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Aurora's People Start to Heal; Penn State to be Punished; Aurora and the Politics of Guns; Witness Corbin Dates Talks Escaping Theater Shooting; Jonathan Blunk Died Saving Another; Aurora Shooting Draws Comparisons to Norway Shooting; Colorado Governor Discusses Shooting
Aired July 22, 2012 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANXHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon in the CNN NEWSROOM and I'm reporting live from Aurora, Colorado, this evening. You can see a lot is happening this hour and we will get you started with the latest developments in the theater shooting that has left 12 people dead so far, and wounded more than 50.
President Barack Obama is here in town tonight. He is in Aurora, he arrived at Buckley Air Force Base just a short time ago. When the president arrived, it was dry and now it is raining. You can see and hear the rain around me. He's meeting privately right now with family members of those people who were gunned down in that packed movie theater. He is also joined by the mayor of Aurora and also Governor George Hickenlooper of Colorado.
His arrival at Buckley Air Force Base just moments ago.
These are just some of the people on the president's mind today here in Aurora, the men, the women, and one child, 12 people who died early Friday in that shooting. Let me just tell you that a citywide prayer vigil is set for a few hours from now, and of course, we will be covering it for you.
And from the police today, they are still not saying anything about what would make their suspect, that suspect, go on that deadly rampage. They do believe, though, that Holmes planned this attack for at least two months. And it is that planning and the evidence Holmes left behind that I want to talk to CNN's Ed Lavandera about right now.
Ed is outside the suspect's apartment in Aurora.
Ed, tell us what people there are saying about their neighbor.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, the people you talk to around here in the neighborhood who had seen James Holmes come and go, describe a quiet guy who kept to himself. This is the apartment behind me, and everything has now been opened up, everything except for that building where he lived in. You can see the windows that were smashed out by the bomb teams that had spent almost 36 hours working through trying to make the situation safe there after all of these bomb -- bomb materials and explosives were removed from inside that apartment. Then evidence-gathering teams also went inside and they spend several more hours essentially emptying out the -- out the apartment. So you can see from our vantage point down here that everything seems to have been cleared out and most of the work done there has already been done for. We haven't seen many officers around here over the last few hours, but now everything kind of pointing to toward tomorrow morning where it's expect that James Holmes will make his first court appearance at 9:30 Mountain Time, 11:30 Eastern Time here in -- in the city of Aurora, and it will be the first time, Don, that we get a chance to see James Holmes since the shooting early -- in the early hours of Friday morning.
And of course, everyone this weekend pointing towards this vigil tonight, and still trying to come to terms with everything that has happened, trying to grasp the magnitude and the pain and the sorrow that they're all going to, and then as something that the mayor of Aurora has been talking to people about a lot this weekend.
Don, back to you.
LEMON: OK. Ed, before we -- before I let you go, I want you to talk about more about the people who are there and about the booby-trapped apartment. They said yesterday that they thought that all the explosives were out of the apartment, but then the people you're speaking to, are they sure? Do they feel comfortable going back into their homes at some point?
LAVANDERA: They have been. In fact, you know, all of the buildings around here in this immediate area that had been evacuated for initially after police and investigators arrived here on the scene shortly after taking -- taking James Holmes into custody. You've seen a lot of those people coming back here, and of course, there's a lot of doctors in this work that you've seen. People coming by this neighborhood to kind of check it out, but slowly, all the other apartment buildings have been filling up again and outside of just -- you know, people sharing the stories of just how crazy the last few days have been for them, you know, that's a lot of what you're seeing.
People kind of starting to fill back up and everything kind of getting back to normal here, and police are trying to make that transition as quickly as possible. To get everything back to normal here. All the streets are reopened and people can kind of move freely. The only people who aren't allowed back into their apartments are the people who live in this building. That's expected to happen here in the next couple of days.
LEMON: The suspect's apartment there, thank you very much, Ed.
