Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Bomb Squad Enters Booby Trapped Home; Survivor Describes The Horror; Police: All Threats Eliminated From Apartment; Study: Blood Test Might Diagnose Alzheimer's; Remembering The Shooting Victims; Little Known About Suspect; Bulgaria Bus Attack; Suicide Bomb Explodes In Northwest Pakistan; Bloodshed In Syria; Theaters Trying To Prevent A Copycat; Romney Heads Overseas Next Week

Aired July 21, 2012 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM with the news unfolds live this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We want to bring you up-to-date on the investigation surrounding the movie massacre. Things are beginning to move rather quickly this hour in Aurora, Colorado.

The scene of that mass shooting at that movie theatre that left 12 people dead. New developments at the shooting suspect's apartment now. Just moments ago, a controlled detonation of sorts.

You heard the boom there. All we understand is that police actually yelled "fire in the hole" three times after placing some sort of wiring through the window by way of bomb experts that were in a bucket that were lifted to that third floor level.

They placed some sort of wiring in there and we understand from our security analysts who we spoke to last hour who was explained to us that a device would then be shot into the window when they felt like we had a good point of view.

So you heard the boom there. Still unclear from the police department whether this was mission accomplished. We don't know if they actually hit their target. We hope to hear more details.

However, we are joined by former assistant director of the FBI, Tom Fuentes. You've had lots familiarity with scenes like this involving the detonation of bombs, explosive, et cetera.

And you also told me in the last 15 minutes or so how remarkable, you thought, and sophisticated you thought, this kind of booby trapping of an apartment by what we understand to be a novice to carry out in this unit.

TOM FUENTES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That's true, Fredricka. I'm amazed that these devices appear to be real. I thought maybe it was a hoax and he just threw a bunch of wires around glass jars of liquid and made everybody think that it was a device. But so far it appears that it is real, and the curious thing now is how did he learn how to do this? Who taught him? Where did he gain this expertise?

Again, it goes back to the original problem in the case like this is whether the person is acting alone or part of a greater conspiracy or just other sympathetic colleagues that may want to do the same thing.

So that's what the authorities are hoping to preserve the evidence not just for evidence purposes, but for intelligence purposes in that apartment.

His computers, his printed material that may lead to solving the issue of whether these are real, sophisticated devices and if so, how did he learn how to do it?

WHITFIELD: And talk to me about now the levels of this sort of investigation and a very methodical approach to making a discovery that this apartment was indeed booby trapped, as we saw bomb authorities do.

And then try to defeat what they call the first threat, which was a trip wire in that unit before even going about this sort of controlled detonation of sorts or this use of this device to try to target a particular mechanism inside. What would be next?

FUENTES: Well, probably repeat the same procedure. I'm assuming that they have a direct video feed out of the inside of that apartment back to the command post.

So that after the last attempted disruption they would be able to observe that no other fire or explosion occurred. No sympathetic detonation occurred with other devices. And wait a few minutes to assess that the scene is stable, the apartment is stable and then plan on the next step.

So that's why you have this flurry of activity, the detonation of the disruption while traffic is stopped and then when the dust settles, re-assess, re-examine, come up with the plan for the next step in this and be very methodical, patient and as they approached this.

WHITFIELD: But still likely too early for a human to actually enter that unit?

FUENTES: I would think so. I think they're going to want to make sure that they've neutralized to the best of their ability every known object in that apartment before they send anybody in there.

WHITFIELD: Tom Fuentes, thanks so much. I know you're not going far there in Washington for us. Ed Lavandera is there outside of that apartment complex. He's joining us right now.

So Ed, what more can you tell us about how authorities and bomb experts are managing to say whether that was mission accomplished?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what they're trying to assess right now, Fredricka. They will send in the robot device that they have, which is obviously much safer to use in these situations instead of sending in some of the personnel they have here on the ground.

So they will send in that robot and then try to figure out the best way of approaching as Tom was mentioning there whether or not the people that they have here on the ground can go in with the suits that they wear in these kinds of situations so that they can assess just what they need to do and what is left.

Obviously, it's a very complicated and very serious situation in there so they need to proceed, as you can imagine with a great deal of caution and that's what they're trying to figure out right now.

So it's still a little bit too early to figure out just what the explosion that we heard here just a little while ago and just to be clear, I think you talked about this it was a device that the bomb technicians here on the ground put in place to try to disrupt the trip wires that were going into all these jars and improvised explosive devices inside of that apartment.

