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At Least 11 Killed in Mall Ambush in Kenya; House Passes Plan to Avoid Shutdown; Human Remains Found in Cars in Lake; House Votes Against Obamacare; Navy Yard Survivor Reveals Escape; Kerry Washington Making History; Kenyan Mall Shooting

Aired September 21, 2013 - 13:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, welcome to the third hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I am Fredricka Whitfield. A look at the top stories we are following for you. That's the sound of bullets inside a shopping mall today, 11 people killed when gunmen opened fire at a packed shopping mall in Kenya.

Another night of violence in this country, in Chicago, 11 people shot. Five of them killed.

Plus believe it or not, this is inside a courthouse in Long Island, almost a dozen court officers injured in this massive brawl.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WHITFIELD: Happening right now in Kenya, police and the army are frantically trying to secure a shopping mall after gunmen stormed it and opened fire on shoppers.

At least 11 are dead. All morning long, witnesses share their stories with CNN, describing the horror as shots were fired, including the aunt of CNN's Zain Verjee. She said that she heard random shots from every direction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZULOBIA ASSAM, SHOOTING WITNESS: We heard some shots and people rushing. So we rushed to the back of the supermarket and hid ourselves, trying to get anything that would save us -- randomly shooting because we heard random shots all over the place. And it was quite terrifying. In fact, we even heard shots 30 feet from us. And at one stage I saw them coming near us.

And it was just so worrying and, you know, people praying and crying. And it was rather traumatizing for everybody. And at one stage we heard that there are terrorists, that they were holding hostages, and that they were all over the mall and, you know, taking people and shooting coffee - people having coffee and lunch at restaurants, and we heard just a random shooting and lots of people were hurt.

And we were stuck in the same place for over two hours. And this was on the ground floor, this supermarket. And finally after two hours, a security guy came and told us that it was safe for us to go. So hurriedly we left, and we saw lots of blood, sandals and shoes that are flung everywhere. And this -- storage, you know, where they keep all the store's extra supplies. And then we went on to the road, the main road, and again, we heard shooting. So we just rushed to the end of the road, and tried to get there as fast as we could.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And then moments after that interview, we heard from CNN's anchor, Zain Verjee, she's actually from Kenya. She gave us some great detail about that shopping mall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A new cinema there, there were about 80 shops, a lot of entertainment. Some of the trendiest restaurants and cafes in Nairobi are at Westgate Mall. One called Art Cafe in particular that so many people go to.

One of the biggest grocery chains in all of Kenya is there, it's called Nakumatt UK, so many people would have gone to do grocery shopping and get things for the house on a Saturday morning. The banks are there as well, which is where my dad was going. There are mobile phone shops. There's loads of stuff for kids to do. There's a food court. There are games kids can play outside.

This is also in a residential area. And so it's around a few other malls, too. But there are homes around this place. Westgate is easily accessible from so many roads. There have been security checks, but obviously today wasn't a day when they came through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: American resident Sara Head is in Kenya on business. She spoke to me last hour. And she said she saw blood everywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA HEAD, AMERICAN WHO WITNESSED SHOOTING: I entered the parking garage. And I -- we had just parked and gotten out of the car and we heard three shots fired. And I thought actually it was a car accident, someone had been rear ended. And then I saw people running and my colleague who worked elsewhere I recognized the sound of gunshots and she yelled at me, and we and other people in the parking garage began crawling underneath cars and behind cars and we heard more shots. So we began running.

And the driver who was Kenyan advised us also to run. So we followed several other people into a stairwell. I thought we had gone down into the parking garage. So I thought when I entered the stairwell, that I would just go up one level and I would be able to exit, and that was not the case.

I got in the stairwell and I was there for the next hour and a half or so. There were two people in the stairwell with me, who were superficially wounded from gunshots. When we initially entered the stairwell, we kept going up, and then heard shots above us, so we ended up staying there for about an hour and a half with these two -- yes, there were several others in there but there were two people who were bleeding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A security agent tells CNN that the violence points to a terrorist attack.

Journalist Martin Cudohy was tweeting from the scene earlier, and he is with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He's joining us on the phone right now from Nairobi.

So, Martin, we understand that 11 people have been killed. That's the latest number. What do you understand about the hostage situation and those wounded.