I want to tell you that --
TOM FOREMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, I'm Tom Foreman. Live here in Washington, D.C. As you can we're having some weather problems there with Don Lemon out in Colorado. We will be continuing to follow that story all evening long after the president visits with some people there at the hospital, some of the victims and their families, and the vigil service later on tonight and the president's departure from Colorado as he moves on. And awful lot on that story still coming up. We hope you'll stay with us the whole time.
People in Aurora took their grief and shock into their churches this Sunday morning, leaning on each other for support and struggling to understand why this tragedy happened.
Watching this report from CNN's Kyung Lah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Song and prayer for their absent church member. Pierce O'Farrell, usually with this congregation on Sunday mornings, instead in a hospital bed.
PIERCE O'FARRELL, VICTIM: You could just hear gunshot after gunshot and I just started praying.
LAH: Shotgun fragments then a bullet struck him in the left foot, then more shotgun fragments to his chest. The gunshots grew louder and closer to O'Farrell and his friend.
O'FARRELL: I just remember him saying, Pierce, I'm shot, I'm shot. Pierce, I'm shot. And I said, so am I, buddy, y, and then right when we had that little exchange I got shot a second time.
LAH: This time a direct hit to his left arm breaking a bone, then a pause in the gunfire. O'Farrell tried to run, but collapsed in the aisle.
O'FARRELL: I felt him literally standing right above me. I mean, his boot could haven't been no more than six inches away from my head.
LAH (on camera): He was six inches from you?
O'FARRELL: Yes, I mean he was standing right above me and just kind of scanning. There was certainly a very dark and evil presence in that -- in that movie theater. I mean, it was just a feeling of just hatred and just this eeriness and darkness in the air. I thought I was dying. I really thought that I was just going to kind of fade away, you know.
And then I just kept praying and praying with my face down, my eyes closed. And then he just walked away.
LAH: Across this community on this first Sunday questions of faith and struggling for answers. One survivor and his church, there is already a need to move beyond the carnage of Theater 9.
Are you angry at him?
O'FARRELL: No, not at all. I have already forgiven him in my heart. I can honestly say I could sit across the table from him and look him in the eye. And just talk to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now he had totally forgiven this gunman that had caused so much injury to him and so many others, I thought, you know, that is exactly what we need to talk about this morning. LAH (voice-over): A victim helping his community's wounds as O'Farrell begins to take his first careful steps on his path of healing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: That's our Kyung Lah out in Colorado.
Let's go back to Don Lemon now. I think the weather has cleared enough that we might be able to speak to him some now -- Don.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Hey, Tom, and we should just be transparent, you've been here, we know -- there's a media tent here, and when you saw me raise my hand, I was trying to keep the tent from falling on me, a bad storm just rolled through and look at this. So we're all trying to stage right here. We were knocked off the air just for a little bit.
But Tom Foreman, we'll get back to you in just a little bit.
And as Tom mentioned our Kyung Lah talked about the people of this community, about how they will gather tonight.
And Kyung, before we join you, I want to -- I want to tell our viewers -- and you may not have heard before we were knocked off the air, that President Barack Obama will speak, we're learning from the White House, 7:30 Eastern Time, 7:30 Eastern Time from here in Aurora, this evening, after he visits with the families.
Kyung Lah, back to you now. What can you tell us?
LAH: Well, I can tell you that the setup is still happening even -- despite the fact that we've had quite a bit of rainfall here, Don, at the prayer vigil, the setup is still going on. They have about two hours, 2 1/2 hours before the scheduled start of this, and we're really going to start to see the entire community come together, the governor, the mayor, victims, victims' family members, friends and the first responders all gathering in this square behind me to try to begin that process, a very difficult process, Don, of taking the step beyond the shooting.
And it's only been two days, so it's going to be -- there are going to be a lot of raw emotions here of people trying to, you know, get over this, but it is going to certainly be a long process, and this is perhaps the first big community step that we're going to start to see -- Don.
LEMON: Absolutely, Kyung. And Kyung will be here all evening as well as I will be here, as well, we'll be on the air live until at least, at least 11:00 p.m. Eastern.
