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Reports Of Shots Fired On Capitol Hill; Interview with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

Aired October 03, 2013 - 14:30   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You can see the live pictures coming in. If you take a look at some of the major streets around Capitol Hill, and we're looking at some monitors here, Brooke, you can see that police have basically stopped all traffic around Capitol Hill right now. We don't have a clue what was going on other than this statement coming in from the U.S. Senate, from the U.S. Capitol Police saying gunshots have been reported on Capitol Hill requiring staff at all Senate buildings to immediately shelter in place.

That's why you see this activity going on up on Capitol Hill right now. We don't know if there are any injuries. We don't know the extent of the gunshots that were fired, but this is an official statement coming in from U.S. Capitol Police. So people are being told, stay inside your offices, stay in the interior of the buildings and don't start walking around, but we see a lot of emergency personnel, police officers, scurrying over there in the live pictures.

We're showing our viewers from Capitol Hill right now. So it's obviously a serious situation that Capitol Hill Police, D.C. Metropolitan Police, and others are taking very, very seriously right now. So let's hope for the best.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: As you have been speaking, I have been checking my e-mails. We're getting bits and pieces of information, and again, as Wolf has been reporting, reports of shots fired. Specifically, Wolf, I'm seeing a report from the Washington police spokesman saying reports of multiple gunshots near Hart Building. That's near the Senate side, correct?

BLITZER: Yes, that's the newest of three major Senate office buildings. That's on the Senate side. So we don't know more than that, but if there were gunshots fired near the Senate Hart Office Building, that's a significant, significant development and you see what's going on over there, you see the emergency personnel. Dana Bash, our chief congressional correspondent, is up on Capitol Hill. Dana, what do you know?

DANA BASH, CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hang on one second, Wolf. We're getting an emergency update. One second. OK, that was just the latest warning that we're getting over the speakers here in the capitol to shelter in place, which is what we're doing right now. I should tell you that I'm actually sitting with our crew inside the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Office because we were about to do an interview with him. He just popped his head in, Harry Reid, the senate majority leader, and told us one injury, there's one injury as far as he knows that has happened as a result of what appeared to be shootings on the west front of the capitol, which is sort of on the other side of where we are. We are facing the west side of the capitol in this office. So that's the situation here, again, shelter in place.

The doors are closed in this suite, in Harry Reid's office. We're listening for, if you can hear the speakers going off with the capitol police telling people here in the capitol what to do, but again, Harry Reid just poked his head in and said one injury is what he's hearing from capitol police sources.

BLITZER: Dana, so do you expect the Majority Leader, Harry Reid, to actually come in there now? It's obviously an awkward time to do a formal sit-down interview with the Senate majority leader?

BASH: You know, to be honest, I think he's trying to figure out what is going on, to make sure everybody is safe, which is completely understandable and we're going to reassess how we're going to go forward as soon as we get more information about what's going on in what appears to be an active situation down the Hill from his office.

BLITZER: We're just reading to our viewers out there the statement that came out, this warning. Important message, as it's called from the U.S. Capitol Police. Let me read for viewers tuning in. Shelter in place, that's the headline from the U.S. Capitol Police. Gunshots have been reported on Capitol Hill, requiring staff and all Senate office buildings to immediately shelter in place.

Dana is still with us. She's obviously trying to figure out what's going on as well. Then the statement from the U.S. Capitol Police goes on to say, close, lock, and stay away from external doors and windows. Dana, if you could still hear me, you're saying the gunshots were heard -- maybe Brooke knows this better, near the Hart Senate Office Building? Brooke, is that what you're hearing?

BALDWIN: I had an e-mail that said it was near the Hart Senate Office Building, but we heard Dana reporting specifically and that was from Harry Reid's office that there was one injury and the shots were fired at the west front of the capitol, which when I hear Dana, I know she's doing five things at once, what I could intimate is it happened outside, perhaps not inside.

But again, we cannot confirm that yet, whether it was inside or outside, but according to this e-mail from this police spokesperson, there were also reports of people running, people running outside the capitol. Tell me once again, Eric. OK, let me jump in.