So the fact that we didn't hear from what we have just been told by a law enforcement source here, the fact that we didn't hear a secondary explosion after that first one is a good sign and we didn't see any smoke.

So they point that to be a good situation because I think you have well documented here over the last little bit as well, and they're trying to preserve evidence inside that apartment to get a better understanding of James Holmes and what he was up to and how he pulled all of this off.

WHITFIELD: I guess a real indicator that it wasn't going to be, or at least authorities felt pretty certain that this was going to be incredibly controlled and contained.

They did not stop the traffic outside of that building. As we were watching it live we were still able to see cars streaming back and forth. At what point might they do that that they close off traffic?

LAVANDERA: I think, if the situation they feel raises to a much more serious level, I can imagine just moments before they set off that controlled explosion inside that apartment just a little while ago, they did stop -- they asked everybody to stop moving.

You can hear one of the officers over here start screaming fire in the hole. They repeated that several times and everybody stopped moving and then a few seconds later is when you heard the explosions.

So in those moments before the controlled situations, they definitely clamped everything down as best they can, but, clearly, at some point a lot of that area that you see behind me, Fredricka, has been cordoned off. This street -- it's that red brick building that you see over my shoulders is the apartment building we're talking about and James Holmes' apartment window faces on the back side of that. So they're allowing traffic to move along this main street here, which is Peoria Street and they're allowing that, but in the situations right before that controlled explosion went off just a little while ago, they did clamp it down.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Lavandera, thanks so much. We'll be checking in with you momentarily as well.

Meantime, later on today, roughly two hours or from now, we are expecting to get an update from investigators there on the scene at 4:00 Eastern time, keep it right here. We will carry that live.

And then later on, CNN's Don Lemon will be hosting a live special coverage of the Colorado theatre shooting from Colorado tonight at 8:00 Eastern Time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, back to our top story, the investigation into that massacre at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado. One survivor choked back tears today as he described how he, his new wife, Denise, and his best friend, Josh, ducked for cover as bullets sprayed.

Brandon Axelrod said he and his wife were slightly injured by shrapnel when in his words, quote, "an armist exploded." He said their friend, Josh, protected him and he was shot in the arm and leg.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRANDON AXELROD, INJURED IN SHOOTING: I'm actually -- I'm really OK. Me, my new wife and my best friend, Josh, went to the movie together. It was right after the opening action scene.

It was quiet and the canister of whatever going across the theatre and then the fizzing of it and then the shooting. Just -- the gun going off -- Josh helped me protect my wife, and he got shot.

It's just -- it wasn't expected, but I'm glad he was there with us because the three of us together, you know, we piled on each other and we kept each other safe and, you know, luck or faith, or whatever you want to call it, kept us alive.

And, you know, Josh, while we were hugging each other in the aisle got hit in the arm and at some point because he's so tall and lanky he got hit in the leg, as well, but -- he is doing really well. Everybody here has taken really good care of him. He had surgery on his arm and his leg and he's just going through the process of working through the pain and just what happened to us.

I know he's really active, so I know for him it's going to be tough with the rehab and everything that he's going to deal with because it's -- you know, his arm and then his opposite leg, so it's going to be tough, but we -- he has his brother in town.

He's from South Dakota originally so he has a good family and he's got us and we're going get through it together and that's how we're going to deal with it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: While victims reflect as they're being released from medical attention, on the other side of town investigators have descended on the apartment complex where James Holmes, a suspect in this movie massacre once lived in the booby-trapped apartment is what they're concentrating on now.

Our Ed Lavandera is outside the apartment complex. We've seen a couple of layers of things taking place there. What is the latest on their success or failure of detonating these explosives?

LAVANDERA: Hi, Fredricka. We just wanted to pass this along. A significant update because we just heard from the Aurora Police Department that they are now saying that they are, quote, "confident that they've eliminated all major threats" inside the apartment, James Holmes' apartment, which you can see behind me right there.

So they have been able to quickly assess here in the last few minutes since we heard that explosion or that controlled explosion inside the apartment. So they say they will still be here for many more hours.

And there are still other things that they're worried and concerned about inside that apartment, but in terms of the major threats. We've talked a lot about these trip wires that were set and these jars full of liquids and mortars perhaps that could have been potentially very deadly for people who walked into that apartment complex.