Thank you, Kyung. We'll get back to you.
And once again, we're passing along word that we have received just a few minutes ago that President Barack Obama, deliver remarks live in Aurora 7:30 Eastern tonight. He was one of the -- he was here just to meet with the family members, but now, he is going to speak.
Moving on now, he was one of the heroes in the theater shooting, but in the process of saving a life, he didn't -- he didn't make it. We're going to talk with one man who risked his life, and actually died saving his wife. That is coming up. We are back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Tom Foreman in Washington now with the day's other headlines.
Hey, Tom.
FOREMAN: All right. Thanks so much, Don.
In international news, an Afghan policeman turned his gun on three Americans today killing them at a training center in Harat Province. A NATO official says the victims were civilian contractors working at the center. The gunman was also killed and Afghan police official says the motive for that shooting is unknown at this time.
And opposition group in Syria says it's -- an operation is under way to liberate the city of Aleppo. A general with the rebels urged government troops to surrender, promising that they would not be hurt. At the same time Arab diplomats met today in Qatar to discuss the conflict and how it might be ended. Activists say 42 people were killed today, all across that country as troubles roll on.
Michael Jackson's mother has been reported missing by a family member but her son says she's fine. The missing person's report was filed with the L.A. County Sheriff's Office by her nephew. By Twitter Catherine Jackson's son, Jermaine, says she's resting in Arizona on the orders of a doctor. He says she's upset because of a family fight over Michael Jackson's will.
Penn State officials are -- have been worried and so are supporters there that the NCAA might shut down their beloved football team. A source familiar with the case has told CNN that the school will escape the so-called death penalty, but might face even more severe penalties which are unknown at this part when they're announced tomorrow. This comes as the statue of former coach Joe Paterno was removed today from outside the stadium.
All of this toll follows the devastating investigation that revealed how school officials ignored suspicions of child sexual abuse by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is on her way to State College, Pennsylvania. She joins me now by phone.
Susan, let's start, first, about this controversial decision to remove the statue of Paterno. How is that being received there?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Well, Tom, it's been a lightning rod on campus, that's for sure. In the end, Penn State president, Rodney Erickson, said he felt the statue would be, quote, "a recurring wound to the multitude of individuals across the nation and beyond who have been victims of child abuse," end quote.
Now the Paterno family says tearing down the statue does not serve the victims and that, quote, "The only way to help the victims, as they put it, is to uncover the full truth."
A lot of different views among the student body. We don't know what the Board of Trustees thinks, because despite promises of transparency, they are not talking.
The university dismantled the statue on a Sunday morning this morning well before the start of the fall semester, presumably to prevent things from getting ugly -- Tom.
FOREMAN: As I understand, it's about a 900-pound statue. It's going to to be kept in some undisclosed location. What do we expect, Susan, from the NCAA tomorrow? I know it's a secret discussion. Everybody wants to know the results. But what do you expect?
CANDIOTTI: It's big news. A source close to the case tells me Penn State football faces, quote, "unprecedented penalties," that are, quote, "well beyond what has been done in the past." Now the school, however, won't face the so-called death penalty that would have meant no football this fall in Happy Valley, but the source says in some ways, these penalties will be worse than the death penalty.
An outcome that would be devastating to current players who had nothing to do with this, but the source tells me there are going to be provisions in the plan to minimize the impact on those students.
FOREMAN: Big news there, and we will keep you up to date on it. Susan Candiotti on the story for us, as she will remain over the next couple of days for sure.
Now let's go back out to Aurora, Colorado, and Don Lemon.
LEMON: All right. Thank you very much, Tom Foreman.
You know, before the death toll in the Colorado theater shooter could even be tallied the argument over gun control versus gun rights ignited between politicians. Is it too soon?
We are talking about it next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His name was Alexander Boik but his friends called him A.J. He was a student at Gateway High School and had a girlfriend. They went to the movie together Thursday night in Aurora along with a friend. The girlfriend and friend survived, A.J. died in the theater.