MARTIN CUDOHY, JOURNALIST, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION: Look, the latest we heard is that there are still a number of hostages inside the building. The Kenyan Police have told us that the gunmen that are still inside confined to one area of the building, so it appears -- we've heard as many as 36 hostages may be still at risk inside the Westgate Shopping Mall.

WHITFIELD: And do you have a clear understanding about how this all started? We've heard from various eyewitness accounts. But what's the version you're getting?

CUDOHY: Look, I spoke to an eyewitness, a British nationalist who was very calm, and he was -- he was at the cafe your correspondent mentioned, Art Cafe, and he saw how this started. He was there having lunch with a friend and a car raced in to -- and pulled up right at the front of the entrance.

It parked diagonally across the road blocking it, and then he said he saw men get out of this vehicle and they were draped in bandoleers of ammunition, they were wearing head scarves, some description, and they were carrying automatic weapons. And I raced up the stairs at the entrance to the Westgate. And he said when this happened, he said -- he turned to his friend and he shouted run. And they got up and they knocked over the table.

And when this happened, everyone in the cafe saw these armed men coming up the stairs. And there was general panic as everyone was trying to flee the scene. This was the eyewitness' account. And he said that both he and his friend managed to hide for some five hours before they were rescued by Kenyan Police. But he said as they were running away from the cafe that he could hear gunshots being fired into the people where they were.

WHITFIELD: Do you know whether or not any of those gunmen had been apprehended or were taken down? Or do we even have a number of how many gunmen?

CUDOHY: Look, what I heard is that there were 10 gunmen. And as I understand it, one has been wounded and taken alive by Kenyan authorities. The police and the military were working in tandem here in an effort to try and retake the building. As I understand it, the police had it from the ground floor and Kenyan military troops landed on the roof and they were trying to, I guess, flush out the building that way. But as I mentioned earlier, the gunmen are still inside and there are still hostages inside.

WHITFIELD: All right. Martin Cudohy, keep us posted as you get more information.

Terrible situation there still on-going at that shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. Hostages still held. And at last count, we're told, 11 people killed.

All right. Back in this country, Chicago experiences a second night of intense gun violence. Nine shootings result in 11 people getting hit. Five of them were killed. And the series of shootings began early Friday afternoon, and then ended early this morning. On Thursday, 13 people were shot at a park on the south side, including a 3-year-old boy. The shootings overnight police say do not appear to be connected to the Thursday incident.

And that's driving rain from the year's strongest storm ever. It's called super typhoon Usagi. And right now it's off the coast of Taiwan, headed toward Hong Kong. It is 125 miles -- has, rather, 125- mile-an-hour winds, which are equal to a strong category three hurricane by Atlantic hurricane standards. The storm killed 50 people in China and 11 in the Philippines. And it's expected to slam into Hong Kong tomorrow.

Here is the scene now in Mexico where floodwaters are swallowing up entire neighborhoods. Officials confirm 101 people have been killed and 68 others are missing. Tens of thousands of tourists remain stranded.

And people are also trapped still by floodwaters in Colorado. Nearly 1200 people have been airlifted out of isolated mountain areas. The damage to the state is overwhelming. Nearly 2,000 homes have been destroyed and dozens of bridges and roads have been wiped out.

Alexandra Steele is in the CNN weather center.

Alexandra, hard to believe, we're talking about a little over a week ago when all of that water started presenting a big problem -- for Colorado and it's still bad.

ALEXANDRA STEELE, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, you know, the common denominator across the board with all of those, Fred, is the flooding rain. And that's what we're seeing. We'll hit all of those, but let's start with this. Typhoon Usagi, it is the most powerful typhoon of the year, you can see, here it is. It was massive in size. At one point almost 850 miles wide.

You can see it's gotten a little tighter, stronger, more organized. Its winds down to 125 miles per hour. It was a super typhoon. It is that no more which is commensurate to a category five for us here in the Atlantic.

So 125 now but the outer bands of this already approaching Hong Kong. So airlines, flights, certainly they're hunkering down in Hong Kong. A city of seven million will be impacted by this. And you can see it as soon as tomorrow.

Again, those outer bands already making their approach. It will come tomorrow. And we'll see maybe about a category two for us, so its winds perhaps at about 90 to 100 miles per hour. Then moving inland. So certainly very serious.