Athena Jones, let's go back to Athena Jones because she's also one of our correspondents with a crew inside the capitol. Athena, if you're with me, tell me what you know. Athena, I can hear you. You're live on CNN. Athena, this is Brooke. You're live on CNN. Tell me what you know.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Hi, Brooke. I'm here in the rotunda. We went outside and I was able to see about a dozen police vehicles racing down Constitution. That's the road between the office building and the capitol. I saw about a dozen police cars. One was a van. Heard shots and saw several, what looked like officers in dark colored uniforms, rushing about two blocks away. We're in lockdown in this building. We're not allowed to leave. No one is allowed to come in until the situation is resolved. You may have already heard -- but there's a shelter in place.

BALDWIN: Just let me go back to what you said, heard several shots. Did you yourself hear several shots or an officer you spoke with did?

JONES: No, no, I heard them. We haven't had a chance to go outside and speak with the officers that you're seeing right now on the scene. This is just what I heard and saw when I stepped out on the balcony off the rotunda here, which is a familiar sight, where we do all our live television. Stepped out, heard a few shots. Don't know if it's fire crackers and so we thought, what is it? Could it be?

And saw all of these police cars rushing down Constitution. Sirens blaring, lights flashing and they converged on this one corner about two blocks down. Looks like 2nd and Constitution. This is not very far from the capitol building itself, and at this point, we're not able to leave the building to investigate more.

BALDWIN: Frightening. Athena Jones, we know the orders, shelter in place. Stay safe, stay in close contact with us. Wolf, Athena Jones herself heard those several shots. Again, this as we're just reporting this, and this is incredibly fluids as this is happening as we're watching the live pictures unfolding outside the capitol, still a lot of questions, where the shots are fired, question number one.

BLITZER: Gunshots, not a gunshot, but gunshots have been reported on Capitol Hill, requiring staff and all Senate office buildings to immediately shelter in place. It's Senate office building, so it's clearly on the Senate side. That's important message coming in from U.S. Capitol Police. One our photojournalists, John Bodnar, is on the phone with us. Where are you, John? What did you see, what did you hear?

JOHN BODNAR, CNN PHOTO JOURNALIST (via telephone): Hi, Wolf. I'm on the north side of the Russell Senate Office Building. I was initially on the Senate side of the capitol, heard the gunshots, saw police cars run, and my intern and I sprinted about two blocks to maybe 50 yards of what we assumed was the shooting location.

We could still smell the fresh smell of sulfur gun powder or guns being discharged. We saw police gathering around a black small vehicle while others arrived. We have some video you'll be able to run shortly of the scene itself, many, many cars. Dozens and dozens of cars and emergency vehicles until we were asked to move actually told to move. We're about two and a half, three blocks away from the shooting location where we originally heard the shots ring out.

BLITZER: Have you seen emergency medical personnel? Does it look like there are injuries there based on what you can see? BODNAR: We heard some chatter over the police radios. Someone's down or shots. I can't confirm who was hit or how many people were hit, but there were people responding. There were emergency vehicles, obviously, arriving. We arrived there much earlier than most of them did. But I would say there are at least two dozen police vehicles and multiple emergency response vehicles arriving on the scene. We're locked down and forced to leave our location. So we can't get much closer than a couple blocks right now.

BLITZER: Does it look from your vantage point, John, and I know there are limitations, as if it's over, this incident, or is it still a situation in progress? In other words, are they looking for individuals? Obviously, it's still a very, very precarious moment.

BODNAR: I don't see any of that right now. We're on the opposite -- we have two big Senate office buildings between us and the original location, but as you'll see in the video when we return, there was an officer carrying a young child away from the scene, too, so I'm not sure what that was all about. But the video will be live in cue shortly.

BLITZER: So just to be precise, the gunshots were fired near the Russell Senate Office Building near the Hart Senate Office Building, Dirkson?

BODNAR: Right in front of the Hart Building on Constitution -- near the intersection of Constitution and Maryland Avenue, behind the Supreme Court.