But the good news here right now is it sounds like Aurora police and the bomb technicians that are on site here at James Holmes' apartment, they're saying all of the major threats have been eliminated inside that apartment. So they'll continue working, but that's the headline we just heard here.

WHITFIELD: So does that mean likely now they will be able to either -- humans would enter, human investigators or would they still use robots to go in first, do you know?

LAVANDERA: We presume that this means that this will give them a little bit more flexibility and a little more security in walking into that apartment and being able to do the work that they need.

I think they are still probably several hours away from being able to do that, but clearly, we're getting an indication from them that they feel that the worst of the situation is behind them.

And they can start kind of taking the things out that they need to take out so that they can work in much safer conditions.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ed Lavandera, thanks so much, outside of the apartment complex where they continue to investigate.

Let's bring in a security analyst, Mike Brooks. So Mike, how do you interpret that? All major threats eliminated. What does that mean to you? MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST (via telephone): Well, this is to me that their shot that they took the procedure with the disruptor was successful. It looks like we see maybe some people up in the window of that apartment right now.

Maybe they've gone ahead and made entry into the apartment. We don't know, but to hear that all of the major threats are gone, that means that there was a lot of success there.

They may go in and take some readings and make sure there's no hazardous atmosphere. The FBI has material response there and the hazmat team are there assisting the bomb teams there with the Arapahoe and Adams County.

So, you know, we saw the shot go off and it looked like it went off really well. There was no sympathetic detonation so that says to me that they're moving right along, but they still have a long way to go, Fredricka, on processing that apartment.

Because there could be a treasure trove of evidence with trying to find out exactly what the motive of James Holmes was within that apartment.

We don't know if there are any computers, any files, any manifesto, we don't know any of this. But now that they've rendered that apartment safe, they'll be able to process this now as basically a crime scene also.

WHITFIELD: All right, extraordinary. Mike Brooks, thank you so much. We'll be checking back with you momentarily as I we try to learn more about what investigators are finding or hoping to find in that unit.

All right, we're going to return to our continuing coverage of the massacre there in Colorado, but we're also going to update you on some other things, particularly on something that really may impact millions worldwide and that of Alzheimer's. It's a devastating disease. Now researchers have found a new test that could diagnose it and it has doctors pretty excited.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Back to our continuing coverage of the massacre in Colorado, but right now in the United States, there are some health matters of interest.

There are more than 5 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Its effects are devastating and just this week scientists from the Mayo Clinic shared some cutting edge research on actually diagnosing the disease.

Dr. Sujatha Reddy is a physician at Premier Health Care of Atlanta joining me now to talk about this because most of us are accustomed to -- you find out you have Alzheimer's because there are signs of dementia that pop in.

But now we're talking about diagnosing, being able to tell somebody with some advanced notice. You may be a patient of Alzheimer's in the future.

DR. SUJATHA REDDY, FREMIER CARE FOR WOMEN: You're exactly right. Right now, Alzheimer's is something that we call a diagnosis of exclusion or we make a clinical diagnosis.

If someone starts to have symptoms like they become overly forgetful, get lost, things like that. You run a battery of personality memory tests. You run a battery of blood tests and rule out things like depression, medication effects.

Other illnesses that could be causing these symptoms and then we say, look, maybe this is Alzheimer's. What exciting about this blood test is you can have an objective diagnosis really rather quickly and maybe even before symptoms start.

WHITFIELD: And we're talking in the form of a blood test.

REDDY: Exactly. So what this blood test looks for is a chemical called ceramide, which actually is a fatty substance in the cell wall of all the cells in our body.

And what we think happens in Alzheimer's is the cells in the brain start to die, which is why on a CT scan, MRI you actually start to see less brain and matter.

The cells are dying and as they're dying we think they release the ceramide and then you find it in the blood thereby giving you a rather quick and accurate diagnosis according to this blood test.

WHITFIELD: And so we do think this is fairly accurate, to what degree?

REDDY: So it's at one study and obviously there have been more larger studies, but it is very exciting. One thing we know about Alzheimer's is the earlier we diagnose it, the medications that we have seem to be effective at decreasing the symptoms.

The disease still progresses, but the earlier we can find it, the better we can treat patients and the more families can prepare and the less shock it will be.

So really finding it really is going to be key. We know medications can work only for a specific amount of time so if you start them early that's really going to be better.