Also on the other side of the coin, we have had tropical moisture in Mexico as well. We've had two things in Mexico. Two hurricanes at one point. The remnants of what was Hurricane Manuel now impacting us here in the states. It brought between five and seven inches of rain to Texas. Now moving eastward.

And this is the water vapor imagery. And most notably here, though, its brighter, colorful aspects, that's where there's the most moisture in the air dumping the greatest amount of rain.

You can see, look at this front, it is all pushing eastward and everyone will get into it on the eastern seaboard. It will move through, you can see through this afternoon and into tonight and tomorrow. It clears the northeast coast tomorrow. But still hugs the southeast with about three to five inches of rain right here on the coast to about one to three inches in Atlanta, Georgia, points east.

So, Fred, flooding rain, we saw it in Colorado, we've seen in Mexico, we're seeing in China, and even here on the southeast U.S.

WHITFIELD: No. Wow. It's been a really tough, I guess, past couple of weeks in so many different regions.

STEELE: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much, Alexandra.

All right. The government, U.S. government inching closer to a shutdown with just nine days left to reach a deal on a budget. House Republicans passed a plan, but it includes a big problem for Democrats. It would strip funding for the health care reform law.

Erin McPike joins me live now from Washington.

So, Erin, what is the latest on this political fight?

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, you said it, it's all about politics right now. House Republicans are trying to resurrect the battle over health care reform because they want to use it as a wedge issue in next year's midterm elections. So they'd use this government spending bill as a vehicle to get individual senators to go on the record about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE (voice-over): In the coming week, the battle will shift to the Senate, but on Friday it was a rare moment for House Speaker John Boehner -- united Republicans celebrated their vote to defund Obamacare.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R) HOUSE SPEAKER: The American people don't want the government shutdown and they don't want Obamacare.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The yays are 230, and the nays are 189. The Joint Resolution has passed without objection. A motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

MCPIKE: All but one Republican voted for the measure, and two Democrats joined them, prompting this exuberant response.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R), HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP: Today when we acted, it wasn't just a group of Republicans but it was a bipartisan vote.

MCPIKE: It was a show of force from conservatives who insisted on defunding Obamacare as a condition for approving a bill that keeps the government running, but their effort is dead on arrival in the Senate, and Democrats seized on the potential consequences.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: What is brought to the floor today is without a doubt, without a doubt, a measure designed to shut down government. It could have no other intent. Its purpose is clear.

MCPIKE: House Republicans are working to shift blame for the threat of a government shutdown onto Democrats who control the Senate.

REP. ERIC CANTOR (R) HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: Now it is up to Senate Democrats to show some responsibility and follow the House's lead.

MCPIKE: They are putting the squeeze on vulnerable Democratic senators up for re-election in red states.

CANTOR: I want to know where Senator Pryor stands on protecting the middle class.

(CHEERS)

From the consequences of this horrific bill.

MCPIKE: Cantor singled out Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor and three other Democrats -- Kay Hagen of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Mark Begich from Alaska. But two of these senators, Landrieu and Begich, have already told CNN they won't vote to strip money from health care.

Just nine days remain for the Senate to vote on its plan to fund the government without cutting Obamacare and pass the buck back to the House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE: Now Senate Democrats intend to strip the defund Obamacare provision from the bill and they will do that and take up the debate sometime within the next week. Then we expect that the House will vote again either late next week or next weekend, and their goal, of course, is to not shut down the government on October 1st -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McPike, thanks so much. Order in the court? Not so much. More than a dozen people injured in a massive brawl that started in the courtroom and spilled out into the streets.

And six bodies found in cars at the bottom of an Oklahoma lake. We are talking to one of the lead investigators on the case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Three U.S. troops were killed today in Afghanistan. Officials say a gunman wearing an Afghan Army uniform opened fire on the U.S. Army Special Operations Forces. The attack happened during a training exercise. The gunman was shot and killed.

Today was the deadline and Syria met it. An international watchdog group has confirmed that it has received a list of chemical weapons from the regime. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is so far following the agreement finalized by the U.S. and Russia last weekend. Tomorrow, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will meet at the Hague to discuss Syria and how to verify the list.

Syrian rebels say that Assad's troops have been moving some of the stockpile out of the country to avoid detection.