BLITZER: Right over there, only like a block away from the United States Supreme Court.

BODNAR: That's correct. And as I said, we arrived, shots were being fired. We heard shots being fired as we were running over. You could still smell the exhaust or the burn of the gun powder after the firing.

BLITZER: John, do you have any clue how many shots you heard?

BODNAR: I heard at least a dozen, but you know, we heard -- the colleagues I'm working with near what they call the swamp site by the capitol said wow, that sounds like gunfire. There were a few there. Then there were multiple, I would say at least a dozen shots were fired, but I lost count while I was running.

BLITZER: And everybody is basically now inside, when this U.S. Capitol Police alert went out entitled shelter in place, they basically want everyone inside, inside as much as possible. Let me read it to our viewers once again, close, lock, and stay away from external doors and windows. Take enunciators, emergency supply kits and escape hoods and move to your offices, assigned shelter place location or the inner most part of the office away from external doors or windows.

If you're not near your office, go to the office nearest to you and shelter with that office and then check in with your OEC. No one will be permitted to enter or exit the building until directed by U.S. Capitol Police. Staff is advised to monitor the situation. It said further information will be provided as it becomes available.

John, you're there. You're on the scene. For viewers right now who are just tuning in, update us on what you personally saw and heard.

BODNAR: I was on the swamp side of the capitol, the northwest side of the capitol, and we heard what we thought were gunshots. We saw some police officers running, emergency vehicles, police vehicles starting to respond. I grabbed my camera, ran over about two or three blocks, and we heard multiple shots being fired after that.

We're about, like I said, two or three blocks from the original position, from the capitol and we could still smell the sulfur smell of gunshots -- guns that have been fired. And about 50 yards, what seemed to be the location, police surrounding a vehicle. And they didn't have guns drawn after a point. There were officers running around with weapons drawn, obviously.

But then after the lockdown happened, they escorted us away and told us we had to leave and video should be arriving back to you shortly and you'll be able to get more of that once it returns.

BLITZER: I just want to reiterate what Dana Bash, our chief congressional correspondent, told us a few moments ago, she was getting ready to sit down to a formal interview with Harry Reid, and she said his people were saying there were reports of one injury, but we don't know more than that right now. We do know that the Senate has gone into recess, understandably, under the circumstances. Shots fired on Capitol Hill. Athena Jones is up on Capitol Hill. You heard those shots, Athena, as well. Where are you now?

JONES: Right now, I'm in Russell Rotunda. This is a familiar place. You have seen us do live shots from here, do live interviews from here. I happened to step out on the balcony a few feet from the camera and hurt the shots fired. It sounded to me, I wasn't sure they were shots. They sounded like loud firecrackers, a few in rapid successions.

At the same time, these cars were rushing down, police cars. I saw about a dozen rush down Constitution and park and Congregate at the end, about two blocks away, closer to the Supreme Court, kind of right now we're across the street from the capitol, so we have Constitution dividing us. I saw cars race down and park.

At least one was a van-size. Several other standard police cruisers and a lot of men in uniform, police in uniform getting out down at the other corner. That's all we have been able to see. We are on lockdown here in this Russell Senate Office Building where you have a lot of the senators' offices.

I was trying to get out at one point and someone in the hallway said you're supposed to be sheltering in place. I talked to a police officer who said no one is allowed in, no one is allowed out. T hey didn't know where this stood at the moment -- Wolf.

BLITZER: No all-clear has been given on the speakers there in the Russell Senate Office Building?

JONES: No.

BLITZER: It's still a lockdown situation?

JONES: That's right.

BLITZER: So clearly, this situation is sun folding even as we speak. I'm looking at these monitors and we can see a lot of police activity. We're here on Capitol Hill ourselves, and we can hear the sirens going off. There's emergency personnel, police, local police, Capitol Hill police. Obviously, they're deeply concerned about what's going on.

John Bodnar, one of our photo journalists heard what he says was about a dozen gunshots fired right outside the Hart Senate Office Building, that's newest of the three major senate office buildings on Capitol Hill, and this entire area has now been sealed off by Capitol Hill Police, Washington, D.C., and Metropolitan Police.

