibly made to look like bombs? Well, the incidents are raising concerns about what some are calling -- could be a dry run for a terrorist attack.
Rafi Ron is back with us. He's the president of New Age Security Solutions, an airport security consulting firm, and again, in Washington.
Earlier, Rafi, you were talking about how these sorts of items or these suspicious items really do kind of fit a pattern, a pattern that has been viewed, looked at, investigated and so that's why TSA is quite concerned about what they're seeing.
RAFI RON, AIRPORT SECURITY CONSULTANT: Yes, I think that the main concern is raised by the fact that this is more than a single event. And we have four different reports from four different airports around the country. And this is certainly a reason for some concern. At the same...
WHITFIELD: The reason for concern, but we understand while these items have been attached to a person or persons, there have been no arrests. So, you have to wonder what kind of, I guess surveillance will continue with these individuals who are responsible for very strange items. Blocks of cheese, wires, a cell phone battery, all of these very strange and alarming things.
RON: Yes, we ...
WHITFIELD: Why no arrests?
RON: Well, certainly we all hope that an investigation is actually taking place at this point. And this is the critical question because if this is connected to a terrorist intention to carry out an attack, then we were successful, I think to TSA airports to pick up that and that needs to be followed in order to disrupt any intention to carry out this type of an attack.
WHITFIELD: OK, Rafi Ron, president of New Age Security Solutions, an airport security consulting firm. Thanks so much for being with us and ...
RON: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: ...also hanging with us during this breaking news.
RON: Thank you.
HARRIS: All right, let's start recapping some of the stories that we've been following, particularly in the last 45 minutes here in the NEWSROOM. Two stories here.
First of all, let's at the picture there on your left. That's Dallas, Texas right now. The scene of just a series of explosions starting about, oh, 45 minutes ago. Taking place downtown Dallas at 500 Industrial and I-35 if you know the area.
A scene of people fleeing what turned out to be several gas canisters exploding at an industrial park there. People fleeing the area, traffic tied up, the authorities doing a great job of sort of cordoning off and setting up a half mile perimeter around the building, evacuating the area. And now, standing at a distance waiting for the situation to sort of at the scene to settle down before firefighters move in and try to put the fire out.
But as you can see right now, our understanding is that it is contained but not safe at that location. Two people injured, taken to Parklane Hospital, we will keep an eye on that situation.
And then the pictures and the story unfolding for us here in Atlanta, a 9-year-old girl has been shot and killed in northwest Atlanta. This according to Atlanta police, and you can see the scene and police on the scene as well. The shooting happening at an apartment complex on Fairburn Road near I-20 if you know the area here in the Atlanta area.
Police, we understand, are still searching for the shooter. And we are continuing to follow that scene and those live pictures provided to us by our affiliate here in Atlanta WSB.
And Fred, when you consider this shooting today, the four people killed in a murder/suicide earlier this week in southeast Atlanta. Well, this is, what -- this is Wednesday and it has already been a very violent week in Atlanta, Georgia.
We will continue to follow developments in this story as you see authorities working the scene and starting to put up the -- boy, the tell-tale crime tape at that scene and we will also follow the situation in Dallas for you right here in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: And now, let's talk mostly children and health. Allergy sufferers, some pretty nutty news may be just the thing you've been waiting to hear, especially if you are allergic to peanuts.
CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us live. I mentioned children because a lot of folks find out in the early stages that a child is allergic to peanuts, but this really applies to everybody.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, but so many kids these days are allergic to peanuts, but in fact there are peanut- free classrooms and peanut-free schools, the numbers are just on the rise. And that means that scientists have been on the search for an allergy-free peanut. A peanut where they can actually go in and remove the allergen and give it safely to people with peanut allergies because people with peanut allergies eat a regular peanut, they could die in some cases.
Well, the researchers you see here at North Carolina, ANT State University. They say they've come up with the peanut. You can see it right here. They say they took that allergen out, they then exposed the blood of people with peanut allergies to these peanuts and they said they didn't see a reaction, that it was fine.
So, other universities are also trying to come up with this. We'll see who gets it first.
WHITFIELD: And so, how do they taste, because that's what it boils down to.
COHEN: Right, right.
WHITFIELD: People like to eat peanuts.
COHEN: Boiled peanuts, right boiled down to, but I was just -- I know you didn't intend to make a pun, but anyway, I wanted to point that out. But anyhow, they say that it tastes exactly like a regular peanut, the folks who make it.
WHITFIELD: OK, and so, what's the next stage here?