Back here in the U.S., in Hempstead, New York, six people are facing charges after a courthouse brawl. The fight broke out after families and friends of the victims and the murder suspect started arguing during the suspect's arraignment. Four were hurt, including two court officers. Those arrested face charges of riot in the first degree and contempt of court.

In Tennessee, two people have been indicted for a murder in a case police say was a drug deal gone bad. Three teenagers and a young mother were found dead in a car in a rural part of the state September 12th. Investigators say the two accused tried to rob the victims during a deal to sell some marijuana. The charges include premeditated murder.

And you might remember the Florida woman who made headlines for her nonstop hiccups. Well, now she's making headlines for a very different reason. Twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Mee was found guilty of first-degree murder Friday for the 2010 death of a man she met online. Mee cried in court as the judge read the verdict. She has been sentenced to life in prison without parole and has 30 days to appeal the court's decision.

Six people vanished and now the decades old mystery of their disappearances may have been found at the bottom of an Oklahoma lake. We're talking to one of the lead investigators next.

Plus, that song you hear is titled "It's a Very, Very Mad World." Something beautiful and a little chilling from a Colorado flood survivor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: You're listening to pianist Mark Changaris playing "It's a Mad, Mad World" by Tears for Fears. He played the song in the middle of his flood damaged home. His roommate shot the video and it immediately went viral. He says the song is uplifting, melancholic, which is how he was feeling at the time.

To find out how you can help the victims of the Colorado floods, just visit our "Impact Your World" page. That's an CNN.com/impact.

All right, two cars sitting at the bottom of a lake for more than 40 years may hold the keys to two cold cases. They were found just this week in Oklahoma when highway patrol officers were testing new underwater sonar equipment. But the real discovery was the remains of six people found inside the vehicles.

Investigators are trying now to identify them using DNA, but people in the town think they know who these people are. In 1970, three teenagers disappeared after going for a drive in a blue Camaro. And in 1969, a 69-year-old man and two other people went missing, last seen in his Chevy. Well, that man's granddaughter says he just vanished.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBBIE MCMANAMAN, MISSING MAN'S GRANDDAUGHTER: No trace, no, you know, clue at all. I mean, his bank account was there. His house was locked up. Utilities were on. You know, he just walked away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So now those people are hoping for some closure. I am joined now on the phone by the sheriff in Custer County, Oklahoma, Bruce Peoples.

So, Sheriff, do we know what the investigators are gleaning, what kind of information they're getting so far from these remains?

SHERIFF BRUCE PEOPLES, CUSTER COUNTY, OKLAHOMA: Well, the remains are now in the custody of the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner, and they'll be doing DNA testing to determine the identity. Relatives of all these six individuals have been contacted, either donate -- donations of DNA or in the process of so we can get a positive identification on each individual.

WHITFIELD: So given it's been 40 years, give me an idea how they go about using DNA from these remains and the vehicles still kind of check out, the vehicles match that of at least two of the missing victims, right?

PEOPLES: Yes. They had a missing person report included vehicle information which these vehicles match that information, the number of people in the vehicles, of course, match, and there were some identifiers in each vehicle that also matched, that give us the indication in the investigation that these people were in fact the missing set of persons from western Oklahoma in '69 and '70. WHITFIELD: So, Sheriff Peoples, is it believed that perhaps these vehicles, the drivers of the vehicles just simply lost control of the vehicles and found themselves in this lake or is there anything at this point to determine whether there was foul play involved?

PEOPLES: Well, the initial investigation with the vehicles was extremely difficult to determine foul play because of the deterioration of the vehicles. They were completely rusted and filled with silt. However, the medical examiner's office will examine the bodies, the skeletal remains of all six to determine if there's any criminal trauma to the bodies. At that time it will be termed an accident or criminal investigation.

The lay of the land, so to speak, of that location is real conducive for someone to be driving down park road or lake road, and go down the boat ramp and then enter the water. So it's -- it's not the least bit a mystery or inconceivable that two vehicles within a year and a half did indeed drive to that location and enter the water.

WHITFIELD: Wow, remarkable investigation, 40 years after the fact.

Thanks so much, Sheriff Bruce Peoples. Appreciate your time.

All right. Overseas, gunmen opened fire inside a Kenyan mall today. Eleven people killed in the violence in a story that is still developing at this hour. We'll have the latest next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back, I am Fredricka Whitfield. Here are five things crossing the CNN news desk right now.