This is a serious situation, clearly, and we have no clue as to what exactly, what exactly happened. Jim Acosta is joining us, one of our senior White House correspondents. Where are you, Jim? What are you seeing, what are you hearing?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I'm on the north lawn of the White House where we typically do our live shots and we're going to do something we don't normally do when we stand here reporting live. If we could just pan over to Pennsylvania Avenue, Wolf, we can show you right now that Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House, which is basically a pedestrian area, Wolf, is closed off to the public.

You cannot walk up and down Pennsylvania Avenue. For a brief period, maybe 20 minutes, members of the press here at the White House were told they could not leave the grounds. They were being held back just a few moments ago, they were told you can leave, but you might not be able to get back in easily.

You could see the general public, folks who were just coming here to look at the White House, the tourists, they have been pushed back to the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue. You can hear various sirens and so forth. One thing our photojournalist also saw as they were standing here as all of this was starting to develop, they were seeing officers here on the grounds of the White House, Secret Service officers, folks who are here to protect the president react, respond, and start to mobilize.

Beyond that, nothing more at this point, but that is really the scene from here. As soon as this incident was known about down Pennsylvania Avenue, down at the capitol, folks really got on a heightened state of alert over here at the White House -- Wolf.

BLITZER: It's very often they do that, out of an abundance of caution.

ACOSTA: There are a lot of cars, police cars coming down Pennsylvania Avenue right now with their sirens and light. Not something you typically see, so we pan back over there so you can see that.

BLITZER: They're coming down the pedestrian area where there's usually no vehicular traffic. You see a lot of police traffic outside the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue?

ACOSTA: That's right, unless there's a motorcade or something like that, Wolf, no, you don't typically see something like that so obviously, heightened state of alert at the White House. They're taking every precaution because of what's happening at the capitol right now, and as soon as we get more, we'll get back to you.

BLITZER: The president is inside the White House, I assume right now?

ACOSTA: That is correct. Wolf, he had that event earlier this morning out in Montgomery County, Maryland, but he's back here. The press staff is also here. Jay Carney gave that briefing just about an hour ago. It's a skeleton crew, as you know. The furloughs affected here just like everywhere else, so they're dealing with a shortened staff.

Not clear whether or not that's affecting what is going on in terms of the response, but the people who are protecting the president, the Secret Service, those folks really aren't affected that much by the government shutdown, and that's why you're seeing such a show of force right now inside and outside the gates of the White House -- Wolf.

BLITZER: You see people on the ground. They're lying down, trying to protect themselves. You see police and others moving quickly right now. These are pictures. These are live pictures that our viewers are watching. Dana bash is up on Capitol Hill. She had been getting ready to interview the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Where are you, Dana? You're in the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol?

BASH: I'm in the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol in Senate majority leader's suite. This is where we have been getting updates. We are sheltering in place, just like everybody else in the capitol and really in the Senate office buildings as well on the capitol complex, as you have been hearing from our other colleagues.

We just saw on somebody's e-mail here, a message from the Senate sergeant in arms, reiterating shots had been fired and also saying at this point they do not think anybody in the Senate complex is at risk or in danger, but still, just as a precaution, they want all of us to remain sheltered in place.

Physically, where we are is on the west front of the capitol. And Ted Barrett, our congressional producer and all our crew here, were poking their heads out the window to see what kind of action was outside. At the beginning, when we first heard this, they were definitely very much not at ease, and now they're more at ease when I say they, I mean, the capitol police officers that are always stationed on the west front of the capitol.

So it seems that there's a little bit more of a sense, at least a little more of a sense of relief here, but again, just as a precaution, they're telling all of us who are in the capitol to stay where we are, shelter in place. The one thing I want to reiterate, we were told there, the reports initially, were one injury, one injury as a result of the shots fired -- Wolf.