His friends say you couldn't find somebody with a brighter smile and more positive outlook on life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: The shock of Friday morning's tragedy was just settling in when we started hearing familiar arguments about the role of guns in America. The debate is almost routine nowadays, but was the timing off here?
Let's bring in Will Cain and L.Z. Granderson. They both are CNN contributors, and L.Z. is a senior writer as well for ESPN.
So let's start with the mayor of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, outspoken supporter of gun control, guys. He called out both the president and Mitt Romney first thing on Friday morning. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (I), NEW YORK: I mean there's so many with guns every day. It's just got to stop. And instead of these -- the two people, President Obama and Governor Romney, talking in broad things about they want to make the world a better place, OK. Tell us how. And this is a real problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, L.Z., you first. No surprise to hear Mayor Michael Bloomberg say those words, but was Friday morning the right time to start this debate, you think?
L.Z. GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I don't know. He's in New York, the nation is still trying to heal. He's dealing with the issues in his own city and he sees an opportunity to push his agenda forward. So I guess from -- in terms of being politically savvy, you do want to, you know, hit while the iron strike or -- sorry, strike while the iron is hot, rather.
But in terms of just overall sensitivity where the nation's mood was, no, I don't think it was the right time to bring up that conversation. I think he certainly should have waited until after we've had some funerals and laid some bodies down to rest before we begin having that discussion.
LEMON: So you think it's a matter of timing, because if you have a tragedy like this, it is -- you don't think at some point it's an opportunity to talk about issues for -- on both sides? Both men appear to be afraid to talk about it, afraid to address.
GRANDERSON: Well, it's not just about both men, it's about both parties. I mean, it's very difficult to get any politician really who wants to be re-elected to fight the NRA. And that's what it boils down to is about the 4.3 million that are part of the NRA and the millions that they give out in terms of supporting politicians who support their agenda. Until we get some politicians with enough courage to stand up to the NRA, we really won't get any movement on this from either party, because both parties are getting money from the NRA. LEMON: So -- so, but, Will, why keep putting off this conversation, and keep putting it on the back burner as we -- as we say about the economy. We keep spending and spending and spending, and no one does anything about it. Why keep putting off this particular issue just because of politics or just because of a very strong gun lobby?
WILL CAIN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, the reason that the conversation is being put off, Don, is because of politics. You have to have two opposing opinions to have the debate. The Republican Party sees gun ownership as a constitutional right and defends it. The Democratic Party, at least its conventional wisdom goes, abandoned this issue after 2000. The analysis was that Al Gore took hard gore gun-banning positions during the Democratic primary that ended up hurting him in states like Ohio, in Pennsylvania.
So L.Z. might have a point about the NRA's influence, but the truth is voters in some of these swing states didn't appreciate those kind of positions -- scaring off politicians in the future from coming -- going for strong gun ban laws.
GRANDERSON: But that's not the only reason why Gore lost.
LEMON: I don't think any -- I don't --
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let me jump in here, let me jump in here, because this is -- no one is saying that people's guns should be taken away, or that taking the Second Amendment rights away. No one is saying that, but shouldn't we be at least having a sensible conversation about the access to guns, about the access to ammunition, how long people should be able to wait until they're able to get guns and get ammunition?
It doesn't seem like a political issue at all, seems like a common sense issue. Will?
CAIN: I am telling you why that conversation is not.
GRANDERSON: Of course, it is a common sense issue.
(CROSSTALK)
CAIN: I am telling you why that conversation is not taking place, and it is a political issue, back to the original question to L.Z. then is when do we have that conversation, if the politicians don't have it and they won't, and I've just explained to you largely why. Then when do we have it? And what I would say is I think I agree with L.Z. Friday morning is not the time to have it, not so much because of the emotional tenor of the country, but because it inevitably is a conversation full of declaratives and facts and on the day after a horrible incident like this, we simply don't know everything, and as we know more, we can have a more intelligent debate.