WHITFIELD: How early are we talking? If I'm 30, can I get this blood test? If I'm 45, 55, what?

REDDY: Well, those are going to be great questions for the researchers to find out. We don't have those answers, but because we think the blood chemical is being release when the brain cells die, it will be as the disease starts to progress so probably not in your 30s.

Look closer to the time we start to see this usually on people in the 60s, 70s and older so that will be the time that we can do it if you have a family history and maybe you think I might be one of those people. If this pans out, you can test people early and find out.

WHITFIELD: And maybe if anything, if it's not to prepare you medically, what you're going to need, but maybe it will help you in family planning to give you some sort of, I guess it could be 15 years' notice or 20 years' notice that this is somewhere down the line.

REDDY: Exactly. And you can make plans for the future.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right, Dr. Sujatha Reddy, thanks so much. Always good to see you.

REDDY: You, too, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, every Saturday at this time, I will bring you new information about medical breakthroughs just like this or ways to improve your health and quality of life.

All right, one survivor was shot through the neck with a shotgun. This is back to our coverage now in Colorado. Well, today he's actually talking.

Stephen Barton who was biking cross country and just happened to stop in Aurora, Colorado and he just happened to buy a ticket to that ill- fated screening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN BARTON, SHOT IN NECK INSIDE THEATRE: In some sense, you know, I'm sorry that he had to, you know, cope with whatever was going on with his life by doing this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: More on his story and our continuing coverage of the massacre at the movies in Colorado.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Getting up to speed on the investigation into movie massacre in Aurora, Colorado. Law enforcement officials now say they believe they've eliminated all major threats in suspected gunman, James Holmes' apartment less than air hour ago, a successful, controlled detonation there.

A team of 100 law enforcement officials and experts from across the country have been called in to assist in this including ATF agents and explosive specialists. The suspect James Holmes will appear before a judge Monday morning. Twelve people were killed in this horrific shooting, dozens more injured.

One victim of the shooting is speaking from his hospital bed. He was on a one-day visit to Colorado, and as Russell Hawthorne tells us, the biker's vacation has turned into a nightmare.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RUSSELL HAWTHORNE, KMGH REPORTER (voice-over): Less than 24 hours after getting shot in the neck, Stephen Barton describes a scene like no reality he had ever experienced before.

BARTON: After I got it, I fell to the ground and I was just waiting for the shooting to stop, and it was the thought crossed my mind that this is not actually happening.

It was hard to believe that it was happening, and so, I mean, on some level I guess I realized there's a shooter in the theatre and he's killing people, but on another level, I guess, I didn't want to believe it.

HAWTHORNE: From his Colorado hospital bed, Barton said the theatre shooter during the Batman premiere was deliberate and purposeful.

BARTON: It was calculated, definitely. It seemed very methodical.

HAWTHORNE: Barton and his friend, Ethan, were just making a quick, one-night stop in Aurora as they took a summer bike trip across America. They just wanted to catch a movie, having no idea their bike trip would end like one.

BARTON: It seems like it never happens to people that you don't know and because there's a one in a million chance that it will ever happen to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: That was Russell Hawthorne from CNN affiliate KMGH reporting. So we are learning more every day, actually, every hour about the people who died in the shooting rampage.

Nick Valencia is here with some of their stories. Six people in all you told us about earlier and then you told us a seventh just moments ago.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These details have been slowly pouring into the CNN NEWSROOM since early this morning. We've been making calls pretty aggressive about trying to keep up with those names so the deceased and those injured -- excuse me, Fredricka.

A.J. Boik is who we have been able to confirm. He was a senior at Gateway High School in Colorado there, in local Aurora, Colorado. He went to the movies with his girlfriend and a friend, both of whom made it out alive.

Unfortunately, he died and friends held a memorial service for him late Friday. You're taking a look at the Facebook page his friends have made in tribute and remembrance to A.J. Boik.

Jesse Childress, 27 years old, also among those that were killed early Friday in Aurora, Colorado that at that movie massacre shooting. The 27-year-old Jesse Childress, an active-duty Air Force reserve. His family in California telling CNN that they found out about his condition that he had died about 1:00 a.m. this morning. Also John Larimer, another service member of one of the four that were wounded in this attack. He is also 27 years old. He was in the U.S. Navy for less than a year and you're looking at a photo there. His family sent it to us this morning.

