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Colorado Shooting Survivors Recount Terrifying Ordeal; President Obama to Meet With Shooting Victims; James Holmes Expected in Court Tomorrow; Movie Maker Delays Box Office Report; Jumping for Haiti; Remembering the Victims in Aurora; Fuel City Tacos

Aired July 22, 2012 - 14:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Aurora, Colorado, a community struggling to come to grips with the horrifying act of violence. The deadly shooting rampage at a local theater. This is a live picture right now from Andrews Air Force Base, the President of the United States will soon be heading to Colorado, he'll be meeting with the victims and their families.

And tonight, the community in Aurora will come together to memorialize the 12 lives lost in that rampage. And today, people are seeking comfort and support at morning church services.

CNN's Kyung Lah is live in Aurora. So, Kyung, you've been hearing some very incredible stories from people who survived the rampage. How are they dealing with today? Is it any easier?

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly not. We're only talking about a short period of time that's passed since that rampage happened. I've been speaking to patients in the hospitals, their family members, their relatives, their friends, and they are telling stories that are horrific. They are all traumatized. But I can tell you that within these terrible stories, were also hearing remarkable stories of survival and bravery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH NOWLAN, SHOOTING VICTIM: My mind was completely clear of what's going on. It's like, guy, he has a gun, he's shooting at people, stay down and that is the best chance we have.

LAH (voice-over): The second thought for Josh Nowlan -- protect his friends. The 31-year-old navy veteran deployed to Iraq twice threw himself on top of his friends, newlyweds Brandon and Denise Axelrod. Dozens of bullets flew to the air, one ripped to Nowlan's calf and then lashed in his arm breaking the bone.

NOWLAN: It's just -- my leg and be -- my arm. And this one, Brandon's just like, stay down.

LAH: Nowlan says, he flattened himself on the theater floor with his friends beneath him hearing the gunman walk and wait. He must survive for his two sons, he says, whose pictures he carries in his wallet. Nine-year old Eric and seven-year-old Ryan. Then the gun jammed.

(on camera) If that gun had not jammed, that you would be here?

NOWLAN: I know I wouldn't be here. If that gun did not jam, I am full certain that I probably would not be here.

LAH: How are you feeling today?

NOWLAN: Scared. You know. Of course, I'm glad it's over with and, yes, I am glad I am alive and I get to see my kids. But then I also think about, you know, the other people that didn't -- that's not as lucky as I was. I mean there is, kids, mothers and fathers that was there and they're dead. I'm still alive.

LAH: Amid the horror of what happened inside theater number nine, we're hearing an extraordinary story repeated among the survivors. The number of people who threw themselves on top of friends and family members to shield them from the flying bullets.

NOWLAN: Brandon and Denise are two of the best people you would ever get to meet.

LAH: Is that why you jumped on top of them when those bullets started flying.

NOWLAN: I did. I did not want to see those two go. Because they have every right to live and be happy. They just got married.

DENISE AXELROD, SHOOTING SURVIVORS: It's no longer a friendship. It's not even family. It's like something deeper.

BRANDON AXELROD, SHOOTING SURVIVORS: Because there's -- this is something that will never leave us.

DENISE AXELROD: No.

LAH (voice-over): His friends won't leave his side now, helping Nowlan through a second surgery and physical therapy. As soon as he can, Nowlan has only one thing he says he must do for his emotional recovery.

NOWLAN: I want to go back into that theater, I want to go back into that auditorium, look straight down that same seat and I will say, I beat you. You did not take this life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Kyung Lah back with us now. You also spoke with people who have been attending church services today. What were some of their thoughts that they were willing to convey?

LAH: It's a bit of a mix, as you might suspect. That people are really questioning faith, they're wondering, you know, what kind of world and what kind of spirituality would lead this community into this situation. But then there are others who are turning to their church, turning to the community for comfort. We did go to one church service where their they're already beginning to talk about forgiving. One member of that church, Fredricka, was shot and injured. He is surviving though and he is asking his church to forgive the gunman.

WHITFIELD: And what more Kyung are you able to tell us about this evening's vigil memorial service, attended by clearly the community, city officials, as well as the President of the United States.

LAH: Yes. It's going to be a way for every part of this community, the first responders, the victims, the family members, all the people of this community to come together to take a moment to pray and to pause. We're looking now two days after the shooting and it's just a way for this community to begin the healing process -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kyung Lah, thanks so much from Aurora, Colorado.