LEMON: OK. L.Z. --
(CROSSTALK) LEMON: But I want to move on because I cut you off.
GRANDERSON: I was going to say, I mean that might true, we didn't know all of the facts but we knew enough of the facts. We know that an individual went in heavily armed and killed a bunch of innocent people. That's -- I mean you don't need too many facts if we're to start to having a conversation about gun control and whether or not we should be having, you know, automatic assault rifle available out on the streets like that.
I think that's always, you know, you don't need too many more facts beyond that. And it's also important to remember that it's not that Democrats are against the Second Amendment, it's that they simply want some sort of legislation so they can keep track of who has these weapons. This guy bought 6,000 rounds in a matter of weeks.
LEMON: And L.Z., you -- you've been making your point -- you're making the point that I was trying to make more succinctly. It's not that anyone is against that. But let's move on now.
The president and Mitt Romney at times both supported forms of gun control, but here is Romney earlier in the year at the NRA convention. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And if we're going to safeguard our Second Amendment, it's time to elect a president who will defend the rights President Obama ignores or minimizes, and I will protect the Second Amendment rights of American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: OK. So, again, is the gun lobby leading this or is the public opinion just not behind more gun control, or looking at this issue? Will.
CAIN: The public opinion is not there for more gun control and you won't hear this debate as part of this presidential election in the coming months.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: All right.
GRANDERSON: And the polls suggest that --
LEMON: Will --
GRANDERSON: That the American people are willing to have some sort of restraint on the type of guns that are out there, so it's not as if no kind of gun control interests the American people, and Mitt Romney is just a jerk, because President Obama hasn't said anything at all to lead you to believe that he's against the Second Amendment, he's just pandering as usual. LEMON: All right. L.Z. and Will, thank you very much, and I apologize to the viewers about the delay here, but that's what happens with live television.
Thanks, guys. We appreciate it.
He came face to face with the Colorado theater gunman and he survived. And he talks about how he made it out alive, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only enlisted with the U.S. Navy for less than a year, 27-year-old serviceman John Larimer was in his first posting. In a phone call with CNN, his father, Scott, said they're struggling with the news that he was shot and killed in the movie theater. They say their thoughts and prayers are with the families of the other victims.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Amid the tragedy that this community has endured, there are amazing stories of survival. Corbin Dates was in the theater when the gunman opened fire and saw the whole thing happen with his friend, Jennifer Seeger.
When I spoke with Corbin last night, I asked him what it was like to be back at the scene of Friday's tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CORBIN DATES, WITNESS: Honestly, when I look at the building, I get really a blank feeling inside. It is kind of hard to look at it. I try not to think of the event that took place, because I am still seeing the flashbacks of the first thing I saw.
LEMON: You said you don't even like to look at it. You don't want to look over as I'm pointing.
DATES: I will look over, but it is giving me a very uncomfortable feeling.
LEMON: So you are so close. Jennifer said last night that the gunman got very close to her, pointed the gun at here and didn't shoot her, but shot behind her. And you were right next to her? So what happened? Why didn't you get shot?
DATES: Well, when the gunman came into the auditorium the first thing he did was to throw a canister into the audience, which later, we found out it was a toxic gas. And after that went off, about two seconds, the gun started firing and I went to the ground. We stayed there. And Jennifer fell behind me. And we stayed there for probably a good 10 seconds before we decided to crawl to the other side.
(CROSSTALK) LEMON: You said, when I asked you why didn't he shoot you, and you said that is a good question. You don't know.
DATES: I don't know. Until this day, I still don't know. Being that close to him, I don't know.
LEMON: You never know when your number is up.
DATES: You don't.
LEMON: Yes. You all right?
DATES: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Yes. I am glad, and your family is glad to have you back. And what do you say to the people around the world who are watching this and thinking, my gosh, Colorado, what is going on. There was Columbine and now this shooting. What do you say about to the country and the world about that?