BLITZER: We see lawmakers coming back into the U.S. Capitol. Some of them scurrying, some walking as you can see right there what's going on. Our justice reporter, Evan Perez, is telling us the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has dispatched units to Capitol Hill right now following reports of the gunshots fired. What they say is near Garfield Circle, which is on the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building. Not far from the Hart Senate Office Building. So you can see what's going on there. Dana, I assume they've moved the majority leader, as you say, into the some sort of more secure part of the U.S. Capitol, Harry Reid?

BASH: You know, we don't know where Harry Reid is right now. Can't confirm where he is at all, so we're not sure about that. One thing I can tell you in terms of moving people, our Deirdre Walsh just e- mailed that there are large crowds of people, meaning tourists on the first floor. They're being moved down the escalators into the capitol visitor center. She reports that people are calm and it's very orderly, but the capitol visitor center which is kind of in the basement underneath the capitol complex is in lockdown as well, not just those of us above and inside the capitol and inside the buildings.

BLITZER: Getting word also that the United States Supreme Court Building, which is literally a block away from the U.S. Capitol, from the Hart Senate Office Building, that building across the street from the capitol is now closed. No one is allowed to enter or leave the United States Supreme Court as well.

So you see these pictures coming in on the left part of your screen moments ago. These are pictures, tourists who happen to be visiting Capitol Hill and they're being scurried about as well. You see on the right part of your screen, live pictures from Capitol Hill where police, Capitol Hill police, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police, now we're told units from the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies, they're now on the scene after gunshots were reported on Capitol Hill.

We're told, by John, one of our photojournalists who heard what he thought were about a dozen gunshots near the Senate office building, the Hart Senate Office Building. We have also been told there's at least one injury, but we don't have more information on that at all. We have reports coming in from all of our reporters on the scene.

Dana Bash is up in the U.S. Senate side. Athena Jones is at the Russell Senate Office Building. Jim Acosta is over at the White House where they basically shut down Pennsylvania Avenue maybe as a precaution outside of the White House as well. And we're trying to get in touch with members get some information. I think we have one congresswoman from Hawaii right now, Tulsi Gabbard joining us. Congresswoman, are you there?

REPRESENTATIVE TULSI GABBARD, LOCKED DOWN IN OFFICE (via telephone): Yes, I'm here.

BLITZER: Tell us where you are and what you saw, what you heard.

GABBARD: I'm here in my office, about to walk out the door when one of my members of my staff came running in and started locking the doors and the windows. Her fiance, who is working in the Raburn Building, had said he had heard some shots fired and saw capitol police running down the street with their weapons pulled.

The announcement over the loud speakers came out telling everyone from capitol police to shelter in place, and if outside, to take cover. So we've got most of the team here in the office across the street from the capitol right now, and folks who are not in the office, everyone is safe and is in a safe place.

BLITZER: You're on the House side, which is all the way on the other side of the U.S. Capitol from the Senate side, but what you're saying is that whole area on the House side of the U.S. Capitol is shut down as well, is that right, Congresswoman?

GABBARD: It has been shut down. I did not personally hear any of the shots fired, but there are people in some of the other office buildings who said they heard the shots fired themselves when this went down a few minutes ago so all three House office buildings are completely locked down. We've got folks on the first floor of this building, and everyone is literally sheltering in place. They're not allowed to move upstairs or downstairs, in or out of these buildings.

BLITZER: So what you're saying is people have said to you on the House side, which is pretty far away from the Senate side, from the Senate office buildings, including the Hart Senate Office Building, they heard gunshots all the way over on the House side, is that right?

GABBARD: Yes, a member of my staff here, her fiance worked in the Raburn Building and called her quickly to make sure she was safe and OK.

BLITZER: So how are the folks doing over there in your building, your staff? I know everybody is listening to the advice of U.S. Capitol Police, the warnings, shelter in place. I assume there's a procedure you have in a situation like this. You go into a saferoom, internally as much as possible, is that right?

GABBARD: You know, our team is performing as trained and as planned. We are here, locked down in my office. Quickly, the staff who were not in the office with us, they were located within just a couple minutes. Everyone reporting in and making sure they were OK and they were in a safe place, and of course, checking on our whole delegation and staff as well in the House, the Senate. Thankfully, everybody is doing okay and they're in a safe place.