So, the youngest victim of this massacre was a six-year-old girl who loved school and loved playing dress-up. Veronica Moser-Sullivan was at the Batman movie with her mom. Her mother Ashley Moser was critically wounded in the shooting. Veronica's great aunt says, the little girl had just learned how to swim and was quote, "excited about life." Veronica was an only child.

Any minute now, President Obama is scheduled to leave Washington, the Washington area, then fly to Aurora.

CNN's Athena Jones is live at the White House. There you see at Andrews Air Force Base just outside of D.C., Air Force One poise ready to go, just waiting for the President's arrival. So, Athena, what more can you tell us about the travel, the plans for the President.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Fredricka. Well, the President is scheduled to leave the White House here in just about 15 minutes. He is expected to touch down at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, just before 4:00 p.m. local time. So, 6:00 p.m. Our time here on the East Coast. He expects to spend about two hours there on the ground. He'll be meeting with families of the victims of Friday's shooting, as well as local officials.

We expect those meetings to take place privately behind closed doors. But it's not uncommon at events like this to see the President at some point appear on camera, perhaps make a statement to the press. As you know, he was just in Colorado at the end of June to tour the damage in and around Colorado Springs. And he certainly spoke to the press then. So, we'll be keeping an eye out on that but he just plans to spend just over two hours there on the ground helping comfort the families and get updates from local officials -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And there was a decision, some real consternation about whether the President should attend the same memorial service that the vast, you know, populous there was going to be attending. Do you know how that decision came about or the things that the President was weighing?

JONES: Well, I can tell you that the President does not right now plan to attend this vigil as Colorado Governor Hickenlooper told our own Candy Crowley on "STATE OF THE UNION" that they didn't -- the White House didn't want this President's visit to be disruptive as you can imagine. If the President were to attend an event like that, that adds to the security hassle, people having to be screened, perhaps arrive hours early in order for the President to be able to go.

And that's certainly in line with the White House's thinking in situations like these. They don't want to come in and cause a lot of disruption, cause a lot of abuse of resources or misplacement of resources. So, that would make sense, what Governor Hickenlooper said -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Athena. And of course, live pictures of the White House right there, flags remain at half-staff, that instituted by the President.

All right. A short time ago, I talked with Aurora's mayor about how his community will heal from this tragedy. And I asked him what he's looking for from the President's visit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE HOGAN, MAYOR, AURORA, COLORADO: I think his message primarily will be personal and it will be to the families. Certainly there was some discussion about him appearing at the community wide vigil this evening. We decided not to. The vigil this evening needs to be about making the community start to heal and the President was well aware that if he was there, the focus would be on him. So I'm happy that -- I'm happy for the visit and I'm happy that his conversation will be with the families, because it still is about the families.

WHITFIELD: We're learning so much more about the suspect, James Holmes, and how his painstaking and methodical planning stretches back months, maybe even four months, before these attacks. What are some of the questions you have about how he went unnoticed for so long, how he was able to execute this plan?

HOGAN: Well, I think the fact that it was unnoticed for so long and that we are discovering that he had friends, he had folks that he drank with on a Friday night, he was a student. The picture was one of someone in complete control. All he had in terms of a criminal record was a traffic offense from a couple years ago. This individual, in my opinion at least, is a cold, calculating murderer. What he set up in his apartment is almost inconceivable. It was designed to kill the first person who walked in that door. Whether that person happened to be a police officer, a firefighter, or a neighbor who was wondering what was going on. Someone was going to die.

WHITFIELD: How bothersome is it that this will be a distinction for Aurora, similar to Oklahoma City, similar to Columbine, Littleton, Colorado?

HOGAN: Well, and yes, we'll have to live with this literally forever, and hopefully over the coming days and weeks and months, you know, we will all feel better about where it is. But, you know, Aurora, Colorado, prior to Friday was a diverse, blue-collar, safe community. We're listed on the FBI's list of ten most safe cities above a population of 250,000. So this is just not normal for Aurora.

But we know we'll have to live with it, and we'll just have to move forward. We'll have to take this tragedy. First, we'll deal with the families and the survivors. But then we'll have to take this tragedy and figure out how to move forward, and as I said earlier, we will. We will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Mayor Steve Hogan of Aurora, Colorado. And his plan to try and guide his community through this tragedy.