Number one, the Kenyan Police detained a suspected attacker in a mall shooting a short time ago. That's according to a tweet by police there. Gunmen stormed an upscale shopping mall today, firing shots everywhere. At least 11 people killed. A journalist at the scene says 36 hostages are still being held. President Obama has been briefed on the situation. U.S. counterterrorism officials are also monitoring.

Number two. A Catholic priest has been charged with molesting a teenage boy on a Penn State Campus near Scranton, Pennsylvania. The Reverend W. Jeffrey Polish was charged after police say he was found in a car with a 15-year-old who was wearing no pants. The 56-year-old priest is being held in the county jail on $50,000 bail. Police say they discovered Polish and the boy after a call of a suspicious vehicle.

And number three. If you want the new gold colored iPhone, you may have to wait a bit. When Apple put it on sale yesterday, it sold out before many people could get their hands on it. Some shoppers even left Apple's flagship store in Palo Alto, California, after being told that there were no more gold iPhone 5s models for sale.

And number four. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith is facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and suspicion of marijuana possession. Smith was arrested in San Jose Friday morning after wrecking his car. Police say the all-pro player was not injured in the crash, he was released after posting $5200 bail.

And that was Alex Rodriguez last night setting the all-time record for most grand slams. He now has 24. He passed Lou Gehrig who was previously on top of the all-time list. A-Rod, as you might remember, is appealing a suspension from Major League Baseball for using banned substances.

And unless a budget deal is made by October 1st, the federal government will run out of money and shut down. And the latest proposal passed by the GOP-led House would only prevent a shutdown if Congress kills funding of President Obama's health care law. Democrats who hold a majority in the Senate say the bill is already dead on arrival in the upper chamber.

Representative David Scott is a Democrat from Atlanta who voted against the House bill yesterday. He joins us now from Washington.

So, Congressman, President Obama says Republicans -- these are his words, quote, "Republicans are just trying to mess with me." Are they?

REP. DAVID SCOTT (D), GEORGIA: Yes, they are. There's no question about it. And it's a shame. We have a president here who's done an extraordinary job, has rescued this country from near depression, he has saved the auto industry, he's done so many wonderful things. And there is just this hatred that some in the Republican Party is so intense for this president.

As a matter of fact, if they would just love America as much as they hate Obama, we would be better off. You know, we have a history of some of these things happening, like, remember the great debates between Alexander Hamilton and Jefferson, they hated each other, they didn't get along at all, and -- but they had the nobility of purpose to make sure that that hatred and animosity they have against each other did not come before the love of this country and that's why we have it today.

WHITFIELD: So, Congressman, how concerned are you that a deal won't be reached by October 1st. I mean, clearly the plan that was passed in the House is going to makes its way to the Senate, everyone knows it's going to be amended, and the portion about the president's health care plan is going to be taken out, but then it's got to make its way back to the House.

What are the chances that the House will pass a gutted plan that they approved?

SCOTT: Let me tell you, I am very concerned. And I think the people of America should be very concerned because what you have here is basically a civil war within the Republican Party, and what you have here is really an intense situation with Ted Cruz having played a hand that many in the Republican Party are against.

So you've got that dynamic in addition to the fact that here is a party that wrote in a bill to close down this government if you do not take the health care away from the American people. That is desperation. There's something at work here where there are people.

I never -- I left the capitol the other day, and I saw a bunch of signs that said shut her down, shut her down, shut her down. So I am worried.

WHITFIELD: So, Congressman, I wonder, on the other side of that, there are Republicans who are saying that, you know, the health care plan is a detriment to the American people and that it is very unpopular. And is part of the problem that the administration hasn't done a good enough job or better job explaining what will happen with this health care plan, and because of this confusion it is holding this budget hostage?

SCOTT: Well, I think that -- let me (INAUDIBLE) it. The first part of your question, this is a challenge. Look, we're dealing with a big deal here. We're dealing with something that every president has tried to bring on since Teddy Roosevelt, but this president has done it. He has done it the tough, hard way. He reworked it through the legislature. It passed. He ran on it in the campaign against Romney, the people decided with him.

Now we have some difficulties but we have navigator planners out there that we're getting out. And I am so proud like in my state of Georgia, we have the University of Georgia that's bringing out the help. This is a big, it's a complex plan. When they had Social Security, we had the same problem, it had to work its way out.