DATES: Especially the world, I would say to them that events are -- under certain circumstances can happen at any time, and you never know when your number is up. So while you are still here, try to make the most of your family and friends and colleagues and people that you had bad past relationships with, because you don't want the leave knowing that you said something or didn't say enough.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: That was Corbin Dates, a courageous young man. And we thank him for sharing his story.
We want to show you what is going on across the street from the theater where I am. There is a makeshift memorial set up shortly after the shooting, and the very next day, as a matter of fact. And you can see the people there gathered. They have been bringing crosses, teddy bears, and hugging and crying at this place.
Also I want to tell you, in an hour and after from now, we will carry you live to a much bigger memorial here with the family members of the victims. And President Barack Obama here as well, speaking 7:30 eastern time. And we will carry it live for you here at CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first known victim of the Aurora, Colorado, mass theater shooting, Jessica Ghawi, was an aspiring broadcaster who moved from Texas to Aurora in the last year to chase her dream. Last month, she survived a mall shooting in Toronto while visiting her boyfriend. Accord to according to witnesses, she died from a gunshot wound to the head.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And during the unthinkable horror inside that Colorado movie theater, we are learning that there were also moments of great heroism. And one of the heroes is Jonathan Blunk. The 26-year-old veteran died trying to save someone else's life. His wife, Chantal Blunk, joins me from their home in Reno, Nevada.
Chantal, thank you so much for joining us.
I know this must be very difficult for you. How are you holding up?
CHANTAL BLUNK, WIFE OF JONATHAN BLUNK: I'm trying to hold up. I'm trying to be OK.
LEMON: Yes, and we understand that. Listen, we didn't get a chance to meet your husband, Jonathan. How would you like the world to remember him?
BLUNK: Johnny was the type who always wanted to be the hero, help anybody in any way he can, and always wanted to make people smile and laugh. He was always very optimistic and outgoing, spontaneous and always trying to do anything crazy and dangerous. So when we heard that it was him trying to save somebody, everybody just knew that that was Johnny and the type of person he was.
LEMON: Well, you have two children. You have a 4-year-old daughter, 2-year-old son. And as I said, it must take incredible strength to take care of that and grieving while dealing with young children as well. How are the kids doing?
BLUNK: Our daughter, Haley, the 4-year-old, the oldest, she keeps asking when daddy is coming, because he was supposed to fly back from Reno yesterday, and she had her dress all picked out and ready to go for what she wanted to wear and made her "welcome home" sign for him. And when I heard Friday, I still didn't tell her Friday night when I found out. And I had to tell her Saturday morning that we weren't going to the airport to pick him up, and tried to explain why we weren't getting him, that daddy was gone and still loved us, and somebody took him from us. She said -- she cried and then she asked, well, is daddy still going to come for my birthday, because he promised. And then I have to explain it again. And it has been like that since. And my 2-year-old son is only 2, so he doesn't get it. He does not understand either. But my daughter is very confused.
LEMON: Do you feel like people have been saying that, Chantal, that Jonathan died trying to save someone else's life, because he was in the military, and he apparently covered up someone. He died a hero.
BLUNK: I know. That is Johnny. Johnny was the type of person who always wanted to be the hero. He always said if he was ever going to die, he wanted it to be in battle. He wanted to be known as a hero to his kids and to me and friends and family. He just wanted everybody to look at him as that guy. So it is not a surprise at all.
LEMON: Oh, boy. Chantal, you are working on a hero's memorial for Jonathan. Can you tell me and the viewers about that? BLUNK: He has lots of friends in the military that are trying to help me, because he was on active duty. We're trying to bring his body back. But he has a very good friend that was in the military, his boss, Amy Deguzman (ph), and his friends, Jeff Keenan and Kyle Dawson and James Gill. They're all trying to help to bring him home. And Amy Deguzman (ph) was able, because she is still with the "Nimitz," and talk to them about getting the gunsman (ph) line and they are going to have -- and he will have the military funeral. He is going to have the military burial.
LEMON: Chantal, I can't even imagine the strength that it takes to come on to do this when you have -- when this has happened to you and your family. And we thank you so much. And we are praying for you, OK?