Aurora is now hoping, with life after the violence, the woman who represents Aurora in the Colorado State Legislature knows a bit about that. She's going to be joining me in a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Matt McQuinn's family agonized for hours before they found out he was killed in the Aurora movie theater shooting. He was at the movie with his girlfriend and her brother. Witnesses say, he died while trying to shield his girlfriend from the barrage of bullets from suspected gunman James Holmes. To make matters worse for his girlfriend, the hospital wouldn't confirm his condition to her because she was not related.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Matt McQuinn was 27-years-old. His girlfriend Samantha Yowler was shot in the knee and is expected to make a full recovery.

The accused gunman, 24-year-old James Holmes, will make his first court appearance tomorrow. This weekend, bomb squads cleared his booby trapped apartment of all explosives.

Police say, Holmes left a trail of evidence in his home. It's being sent to an FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia. On the night of the attack, Holmes allegedly set a timer blaring music from his apartment. One of his neighbors said, she went up to the apartment to complain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLYN FONZI, HOLMES' NEIGHBOR: I went upstairs and knocked on the door quite a few times and realized that it was possibly unlocked. And so, I thought about peering my head in there. I had my hand on the door handle and just yelling at them to say, hey, turn it down. And I just decided not to do that. I just had a trepidation and a little voice told me, no, just let the cops handle it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Aurora is the kind of community where people would brag about how safe it is. We heard the mayor just short moments ago talk about that. In 2005, the son of State Representative Rhonda Fields, well, he had a tragic encounter and was gunned down in Aurora. And for so many, that kind of reshaped their thoughts about the safety of Aurora.

Representative Fields and her daughter Maisha Fields-Pollard join me now from Aurora. Good to see both of you. Representative, I know you and I spoke yesterday. We wanted to have you back because this is such a significant day and you are joined by your daughter Maisha, as well.

So, Representative, first, tell me, you know, what this will mean, that the President will be arriving with a message of his own to the people there of Aurora.

RHONDA FIELDS, DISTRICT INCLUDES AURORA, COLORADO: I am so pleased that the President is going to be here to talk to the victims and to be here in our state because this is a tragedy, this is kind of an attack on our fabric of humanity and we need to hear from him, we need to know that he's here, that he's in touch with the pain that we're all experiencing right now. This is really a very tragic thing in our city.

WHITFIELD: It's a very difficult thing that many folks will have to try to grapple with. How do you move on when you have lost a loved one? You know this firsthand. Very unrelated to what took place at that massacre at a movie theater. But your son was going to be testifying in a murder trial, he was gunned down along with your fiance before that would ever happened. What would be your best advice to people, as to how you do cope or try to heal when you've lost someone that you love?

FIELDS: Yes, right. For me, it's been the power of prayer and having a church family. But also it was the support of the community, the compassion of the community coming together to support me. And that's what we're doing today at this prayer vigil. It is the community coming together with love and compassion and letting the victims know that they are not alone, that there is a city, there's a state, there is a nation that cares about what's going on in Colorado. Their eyes are on us. We need your support, we need your prayers. We want you just to keep us lifted because together we will make it through this.

WHITFIELD: And Maisha, you've tried to convey that kind of compassion that Aurora still has even after the loss of your brother. You were the executive producer and director of a documentary called "Shattered Dreams: Revitalizing Hope in the Children's Corridor." And in that documentary, you happen to profile the very apartment complex where this suspect, James Holmes, lived where the investigation of the booby trapped apartment was. What was it about that apartment complex that you thought needed to be in your documentary? What was the message of the community there?

MAISHA FIELDS-POLLARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FIELDS WOLFE MEMORIAL FUND: You know, the community is one of diversity. I think that's the greatest strength of original Aurora and where James Holmes lives. It's an area where a 66 percent of the individuals are Hispanic, and 60 percent of immigrants who come to Colorado or come to our nation come to original Aurora. So that area is an area where you will find several families, several children. In fact, 40 percent of the homes in that area have at least two or more children in it.

So, it's an area that's extremely diverse. However, there are some despair in that area as well. You'll find that a lot of children are living in poverty. Two-thirds of the people who live in that area in fact live in poverty. And 80 percent of the schools are underperforming. So it's an area where it's hopeful, where you find people are coming in search of affordable housing and a place to create the American dream...

WHITFIELD: So, then I wonder...

POLLARD: ... and it's very aware of community has celebrated.