So there are going to be some wrinkles here. But certainly, certainly it is right now already working. You can't discriminate against women any more, insurance companies. You cannot be denied insurance for pre-existing condition. All those things are working out. Stay on your parents' insurance until you're 26.

WHITFIELD: OK.

SCOTT: Already premiums have gone down 50 percent in New York. So they are working. We've got to hustle up and do more.

WHITFIELD: All right.

SCOTT: The president's team is out there working and this will work and the American people will be proud of it.

WHITFIELD: Well, I think most people are hoping that government will still be working come October 1st.

Congressman David Scott, thank you so much.

SCOTT: My pleasure. Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Reliving moments of terror as heard from a survivor of the Navy Yard shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BERTILLIA LAVERN, NAVY YARD SHOOTING SURVIVOR: The bullet missed me and it shattered the glass right next to where my head was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: More from this brave woman who helped an injured co-worker out of the building while the gunman continued on his rampage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: We're hearing more stories of how people survived that deadly rampage at the Washington Navy Yard. And for one woman, it's a story of both survival and rescue.

Here is Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bertillia Lavern vividly recalls her friend's face, remembers how moments after he got hit in the temple by a gunshot inside their office at the Navy Yard, she thought she could save him.

LAVERN: I felt him breathe.

TODD: Lavern says she was just a few feet away from her friend and co-worker Vishnu Pandit when gunshots slammed all around their office. She never saw the shooter.

(On camera): You almost were hit yourself, right?

LAVERN: Yes. The bullet missed me. The bullet missed me because we were already -- I was already moving. And so the bullet missed me and it shattered the glass right next to where my head was.

TODD (voice-over): Pandit was down but Lavern says when she checked his pulse, it was strong. She and her co-workers ignored their own safety. And what happened next while the shooter was still on his rampage is right out of a movie.

LAVERN: The security guards showed up and they helped me get him to a chair to wheel him to the stairs. We put him in the emergency evacuation chair and I was talking to him, and praying the whole entire time.

TODD (on camera): What were you saying to him?

LAVERN: That I prayed that God would protect him and that we need him here and that his friends loved him.

TODD (voice-over): Lavern, a former Navy medical specialist, says at that point Pandit's pulse was still strong, but there was another problem trying to get her friend who had the nickname Keesom out of the building.

(On camera): Did you know where the shooter was at this time? LAVERN: No, and I really didn't care. We had to get Keesom out. That was the important thing.

TODD (voice-over): As they were descending the stairs, they heard over a guard's radio that the shooter was right in the direction they were heading.

(On camera): Bertillia Lavern says they managed to sneak out a side door, got Pandit to a law enforcement vehicle, which then sped outside the base to this corner.

(Voice-over): That's where these images were captured. Bertillia Lavern, the woman in pink, administering CPR, desperately trying to save her friend.

LAVERN: And then the ambulance showed up. They strapped him in. All of this happened within a few minutes of time, but it felt like a lifetime.

TODD: Vishnu Pandit died on the way to the hospital. A doctor later said his injuries were not survivable. Lavern now describes her feelings for the man she used to joke with every morning.

LAVERN: That I miss him and that I won't be able to say good morning to him, that I will not be able to say good morning to him. But I know that he is in my heart and I know his family loves him so much.

TODD: Bertilla Lavern says Vishnu Pandit had recently welcomed a grandchild who she described as the light of his life. He was buried Thursday.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Actress Kerry Washington could make history again if she takes home an Emmy tomorrow night for her role in the hit ABC series "Scandal."

As entertainment correspondent Nischelle Turner reports, she's already in the books for getting the nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KERRY WASHINGTON, ACTRESS, "SCANDAL": Are you seriously going to stand here and suggest that divorcing your wife and moving me into the White House in the midst of an election is not a tiny bit of a problem?

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's those jaw-dropping moments that have made "Scandal" one of the most buzzed about series on television and made star Kerry Washington one of the most in-demand women in Hollywood.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel like watching her have this moment right now is so exciting. She's so deserving of it.

TURNER: The actress is up for her very first Emmy for playing high powered D.C. fixer and presidential mistress, Olivia Pope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kerry Washington, "Scandal."

TURNER: Marking the first time an African-American has been nominated for the Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy in 18 years.