BLUNK: Thank you.
LEMON: Thank you.
If you want to learn more about the victims of the Colorado shooting and pay tribute to them, or post messages to the loved ones, you can do so by logging on to our web site. Go to CNN.com/Coloradovictims. Unbelievable. Heavy hearts all over the world.
The shooting here in Aurora has made national headlines, of course. It's also drawn the attention of the world, and drawn comparisons to another massacre one year ago today. We will tell you about that. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: There's more news to cover tonight.
Tom Foreman, back in Washington with the headlines -- Tom?
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Don. As you know, the United States mourns in the aftermath of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado, the entire world is watching that Denver suburb, as here -- Azadeh Ansari is here to talk with us about this.
Azadeh, what is the world press say?
AZADEH ANSARI, INTERNATIONAL DESK EDITOR: Tom, there's been a mixed reaction. Out of a blogger (INAUDIBLE), Iran had mentioned that, "If he had brown skin and a Muslim-sounding name, the media would be screaming terrorism." Then out of Britain, we have the "Telegraph," a blogger saying, "Stop playing this up as a uniquely American thing. The U.S. does not have a monopoly on mad killers or the senseless murders as a matter of fact. It is a global issue." Out of Russia, we have reaction, and one commentator notes that, "Not all Americans, in fact, about 99 percent of Americans are not cold-blooded killers." But this is still very harsh. A lot of mixed attention and reaction on this situation.
FOREMAN: Quite by chance, this is coming at an odd anniversary. Colorado is getting all of the attention, and worldwide, much like Norway did one year ago when that country was hit with its own terrible shooting. And that shooter's trial has wrapped up there. What is next?
ANSARI: Well, Tom, what we are seeing is that we have an issue where he is facing -- on August 24th, he will face the trial, and in addition to that, we have a situation where he dressed up in police -- in a policeman's outfit and went on a shooting rampage, killing 77 innocent people. And again, he's -- his 10-week trial ended, but we expect the final verdict on August 24th.
FOREMAN: Yes, extraordinary story there of Anders Breivik. And really a terrible thing for that country. They're remembering it right now. Really, the worst thing that had happened on their soil in quite some time.
(CROSSTALK)
FOREMAN: Overall, we talk about the world situation and how the people see the world and all of this, and we are talking about a lot about guns in this country. What is -- the U.S. is the world's largest maker, buyer and sellers of guns. Who owns the most in the world right now, Azadeh, do you know?
ANSARI: Well, the U.S. is obviously the top. But according to the "Journal of Small Arms" survey, there are about 900 million firearms in the world, Tom. That is just -- and 3 percent of them belong to law enforcement. That is nearly one quarter of all guns belong to the world's military. And the vast majority are owned by citizens and private security companies and, of course, criminals.
FOREMAN: All right. Thank you so much for that look of the world looking at us here in the United States.
And now back to Don, who is out where it is all happening right now, all of the sad news out of Aurora, Colorado -- Don?
LEMON: All right. All right. Thank you very much, Tom Foreman, in Washington. And we will get back to you.
In the meantime, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has been going from hospital to hospital to visit with the survivors of the tragedy Friday.
This morning, he took time to join Candy Crowley on our "State of the Union." And we wanted to give you an extended look at what he had to say.
Candy started by asking for an update on the police investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN HICKENLOOPER, (D), GOVERNOR OF COLORADO: Well, the investigation continues. Now that we have had access to the apartment of the suspect, they've got a lot new information. They will continue to put together the case. CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, STATE OF THE UNION: And what have they found in the apartment that might be useful? Are they learning anything more about the suspect?
HICKENLOOPER: You know what they have asked is for me not to talk about this. I think that they are learning more moment by moment. But like in any investigation like this, they are trying to make sure that they are getting all of the information first before they release it publicly.