WHITFIELD: So, then I wonder Representative, from your point of view, that being such a textured community, how does one try to make sense of this James Holmes being able to blend in, have 60 to 90 odd packages being delivered to his home, to have this kind of methodical -- alleged methodical approach to carrying out such a massacre. How does one -- how do you try to make sense of him being able to blend in or just become invisible in the kind of community and apartment complex that your daughter just explained?

FIELDS: You know, it's hard for me to comprehend that. But what I can tell you, it makes me extremely angry that the risk that he put the women and the children in that community at risk like that over there. Because it is a very underserved kind of community and area. And to know that that could have been the potential loss of more lives over there is just really is upsetting that he would take just such blatant disregard for the women and the children. Because as my daughter said, it is affordable housing over there. You have working class people over there. And it's just a shame that we have folks that have that kind of mentality that has no regard for life.

WHITFIELD: Representative Rhonda Fields and Maisha Fields-Pollard. Thanks so much. We're actually out of satellite time but I really appreciate your time and your point of view. We really appreciate that. Thanks so much.

All right. Penn State making a decision concerning an iconic statue that has been on campus for more than ten years now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: An iconic statue honoring the late Penn State football Coach Joe Paterno is gone. It came under fire following a report on Penn State and the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.

Also, the NCAA says, it will hold a press conference tomorrow morning to announce sanctions against the university. So, as you see, statue being covered there. And it has since now been removed.

All right. There seems to be some confusion about the whereabouts of Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine. A nephew reported Katherine Jackson missing late Saturday night after her grandchildren were unable to get in touch with her for a week, they say. But then Jermaine Jackson tweeted, "I want to reassure everyone that mother is fine but is resting up in Arizona on the orders of a doctor, not us."

This drama is all unfolding as the family deals with a rather messy dispute over still the late Michael Jackson's estate.

All right. Now, overseas to Syria. President Bashar al-Assad made his second appearance on state television since a bombing killed members of his inner circle. Opposition activists report fierce fighting between regime and rebel forces. All of that taking place in and around Damascus.

Meanwhile, in a video posted online today, the head of a rebel group in one of those communities called Aleppo announced an operation to liberate the city from Assad's rule.

All right. I want to take you straight outside the Washington, D.C. area, Marine One there landing at Andrews Air Force Base, the President of the United States soon to be emerging, and then boarding Air Force One. He will be Colorado bound, he'll be heading to Aurora, Colorado. There is a vigil to take place this evening for the community of Aurora. Couple days after that massacre at a movie theater. But the President's objective is to send a message of comfort.

He'll be meeting with the victims privately and also meeting with city officials privately. He will not be in attendance in the vigil but he did want to make his presence known, convey his message of comfort and try to console those who are dealing with the tragedy that unfolded early Friday morning at that movie theater when suspect James Holmes allegedly walked in and open fire killing 12 people and injuring 58. Monday, the first court appearance for James Holmes likely to be facing a litany of charges, including murder and attempted murder.

Again, you're looking at live pictures at Andrews Air Force Base just outside Washington, D.C. in Maryland. That's Marine One. President of the United States soon to be emerging. And then heading to Air Force One. And of course, we will continue to give you details of the investigation surrounding this massacre in Colorado, along with our coverage throughout the day. There's the President. Of course, we'll have a prime time special this evening here on CNN at 8:00 Eastern Time, hosted by my colleague Don Lemon from Aurora, Colorado.

There the President, he's been briefed clearly by a number of his cabinet members on the investigations on the federal level, as well as on the local level of all that's taking place surrounding the Aurora, Colorado tragedy. On to Air Force One there. And then he'll be taking flight a couple hours, landing in Colorado. And then meeting again privately with victims of that tragedy, as well as with city officials.

We're going to keep you posted on the President's travels. And of course his message later on this afternoon. Again, a vigil will be taking place this evening but the President won't be in attendance at the vigil, instead he'll be having his private meetings with the people that I just mentioned.

All right. Meantime, the suspect, James Holmes, in that Colorado mass shooting is expected in court tomorrow. And we'll get a preview of what might happen when in court.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The accused gunman, 24-year-old, James Holmes, will make his first court appearance tomorrow. So what's the likely procedure when Holmes appears in court? Jean Casarez from "In Session" on TruTV gives us a preview.

JEAN CASAREZ, "IN SESSION": Every state is a little bit different in what its criminal procedure laws are regarding the courts. Now in Colorado, James Holmes should have his initial appearance on Monday and that in Colorado is called an advisement.