MAGGIE FURLONG, WEST COAST EDITOR, HUFFPOST TV: It's really such a landmark bet to have an African-American female lead be acknowledged in this category. It has not happened in decades. This is a huge, huge milestone.

TURNER: The last contender was Cicely Tyson in 1995 for the short- lived "Sweet Justice."

CICELY TYSON, ACTRESS, "SWEET JUSTICE": What I really want to know is how can they tell it's me.

TURNER: And if Washington wins, this will mark the first time a black female has won this award. Other celebrities are acknowledging what this means for diversity on TV.

PAULA PATTON, ACTRESS: It's a huge achievement. It means we're moving forward. No, it might not be as fast as we all would like, but at least there's a forward movement.

SHONDA RHIMES, CREATOR/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "SCANDAL": It's disturbing, isn't it? It feels really odd that it's been that long.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're caught in between rejoicing and celebrating for the acknowledgment but then being reminded one of the reasons why we're so happy is because it hasn't happened in so long.

TURNER: A scandalous oversight Washington is helping to change. Will the star snag Emmy gold? Tune in Sunday to uncover the ending to this cliffhanger.

WASHINGTON: Run and win.

TURNER: Nischelle Turner, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WHITFIELD: An update now on that ongoing situation in east Africa in Kenya. A shooting at a popular shopping mall.

Zain Verjee is with us now with what your sources are telling you -- Zain.

VERJEE: Fredericka, I spoke a short while ago to a senior Kenyan government source who said 30 people are now dead, at least 100 injured. One gunman has been wounded and several others have been pinned down. This is an ongoing situation. Many people have been able to leave Westgate Mall.

I understand that there are hostage being taken by some of the gunmen there. But it's unclear who exactly they are. I asked about nationalities to a spokesperson a short while ago who told me that it's unclear the nationalities of those who have been killed or injured, but the majority of the casualties are Kenyans -- Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: And Zain, are your sources saying anything more about how many gunmen? We heard from a few eyewitnesses earlier, and one reported with an Australian outlet, saying that they thought maybe, like, 10 gunmen may be involved? What are your sources telling you?

VERJEE: The gunmen, I understand, were able to force their way into Westgate Mall.

You know, Fredricka, this is a mall where there's a lot of heavy security. When you try and enter the mall, your bags are searched by at least two security guards standing at the doorways. And when you're driving up in your car into the parking garage, there's a bomb check squad that's out there. And they open up the trunk of the car. They check for anything there. They use bombs and mirrors to check underneath the car.

And sometimes they'll open up the bonnet. So the heavy security presence there, but obviously the gunmen were able to infiltrate into Westgate Mall.

It's a really popular market mall, Fred. You know, on Saturday mornings, so many people would be there. My dad was on his way there, and then at the last minute he decided to go to a different bank. My aunt and uncle were there just having coffee with friends and then going to the main grocery shop there that's called Nakumatt.

And like them, so many Kenyans would have been there. So many ex- pats, diplomats, U.N. shops. Because it's such a popular place to be. There's cinema, entertainment, loads of great restaurants. It's the place that I go to the most when I'm in Nairobi. And it's about five minutes away from my home. But this has really been a shock to so many Kenyans. And there would have probably been many people of different nationalities there as well.

So right now the area around Westgate Mall is in total lockdown. Other malls have been shut and are on alert all through the city.

WHITFIELD: All right. Terrible situation there. Zain Verjee, thanks so much for your reporting.

So, again, the latest information according to our sources telling our Zain Verjee, 30 dead, 100 injured in that Westgate mall, an upscale mall shooting there in Nairobi, Kenya.

We'll have much more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Christine Romans is standing by with a preview of today's edition of "YOUR MONEY."

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Fredricka. The Navy Yard tragedy re-igniting some difficult debates in this country. What is the cost of mental illness? Big business weighing in on the gun control debate and all in a week where a violent video game shattered a sales record.

That's all next on "YOUR MONEY" -- Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Christine.

Coming up at 3:00 Eastern Time, we'll have all the latest on the breaking news of that shooting and hostage situation at a shopping mall in Kenya. We just learned that 30 people have been killed. We'll have the latest on that.

And a former NFL player got a huge shock when he heard there was a big party taking place at his house when he was miles away. But what will really surprise you is the response from the partygoers' parents.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. "YOUR MONEY" starts right now.