BLITZER: Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, thanks very much. We'll stay in close touch with you. You served in the military, right, so you're familiar with the situation?

GABBARD: Yes, I'm a military police captain in the Army.

BLITZER: I know that, so I'm sure you're very concerned like all of us right now. If you get more information, Congresswoman, please let us know. Please give our best wishes to your staff, everybody in the House office buildings as well.

Deborah Feyerick is joining us on the phone right now. Deb, what are you learning?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Wolf, what we can tell you is this, according to an intelligence source being briefed on what's going on there near Capitol Hill, you're looking at that scene there on the right of the screen. If you look at that green sign right there, there is a black car, almost underneath it, well, apparently, according to this source, the car was being chased by police. It was close to the White House when the chase began and then made its way towards the capitol.

The driver tried to get out of the car, and we're being told by this intelligence source that's when the shots were fired. It's not clear whether the driver was able to get out of the car or what was going on. They don't know what specifically triggered this or they are working on the presumption this was a car chase, but they don't know why it was this person was driving where he was driving.

So that's what they're looking at right now. The scene you're seeing, that is the crime scene right there, we're told by this intelligence source, and others are supporting that, that in fact that is the car, and that's what began this, a car chase -- Wolf.

BLITZER: A car chase, and you're saying from the White House all the way up towards Capitol Hill, obviously, a serious situation. Hold on for a minute, Deb. Dana bash is getting more information. She's up in the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol. She was getting ready to interview the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. What are you learning, Dana?

BASH: Wolf, we're being told that the lockdown, which we have been reporting about, is about to be or in the process of being lifted. Meaning people will no longer have to shelter in place. They will be able to leave their offices and leave the building of the capitol and the Senate office buildings and maybe the House office buildings that they have been told to stay in for the past half hour or more.

The other thing we're told is that the capitol police are planning to have a news conference very soon, maybe at the top of the hour, to give us more information about exactly what happened, the injuries and who they think the suspects or suspect were in this alleged gunshot and shootings.

BLITZER: What you're hearing is this lockdown has been lifted for the entire area or just for individual buildings? Be a little more precise, Dana. I know maybe you can't be more precise, but has the entire lockdown for all of Capitol Hill been lifted?

BASH: I can't for sure say that the entire lockdown is lifted. I can tell you that from where I am in the Senate side, we're told by security forces here and sources here in the Senate side that it has been lifted. We have to definitely get back and talk to the House sergeant in arms to confirm that's going on there as well, unless we maybe know from some of our reporters and producers who are physically on the House side, they might know. On the Senate side, we're told the lockdown has been lifted.

BLITZER: All right, stand by for a moment. Jim Acosta, our senior White House correspondent is getting more information. We have heard from Deborah Feyerick there was a car chase beginning near the White House and then moving towards Capitol Hill. What else are you learning?

ACOSTA: That's right, Wolf. We're hearing from Secret Service officials that this started as some sort of altercation or incident near the White House, at 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest. As you know, Wolf, that's right by the Treasury Department, just down Pennsylvania Avenue from where we're standing, to the west.

That this person who was involved in this incident at the capitol, it appears, hit a security barrier, trying to get onto Pennsylvania Avenue. That's what we think at this point listening to Secret Service officials. At that point, some sort of pursuit ensued and that individual left this area of Washington and started heading towards the capitol or this chase or incident or whatever started moving towards the capitol.

But we do have it confirmed now from the U.S. Secret Service, which is really charged with protecting this whole area, that this incident began down at 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue, very, very close, just a block from the White House, earlier today. Not really sure what the person was trying to do, but it appears that the person was trying to get through the security barriers that keep the cars off Pennsylvania Avenue -- Wolf.

BLITZER: From 15th Street, there's a barriers you can't get onto Pennsylvania Avenue near the U.S. Treasury over there, so what you're hearing is that someone tried to go through those barriers? People can walk through those barriers, but they can't drive through unless they're obviously authorized to do so.