I spoke to his father, Scott, who is in Lake Crystal, Illinois. He sent us a statement saying, "We send our thoughts and prayers to the families of other victims and those still recovering in the hospital. We love you, John, and we will miss you always."

Scott Larimer told us that he's having a lot of trouble dealing with his son's passing as I'm sure are all the family members including those of Matt McQuinn. McQuinn's family like many other agonized for hours before finding out the condition of their son. He was there with his girlfriend and her brother at the movie theatre on Friday.

And in fact what witnesses are saying is that he shielded his girlfriend from being shot from the suspected shooter, James Holmes, and he himself, his life was taken there after he shielded his girlfriend from those bullets.

To make matters worse for her, since she's not a relative, HIPAA, strict law, Fred, as you know, the hospital would not confirm to her his condition. They found that out just hours after he was already pronounced dead.

Alex Sullivan who had planned to celebrate his 27th birthday in that midnight movie screening. He was also scheduled to celebrate his first wedding anniversary. You see his father there canvassing Aurora, Colorado, trying to find any bit of information to his condition and whereabouts.

He was notified late Friday that his son had died. In fact, Alex was an employee at the movie theatre and he wasn't working that night, but he thought he'd go celebrate his birthday and check out the special screening of "The Dark Knight Rises." Unfortunately, it shows it was a fatal decision.

Micayla Medek, we also confirmed this 23-year-old woman described as a child of God, very close to her spirituality and her father's cousin confirming to CNN earlier today, it took her family 19 hours, 19 hours, Fredricka, to find out her condition and that she had died.

And like many others were asking questions, why is it taking so long to find out about their condition and many of the family members we were speaking to are upset about that.

Jessica Ghawi, this last victim that we've been able to confirm, the seventh of 12 victims that CNN has been able to independently confirm. She's sort become the quintessential face, if you can say that, of the victims in this shooting by the suspect James Holmes.

Her brother, Jordan, has been very active on social media, creating a hash tag, trending hash tag for her ripjessica. If you're on Twitter, you can go check that out. She was an aspiring sports broadcaster with so much hope, a very, very energetic person. You can see her smile there, just a wonderful smile and no doubt would have had a tremendous impact on our industry.

She moved from Texas to Denver about a year ago and was killed after being shot in the head by the suspected shooter James Holmes.

Now of course, we have profiles on all of these victims and those that are deceased. If you go to cnn.com/coloradotributes or cnn.com/coloradovictims and we're tirelessly working to put all of this information on there for you so you can get the latest that we have here, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and in so many cases, you know, for some of the victims they had their I.D.s on them and in other cases they were running and nowhere near the I.D.s and that helped to elongate the amount of time that it took for investigators to figure out the I.D.s of some of them, but our hearts go out to so many of these family members.

All right, thanks so much for bringing that to us, Nick. Of course, if you want more information you can go to the cnn.com location. You can click on the story called remembering the victims.

All right, we're also finding out more about the shooting suspect James Holmes. Reporters and police are finding new people, actually noticed this man or few people, rather, actually noticed this man at all. A "Denver Post" reporter joins me after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Back now to our top story. The investigation to the shooting at that movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado. Slowly, we're learning a little bit more information, bit by bit about the suspect, James Holmes.

Sara Burnett has been doing digging of her own. She's a reporter with "THE DENVER POST," a look into the suspect James Holmes.

So Sara, this is a 24-year-old. You've searched Facebook, Twitter, looked up classmates and neighbors and apparently, he doesn't have much a digital footprint, but what have you been able to find about him?

SARA BURNETT, REPORTER, "DENVER POST": Yes, Fredricka, you're right. One of the most remarkable things about him is how largely unnoticed he went throughout different phases of his life, whether it was in High School in San Diego, in college at the University of California Riverside or during the years he spent here studying at the University of Colorado medical campus.

Everywhere we went and every person almost to a person that we've spoken with has said that they didn't know him, that he was rarely socializing. He lived alone. He didn't really have any friends that people knew of that they can talk about and just a lot of unknowns with this gentleman. WHITFIELD: So you're kind of describing somebody who is a bit of a recluse, but then you look at those images, the photographs of him and he's smiling. He seems pretty affable and he seems like, you know, just on the surface, a fairly confident, what would seem a social being.