Well, it is very constitutionally based. It is very short and what will happen is that the defendant will be apprised of his constitutional rights. If at that point formal charges have been filed, he will be read his charges.

Now if he is charged with first degree murder, which it is obviously believed he will be, that is not bondable. So there will be no expectation of bond.

If he has not been formally charged, there will be another advisement later on where he is apprised of those formal charges. Now what happens after that is that in about 30 days there will be a preliminary hearing.

Now that's a big procedure right there because that is a hearing. That is where prosecutors can put on witnesses. The whole point is, is there probable cause that he committed a crime, is there enough evidence that it can go at some point to a jury.

It is a judge that will determine that, but it is a very interesting procedure because the defense can use it to see exactly where the prosecution is going.

Farther along from that is an arraignment. That's down the line and that's where he will enter a plea -- guilty or not guilty. Then the court proceedings will go on from there.

WHITFIELD: All right, that was "In Session's" Jean Casarez reporting. Stay tuned to CNN. Of course, we'll bring you live coverage of James Holmes' court appearance tomorrow morning.

All right, so how is the film "The Dark Knight" be impacted by the Colorado tragedy?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As friends and family of victims of the Colorado shooting mourn the loss of their loved ones, Warner Brothers, the company behind the movie "The Dark Knight Rises" has decided not report Box Office figures today.

The company has released this statement instead saying, quote "Out of respect for the victims and their families, Warner Brothers pictures will not be reporting Box Office numbers for "The Dark Knight Rises" throughout the weekend. Box Office numbers will be released on Monday," end quote.

Our Kareen Wynter is joining us now from Los Angeles with more on this. It's very difficult crossroads for the production and those all involved in that movie.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Fred. But I got to tell what's going on behind the scenes here in Hollywood, quite a backlash. That's because you heard the steps that Warner Brothers took in holding off on those Box Office receipts in light of respect for all of the victims involved here.

But guess what? Those numbers have been leaking to various media outlets like "The New York Times." Listen to this, Fred, which reports that -- and again, this is coming -- their source saying a studio executive.

Officials who would only have information -- would only be privy to these Box Office numbers that were usually released on Sunday, again many are holding off until Monday.

But the "New York Times" is reporting that "The Dark Knight Rises" brought in more than $160 million. We have not confirmed that number.

Some of the backlash that other people are also feeling, Nicky Think who is really well known in the industry, she has a lot of sources, very, very tightly connected.

She's also revealing those numbers as well and she's receiving a lot of backlash with people who are absolutely furious that this isn't the time or place right now specifically to be talking profit, talking dollars.

Look at the steps that Warner Brothers took not only Warner Brothers, but also 20th Century Fox. We confirmed with them a short time ago that instead of releasing the numbers today, well, they're holding off until Monday.

We've also reached out to other studios such Paramount, Sony, Disney, as well as Universal just to confirm those reports, but they're also following suit here.

But again, just to give you an indication as to the firestorm here happening and the fact that a lot of people said those numbers should not have been released -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kareen Wynter, thanks so much for keeping us posted on that from Los Angeles. Appreciate that.

All right, he's an all-American, a triple jumper, and he's representing Haiti in the summer Olympic Games. Meet an athlete who is actually putting a lucrative career aside in order to pursue this dream of competing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: One athlete taking part in this summer's London games, which again opening ceremonies this Friday, has put off a potentially lucrative legal career to pursue his Olympic dreams.

Samyr Laine was born in America, but he's competing for Haiti in the triple jump. At one point in his journey, his Harvard roommate was a student who had become one of the richest men in the world. More about that later.

I asked Samyr what it feels like to be just one of four members of Haiti's Olympic team.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMYR LAINE, HARVARD ROOMMATE OF MARK ZUCKERBERG: Really I'm just trying to stay even keel and really approach the Olympics as if it is any other meet, even though I know full well that it isn't.

But when I get to competition the runway is going to be the same. The sand pit's going to be the same. So all of my preparation I just really have to execute and not think about it as the Olympics, but just another meet.

WHITFIELD: My goodness, Samyr that sounds like it is so difficult to do that. This is the Olympics. You'll be in the Olympic stadium.

Not to make you nervous because it sounds like you're even keel, like you said, but there will be thousands of people watching around the world and you're competing with the world's best.

Your journey to the Olympic stadium is a very fascinating one. How did you get there?