COHEN: Well, the next stage is a lot more testing because at some point, before they put it on the market, they need to give this peanut to people who have peanut allergies to see what happens. So, we're talking years and years and years of testing.
And it's important to point out that sometimes these things never actually come to fruition because they realize that they've messed with the DNA to take the allergen out, and that they've created new allergies or they've created a peanut that doesn't grow well or something, so this is not a sure thing at all.
WHITFIELD: Right. Yes, so trying to isolate that allergen ...
COHEN: Right.
WHITFIELD: ...that's part of the tricky ...
COHEN: Right, exactly.
WHITFIELD: ...part of the equation.
COHEN: But they've certainly gone pretty far.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Elizabeth.
COHEN: Thanks.
HARRIS: And once again, we're keeping on eye on two developing stories right now for you right here in the NEWSROOM. We're going to get you the latest information. We lost our shot. There it is, it's back again out of Dallas.
As you see, the fire seems to be burning off there, this industrial park area, this welding plant that was storing gas canisters. A series of explosions earlier today, two people injured. We're going get you new information on that story.
And to the right here, this is a situation that's developing right now here in Atlanta, Georgia. A 9-year-old girl has been shot and killed in northwest Atlanta.
More information on both of these breaking stories coming up for you in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, a couple of things happening right now out of Dallas. On the left-hand side of your screen, you're seeing the remnants of a fire that's been burning.
And then to the right, a tragic story out of Atlanta. Reports that a 9-year-old girl has been shot and killed in Atlanta. You see the police tape up. Police investigation just under way, we don't know the circumstances of what took place, but sadly, a lot of grieving people there and many onlookers trying to figure out how and why this could have happened. A 9-year-old girl shot and killed in Atlanta.
HARRIS: And Fred, we have an active search right now for the suspect or suspects ...
WHITFIELD: That's right.
HARRIS: ...who did this, who were involved in this. And you can call it a search, call it a manhunt if you will, but police, Atlanta police are searching for the person or persons responsible for this right now. And clearly, that's something to be a little concerned about. We're going to keep an eye on the story because we need to sort of follow up on the search that is going on right now and we will do that for you here in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: That's right.
And then, out of Dallas on the left-hand side of your screen, as I was mentioning, you're seeing the plumes of smoke there. I don't know if this picture right here is live -- yes, live pictures out of WFAA and now you're seeing the results of a fire that started maybe about an hour ago.
We understand according to authorities that a truck behind a business which was a gas vendor, exploded. And then, helped ignite these canisters of natural gas or acetylene, a gas used in welding. And it also meant that there was flying shrapnel, flaming shrapnel that was sent to the nearby highways of I-30 and I-35E, which is why they closed about a half mile perimeter there and evacuated many of the businesses as well.
Traffic is going to be a nightmare for a long time ...
HARRIS: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ...because those roads are going to stay closed because they've got to, of course, clear the debris and firefighters haven't even made their way to that business yet to assess the damage.
But we do understand at least two people being hospitalized at nearby Parklane Hospital. So, a lot going on this hour, Atlanta as well as in Dallas.
HARRIS: And to business news quickly now, Chrysler may be telling its dealerships to shape up or ship out.
Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with more on the automakers' strategy here. What's a foot here? Susan, good morning.
(BUSINESS HEADLINES)
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But you know what I say, Tony ...
HARRIS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: ...I say, let them eat cake. Let them eat birthday cake or cupcake.
WHITFIELD: Oh!
HARRIS: That's what I'm talking about.
LISOVICZ: That's what I'm talking about, double chocolate.
HARRIS: Double chocolate.
LISOVICZ: For Tony our birthday boy. We're going to enjoy it here in New York.
HARRIS: Susan, fantastic.
LISOVICZ: Bring down the balloons and the dancing girls.
WHITFIELD: I like it.
HARRIS: You are, you are outstanding.
LISOVICZ: Happy birthday to you, Tony.
HARRIS: Thank you, Susan. Thank you, thank you, Fred.
WHITFIELD: Happy birthday.
HARRIS: Boy, I feel ten years younger ...
WHITFIELD: I can't wait to see ...
HARRIS: ...just from that moment.
WHITFIELD: ...some of those cupcakes coming this way, that's all I got to say.
LISOVICZ: Just crumbs, I'm afraid.
WHITFIELD: Oh, darn. All right, thanks a lot.
HARRIS: Thanks, Susan.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, a lot happening in this country, of course your birthday and a lot happening around the world.
Jim Clancy, what's going on in "YOUR WORLD TODAY?"
JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, maybe it's for Tony's birthday, I'll tell you, after a long wait, they're finally dancing in the streets all across Iraq. Amid all of the violence, Iraqis find a common dream that inspires hope across their bleak landscape. We're going to take you live to Baghdad to find out just what is inspiring the celebration.
Plus, terror in the spotlight, we'll also follow that investigation where they believe there may be probing missions by would-be terrorists and we'll also bring you the international survey that finds support for terrorism in general and suicide attacks in particular, dropping in many Muslim countries.
Plus: holy dancing rabbis. Keeping a Jewish, even if you've gone on vacation to get away from it all. Where in the world is it the Jewish holiday makers are finding rabbis joining the party?
We'll be looking at all the stories as we said. Surveying international news on "YOUR WORLD TODAY" coming up at the top of the hour. Back to you.
HARRIS: We'll be there. Thank you, Jim.
WHITFIELD: All right, we look forward to that. Thanks so much, Jim.
All right, another update on the situation in Dallas as those flames are still burning. On the phone with us now, James Bias, he was pretty close by to this explosion, series of explosions of these gas canisters before this fire just shot to the skies there, shutting down traffic all along Dallas.
James Bias on the phone with us now. So, your business is what, James?
VOICE OF JAMES BIAS, EVACUEE: We're the SPCA (ph) here in Dallas, and we are located about a quarter of a mile on the same side of the street, quarter of a mile north of the welding supply company that's burning.
And as the explosions occur, they rocked our building, and immediately the staff went out, saw what was going on, and started moving all of the animals that are on the closest side of our property down from this explosion to the other portion of our building. We were -- shortly after that, notified by the Dallas Police Department that we had to evacuate all of the people as a precaution. The time (ph) ...
WHITFIELD: Were you able to evacuate the pets, too?
BIAS: They would not give us enough time but currently, the fire wasn't the biggest issue, the biggest issue was the tanks being projected ...
WHITFIELD: The flying shrapnel.
BIAS: Exactly, and so, we feel like the animals are at this point in time, out of harm's way, we do run an animal hospital and we had a few pets that were in for surgery that had not come up from their anesthesia, so we were able to remove those out and transfer them to another one of our animal hospitals.
And now, it's just a matter of wait and see. It looks like the fire is starting to go down, and we're just waiting for, hopefully clearance to be able to go back into the building.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
BIAS: We may have to be involved with some decontamination with the pets because of the ash that's falling from the fire. But we just have to wait and see now.
WHITFIELD: Wow, that's incredible, James. James Bias, close call for you, your staff and of course, all the pets there, and glad it sounds like everyone and all of your pets are going to be OK as a result of this nearby explosion and fire taking place there in Dallas.
And we're going to continue to watch the developments here on CNN throughout the day about what's going on in Dallas and of course, the ongoing investigation in Atlanta of the shooting death of a 9-year-old girl.
Much more straight ahead here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Happening now, we want to wrap our two breaking stories, developing information on both of these stories right now. To the right of your screen here, this is a situation we're following right here in Atlanta. A 9-year-old girl has been shot and killed at an apartment complex on Fairburn Road near I-20, if you're familiar with that area here in the Atlanta area.
Police are on the scene, and actively searching for the shooter right now. We will keep you posted on developments in this story throughout the afternoon in the NEWSROOM.
WHITFIELD: And then in Dallas, preliminary reports are saying that possibly a truck may have ignited or exploded behind a gas vendor business in an industrial area off I-35E. It has meant that that explosion caused the explosion of several canisters of gas at that vendor site. And it also meant that there was a lot of flaming shrapnel flying through the air right onto nearby businesses as well as the highway, so a half mile perimeter is set up, closed off, evacuations took place, as well as highways and roads have been closed.
So, traffic nightmare. At least two people reportedly have been injured at a nearby hospital, being treated for their injuries. Investigators haven't even had a chance to get onto the property, meaning fire investigators as well as police because the flames are still burning. And until it's safe enough for them to get close, they'll be able to look closer into exactly what may have caused all of this.
We'll have much more on this story as well as the situation out of Atlanta as well, a 9-year-old girl shot and killed, throughout the day here on CNN.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Much more of the NEWSROOM straight ahead one hour from now. We'll continue to watch the developments out of Atlanta. The shooting death of a 9-year-old right there on the right-hand side of your screen.
And on the left, a fiery explosion almost out in Dallas. At least two people injured, causing a real traffic nightmare and evacuations.
HARRIS: "YOUR WORLD TODAY" is next with news happening across the globe and here at home.
I'm Tony Harris.
WHITFIELD: And I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Have a great day.
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