BURNETT: Yes. The photographs, he does look that way, and I think that, you know, neighbors, the people who knew him best and were close to his family, they do say he was a nice young man. He was quiet, but that he was polite, but that he wasn't rude to people. They never saw him act out or doing anything violent. So, you know, it's strange.

WHITFIELD: It's difficult, of course, to really reach out to neighbors because many of those neighbors have been evacuated and dispersed from that apartment complex for that investigation continues.

So is there anything that you've been able to glean or learn from his shopping before this incident whether it be, you know, at the bass pro shop where there are records that he made the purchases of some of the firearms. Anything that you're learning about anything that reflects the planning that went into this event?

BURNETT: Well, we know that it was very methodical and appears to have been elaborate, and may have coincided with some problems. We're hearing he might have had trouble academically at the University of Colorado.

It -- the purchases started in May, which was around the time that was the end of his first year in that program and around the time that there was some testing going on. We -- the university will not or cannot confirm that information for us, but we've heard it from multiple sources now.

That it started and it went from there, and I think if you read or look at the list of the things that he brought with him, what he was wearing, the elaborate way in which he set up or rigged the explosives within that apartment, it clearly was not something he woke up one morning and decided to do.

WHITFIELD: Fascinating stuff. Sara Burnett, thanks so much with "The Denver Post. Thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it.

BURNETT: Thanks for having us.

WHITFIELD: In other news now, a new lead in the Bulgaria bus attack that killed five Israelis. We'll have the latest in that investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now for some of the stories making headlines around the world. In Bulgaria, police are looking into the possibility that there may be a second suspect in the bomb attack that killed five Israeli tourists. Investigators have already determined that explosive was detonated by a man caught on this airport security video. Today, an Israeli official reiterated Israel's claim that Hezbollah was responsible for the attack.

In Northwest Pakistan, a suicide bomber killed nine people and wounded 17 others during an attack at the home of a Taliban commander. This explosion was part of a series of attacks that left 20 people dead. The holy month of Ramadan began today.

And the pressure is mounting against the Syrian military. Officials say two more generals from the army have defected. Witnesses say the capital is isolated by checkpoints and tanks. At least 45 people were killed across Syria today alone.

Now on the phone with me right now a journalist with a rare distinction these days. He's actually inside Syria, Sander Van Hoorn of Dutch National Television. Sander, tell me about what you are seeing and experiencing in Damascus right now.

SANDER VAN HOORN, JOURNALIST, DUTCH NATIONAL RADIO (via telephone): Right now there's traffic and that's a novelty because I haven't seen this much traffic in the last couple of days. The central of Damascus is pretty much safe for people to go about their business.

Now it's a completely different story in one of the suburbs where for the last couple of hours I've heard heavy shelling continuously like every 30 seconds you would hear a loud explosion accompanied by gun fire. So that's one of the areas of Damascus where we the fighting is ongoing as we speak.

WHITFIELD: Have you seen anything that resembles this military preparation at checkpoints?

HOORN: Well, we see military movement throughout the day. The military seems to be in a festive mood. Soldiers that are being transported are chanting and singing.

Now as you come, for example, as I did this afternoon in Mudan, which is an area close to the city center, which has seen some very heavy fighting over the days, the Syrian government claims they reclaimed it on the Syrian army.

And as far as I could tell, that is the case, although you have to wonder after such heavy fight if you won the hearts and minds of people. Now, I guess the Syrian government isn't all that sure about it.

There are still tanks located on the outskirts. There are still a lot of soldiers to be found and intelligence and buildings surrounding are heavily fortified.

WHITFIELD: Any sign of people leaving or trying to flee?

HOORN: To flee, you mean fleeing the city? That has quieted down a bit. I think the people that had the biggest urge to leave left already and the bus station with busses leaving for northern cities like Homs.

And there are still extended families waiting to catch a bus out of Damascus, but not the level we saw in recent days. In recent days we saw people basically carrying one suitcase and trying to get out. Those scenes we didn't see today.

WHITFIELD: Sander Van Hoorn of Dutch National Television, thanks so much from your point of view from Damascus.

Back to this country now after a shooting that shocked the nation, theatres are not taking any chances. What you need to know if you plan on going to the movies this weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The shooting in Aurora, Colorado, is now the largest mass shooting in U.S. history that's sending shockwaves throughout the country.