LAINE: Yes. Well, it wasn't easy. First I attempted to make the national team for the Beijing Olympics and didn't meet the Olympic standard then.

But that year also coincided with my first year of law school at Georgetown. So the next four years really just a lot of hard work and whether it's balancing law school with track and field and training and eventually hitting the Olympic standard in may of 2011.

A lot of it was just doing the due diligence, putting in the time in the classroom and on the track to get to this point and to be going to the Olympics next week.

WHITFIELD: Explain to me that real crossroads of preparing yourself for professional career, going to come of the finest universities in the U.S., and at the same time being torn by your love for athletics, for the triple jump in particular.

At what point and how did you make a decision that you were going to put your career aspirations on the back burner and pursue your athletic ones?

LAINE: Yes. Well, the biggest thing for me is just pursuing excellence, whether it's on the track or in the classroom. When I finished my NCAA career, I competed as a graduate student at the University of Texas.

I knew that I had more left in the tank. So there wasn't any question of whether or not I was going to keep up with it in law school, even though lot of people asked me how I would do so.

But even after law school I was fortunate enough to receive a job offer from a law firm in New York City and they have been very supportive. They deferred that offer for a couple years and are behind me 100 percent.

So it really enables me to focus on my training and really try to be all that I can be on the track before I attempt that in my legal career.

WHITFIEDL: How did it come back that you would represent Haiti as opposed to pursuing only a U.S. Olympic team slot and then leaving it there if you didn't make the team or celebrating if you did? Instead, it would be Haiti that you would be representing as an Olympian?

LAINE: Yes. Well, in 2007 before going to law school when I finished at the University of Texas I decided that I wanted to compete internationally. That year was the pan American games.

So for me at that point it was really just a decision that competing for Haiti, I could really have a lot more of an influence and really be more of an inspiration.

And it's because like you mentioned, in 2012, our Olympic team has only four members. Unfortunately, Olympians in the U.S. are a dime a dozen and even Olympic Medalists in the U.S. are a dime a dozen.

So competing for Haiti, the good I can do when I go back, helping children, working with children, giving them some hope and letting them know what's out there really means a lot to me.

WHITFIELD: You got a lot of folks who are rooting for you, not only, of course, those children in Haiti that you speak of, but people all over the U.S. as well including good friend and former college roommate Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg.

So what kind of words of advice has he given you, what kind of support has he thrown your way?

LAINE: Mark has always been encouraging. Whenever he gets in touch with me, it is really just to see how things are going, make sure everything's going well, and Mark in addition to anybody else, really just letting me know that the law school career, the legal career, my law degree will always be there and triple jumping isn't forever.

So that's Mark and anybody else, anybody else I speak with, they all let me know that I have my entire life to be a lawyer, but being an Olympian is once in a lifetime opportunity and there is an expiration date on my legs. So triple jumping isn't something that I can do when I'm 40 or 50. So I've sort of got to cash in and make the most of it, which I'm trying to do.

WHITFIELD: All right, Samyr Laine, all the best to you. We'll be watching for you there in the Olympic stadium in London as a triple jumper and before that at opening ceremonies we're going to find out which one of you -- one of the four is actually going to be carrying the flag for your country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: He says he doesn't know yet. Who knows? It could be a coin toss or something like that. You can watch Samyr and his three Haitian colleagues on that team march in the opening ceremonies this coming Friday.

All right, a victim of that movie theatre shooting in Colorado tells us what she saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I actually didn't even know what was going on for like the first three minutes that it happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Christina shares more details of what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Alex Sullivan worked at the Century 16 theatre in Aurora and planned to ring in his 27th birthday with a special midnight screening of "Dark Knight Rises."

His relatives describe him as a gentle giant. He was funny, witty, smart, with a big loving heart. He and his wife were expected to celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Sunday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Alex Sullivan's uncle said he was full of joy and never had a chip on his shoulder. Just before the movie started, he tweeted that this was going to be the best birthday ever.

A good friend of Alex Sullivan's, Christina Blache, she too is a victim of the shooting massacre in Aurora, Colorado. She was with Alex at that midnight showing. Christina survived. Our Don Lemon spoke to her in the hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A couple of hours ago, day or so ago, you were normal life, manager at a restaurant and then this. CHRISTINE BLACHE, SHOOTING VICTIM: Yes. You can never expect it. You're always the person that says, that would never happen to me. Then when it is going on, I actually didn't even know it was going on for like the first three minutes that it happened.