CROWLEY: Sure. Is there anything that you can tell me about that goes to motive. I think that when you are not right there and in it, and trying to help people as they move through the horrific crisis, when you are standing outside of it, you think, why would somebody do this? Does anything go to motive that you can share with us?
HICKENLOOPER: Well, you know, I am speechless, because I have been asked this -- obviously, this is a deeply troubled, twisted, delusional person. And I can't, for the life of me -- I don't -- you know, I can't conceive of a motive.
CROWLEY: And we might have to leave that to psychiatrists. Have there been any -- can you tell me in the investigators have talked to the parents of the suspect?
HICKENLOOPER: Again, I don't know that. So -- I know that they have done hundreds of interviews, so they are certainly leaving no stone unturned.
CROWLEY: OK. And let's talk about those who remain injured. I know there are still several in critical condition. What do we know about the status of those that were injured?
HICKENLOOPER: Well, the -- you know, I spent yesterday, most of yesterday going from hospital to hospital and talking to families and in some cases talking to the wounded. It was amazing how buoyant the spirits were in many of the rooms, and even with people who had suffered grievous wounds. There's a resiliency. I don't think it's just Colorado. The west is always known for that kind of strength of character and the come back and rebound. But it really was something -- I felt it was an American quality.
At one point, I talked -- in one hospital, people from three different countries that were refugees. One was from Tunisia, one was from Jordan, one was from Asia. All have been wounded. All came to this country escaping violence. And to a person, they said, we love America. We still love America. We're so glad we're here. It was very touching.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper with out Candy Crowley this morning.
A reminder for you. Two events happening this evening. President Obama Barack Obama here in Aurora. He arrived a short time ago. The pictures of him getting off Air Force One. He will speak, we're told by the White House, 7:30 p.m. eastern. We'll carry that live for you. He is meeting with some of the victims of the shootings at the hospitals right now. In our 8:00 p.m. eastern hour, a citywide memorial service for the victims of the shooting. Live coverage, both events, right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The story out of Aurora is a tragedy on every level. It is a black mark on our history. There were brave people who stepped up, making their mark on history. One of those is Matt McQuinn. When the bullets rained down, he shielded his girlfriend with his body. He gave his life protecting her. And she is alive today, recovering in a hospital because of his amazing courage.
I want to tell you President Obama is in Aurora right now. He is meeting with victims of the theater shooting. He is at the University of Colorado Hospital, along with the mayor of Aurora and also Governor John Hickenlooper. The president will be speaking live at 7:30, here in Aurora. And we will bring that to you live. Live coverage here on CNN.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOREMAN: Hi, I'm Tom Foreman in Washington. We'll get back to Don Lemon out in Colorado shortly. But we want to first look at the stories in the weak ahead. From Hollywood to Wall Street, our correspondents will tell you all you need to know to keep up with the news. We begin tonight with the latest from the campaign trail and the race for the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser at the CNN Political Desk. Mitt Romney starts the week fundraising in California. Tuesday, the Republican presidential challenger addresses the Veterans of Foreign War convention in Reno, Nevada. Wednesday, Romney arrives in London to kick off a week-long international tour which will also take him to Israel and Poland. Romney will attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and meet with British, Israeli and Palestinian and Polish leaders.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM CORRESPONDENT: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. A jam-packed week is ahead for Wall Street. First, we'll get a number of key economic reports. We'll get the latest reading on U.S. economic growth in the second quarter. That's big. Also, we'll get two key home sales reports. And lots and lots of major companies reporting their earnings. We'll hear from McDonald's, AT&T, Caterpillar, Ford, and Facebook, to name a few. You can bet Facebook will be the focus. This will be the company's first earnings report since going public. We'll keep a very close eye on that for you.
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm "Showbiz Tonight's" Nischelle Turner. Here's what we're watching this week. The Colorado movie massacre. We'll have all the latest details about the madman police say is behind the horrific attack. Plus, Hollywood's emotional reaction to the unbelievable tragedy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: A look at the day's other big story in a few minutes. Also coming up, CNN NEWSROOM with Don Lemon starts right now.