In Washington, the Department of Homeland Security held a conference call with officials from the commercial, entertainment and shopping mall industries. They outlined security measures that could be taken to prevent something like this from happening again.

Some theatres like this one in New York are adding dozens of security officers to prevent a copycat attack. Athena Jones is outside a theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland.

What kinds of measures are being taken there and are moviegoers thinking about what happened in Colorado? Are they nervous or what?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you, Fredricka, that certainly movie theatre operators all across the country say that guests safety is their top priority and that they're stepping up and reviewing their security measures.

I can tell you that the theatre started showing "Batman," and it was showing in a dozen screens starting very early this morning. We saw a police cruiser come up. There were police outside early this morning as those movies got under way.

For the most part the people we've spoken to say that what they believe happened in Colorado was an isolated incident and they weren't too concerned. Let's listen to what one gentleman had to say this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER EDGE, THEATER GOER: No second thoughts at all. It's a shame what happened in Colorado, but certainly we are here in Silver Spring, Maryland and we certainly trust that the law enforcement authorities are taking the appropriate measures to make sure that patrons are safe. We saw several law enforcements outside on our way in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And so you heard that gentleman talking about law enforcement being outside. Another police cruiser just pulled up just outside of the theatre and so this has been an ongoing thing. We know that police here in Montgomery County here in Silver Spring just a few miles north of Washington, D.C., say they're going to be paying increased attention to movie theatres just like what we've seen in New York and in Los Angeles.

Even though folks believe this is an isolated incident. We know that they're just going to be paying close attention this weekend -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Athena Jones, thanks so much for bringing that to us from Silver Spring, Maryland.

All right, on to politics, in a moment, Mitt Romney taking his campaign for president overseas. We're tracking him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Other stories we're watching. Canadian police make a shocking discovery after arresting two men who they say are connected to a homicide that happened back in 1978. They found up to 83 improvised explosive devices and a stockpile of 23 guns. The weapons were inside a home where a father and his son were arrested.

At least 60 neighbors had to clear the area surrounding the house for a week. A lawyer for one of the men says his client was traumatized by his boyhood years in post-war Germany. He said those events triggered his client to take survivalist actions.

It has been one week since two young girls went missing in Iowa and now police are calling their disappearance an abduction. They drained and searched a lake where bikes and purses were found belonging to 10- year-old Lyric Cook and 8-year-old cousin Elizabeth Collins.

But then investigators came up with nothing. Police haven't named any suspects yet, but they have questioned and polygraphed the family members of the girls.

And there's a happy ending to a story that tugged at the heart strings of people all over the world. You may remember this video. It's gone viral. It shows four students bullying and cursing at a New York City bus monitor for 10 whole minutes.

They even made Karen Klein who was a grandmother of eight cry. A Toronto man started an online fundraiser to send her on vacation and after one month the campaign closed last night well exceeding expectations. It raised over $700,000 for Klein. The four boys in the video are suspended for a year.

All right, in politics now, President Obama is on the campaign trail this week with a stop in Nevada on Monday and then on to California and Washington state.

And Mitt Romney is taking his campaign overseas next week. He'll be meeting with world leaders and going to the Olympic Games, the opening ceremonies in London.

CNN national political correspondent Jim Acosta has a preview. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mitt Romney will be busy when he goes overseas. He is scheduled to leave for his foreign trip on Tuesday and arrive in Great Britain on Wednesday.

Aides to the GOP contender say this trip is really an opportunity for him to listen and learn, but also make what they're calling a clear and resolute stand with nations that share American values.

Now in the U.K., Romney is expected to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron and former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Of course, the timing of this trip is no accident. Romney is set to attend the opening ceremonies for the Olympics in London.

So look for Romney and his campaign to tout his experience in turning around the Salt Lake City Olympic Games in 2002, a story his aides say the public hasn't heard enough of.

Now from Britain, Romney is expected to head to Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Shimon Peres.

Romney's adviser say the Republican contender will make a concerted effort to, quote, "Lock arms with Israeli leaders and to draw contrast with the sometimes tense relationship between Netanyahu and President Obama."

Now after Israel, Romney heads to Poland where he will sit down with former President Walensa and meet with some of that nation's other current leaders.

Romney will have, of course, a lot on his plate when he returns from his foreign trip. There's the matter of picking up a vice presidential running mate and getting ready for the Republican Convention in August. Jim Acosta, CNN, Manchester, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)