I thought it was kind of like movie theatre antics. You know, when there are midnight movie premiers, they kind of sometimes put on shows or you know, like have people dress up in costumes and come around and whatnot.

I honestly thought that might be what's going on because it was in the middle of a movie scene where they're fighting and then when the thing that was thrown and kind of like you could literally count to five. This like bomb went off.

That was like two things in front of me, like two rows. Then all of a sudden you just hear pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, just gunfire. That's when it hit me, my God, this is actually happening, I should get to the floor. And so that's when I went to go get to the floor and that's when I was shot.

LEMON: So people were like, my God, I've been hit and then they started to run and duck.

BLACHE: Everybody's like get out of the theatre! Get out of the theatre! Certain people like trampling over other people that had fallen down whether they were hit or not, I don't know.

But like people were falling over each other. Next thing you know you're hearing everybody, "My God, help me," "My God, help me." There was blood everywhere. You could just see it. You just turn your head, kind of look around, there was blood everywhere.

So it kind of clicks once you see that much blood and people not moving and then my friend that was sitting next to me was -- he was face down next to me, blood coming out of his head. I didn't get an update until this morning about what had actually happened, if he made it or not.

LEMON: Your friend, Alex.

BLACHE: Alex Sullivan. Yes.

LEMON: What did you learn this morning?

BLACHE: He -- he died.

LEMON: Hard for fathom.

BLACHE: Well, he's the reason we all went. Just sucks, you know. I don't want to say -- nobody deserves something like this.

LEMON: Christi, as they call you, you were in a war zone like you were in Baghdad. Why is this worse than being in a war zone?

BLACHE: They just weren't -- nobody saw this coming. You know what I mean? Nobody that was there saw it coming. Nobody was prepared for it. If you're going over to a war zone, you know there's the potential you're going to be shot at.

Potentially that mortar is going to come over the wall. Potential that somebody's going to throw a grenade as you, whereas you are sitting in a movie theatre trying to watch a movie with your friends. Who expects to be shot in a movie theatre? None of us did.

LEMON: Can you forgive him, the gunman?

BLACHE: Can I forgive him? Probably not today, not tomorrow, eventually, I'm a pretty, I guess, laid back and kind of outgoing person. I like to move on.

I don't like to keep dwelling on the past. So eventually, yes, I'd be able to forgive him. Just not right now. He killed somebody I cared about and he injured a heck of a lot of my friends so for right now, no. Down the road? Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Christina served in the Air Force while on tour in Baghdad. Of course, we'll have much more on the investigation of this massacre, as well as more on the court appearance for the suspect tomorrow.

Tonight 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, my colleague, Don Lemon will be hosting a special coverage of that, as well as including the president's visit with the community there in Aurora, Colorado.

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WHITFIELD: "Travel Insider" deep in the heart of Texas. The lone star state is known for ropers, wranglers and delicious Tex-Mex. Well, just ask our own Ed Lavendera, not only does he love working for CNN out of Dallas, but he loves stopping in on Fuel City Tacos even more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What if I told you that some of the best tacos you'll find not just in Dallas, Texas, but the entire state of Texas, are hidden in this gas station, Fuel City.

You're not going to find this place in some fancy photo spread with the Dallas Chamber of Commerce. It's off the beaten path. You got to drive past a bunch of bail bond stores, some liquor stores, even a couple of closed-up strip joints, but it is worth the drive.

We're going to take you inside where the magic is made. Check it out. You've got beef. You've got chicken, pork, check out the jalapenos and grilled onions. Delicious.

Fuel City is kind of like Texas on steroids, if you will. There are not many car washes where you can actually look at real longhorns, donkeys, kind of like Texas over the top really. One of my favorite things about this place -- it is open 24 hours! They got breakfast tacos. You can come here any time. It is just $1.40 for a taco. Now it is time for us to order, ordering for everybody. Feast ready for everybody to enjoy.

Heaven. It's all good, beautiful. Now after you've enjoyed your tacos and you're full, take a moment and feel sorry for the poor animals that don't get to enjoy them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: He is not rubbing it in with the animals. I'm hungry now. It's about lunch time, I'd say. Thanks, Ed.

All right, I'll be back in an hour with any new developments from Aurora, Colorado, including the president's travels there bringing a message of comfort to the victims. Stay with CNN. "YOUR MONEY" starts after this.

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