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LAX Shooting Details; Interviews with Eyewitnesses; Hospital Briefing on Shooting Victims

Aired November 01, 2013 - 15:30   ET

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

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: An LAPD officer responding to the incident was the one who wounded him and essentially stopped this rampage from continuing.

We're told that he is at a hospital where he was taken into custody and brought to a hospital where he is being treated.

Again, he was shot multiple times in the chest, center mass, and he was stopped essentially by an LAPD officer who was responding to the shooting. About a dozen shots were fired between the gunman and also those officers who were on scene handling this incident, Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Deborah Feyerick for us, thank you so much.

As we continue to hear the stories coming in from eyewitnesses, I am about to talk to a woman, a young woman who ran.

She hid inside of a room, shoved this copy machine up against the door and turned her phone off for fear that the gunman could hear her.

Also, you'll hear from actor Tim Daley, saw the whole thing unfold. He joins me.

We continue our breaking news coverage out of LAX, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back. I'm Brooke Baldwin. We continue our breaking news coverage of what has gone on, really, at LAX, one of the biggest airports in the country over the past couple hours.

We heard from a number of airport personnel. We heard from the mayor. We heard from fire chief, LAPD.

So we can tell as we look at some of these live pictures -- I mean, look at just the presence, ambulance after ambulance after ambulance, fire truck, tremendous work in rapid response from everyone responding to an active shooting situation.

But I just wanted to walk you through, if you're not familiar with LAX, this is what it looks like. OK, so these are all the different terminals. You have seven terminals.

So when we heard in that news conference from the LAX police chief, who, specifically, we heard it was tied to Terminal Three, right here. This is this round terminal right here.

So let's skip ahead, because according to this police chief -- here we go. Let me erase that for you and I will show you this gunman walked into the airport, reaches into this bag, grabs -- as they're describing -- LAPD is describing -- this assault rifle, opens fire.

And you see here, this is the TSA passenger-screening area. So this guy with this assault rifle walks through. Somewhere around here is when the TSA agent, who we now know is dead, is shot, and another has been wounded.

This gunman, according to what we just heard from police, presumably is running down this corridor. At some point, we heard he was somewhere near a Burger King. And, ultimately, here we have Gates 35 and 36.

I don't know specifically where this gunman ended up before he was taken down by police, but in talking to multiple eyewitnesses over the course of the last two hours, we know and we've seen pictures of this assault rifle and of the gunman's shoes right around here.

So imagine, if you're waiting for a plane, seated anywhere around here, the masses of people earlier this morning, trying to get out of there, and they were stuck, and they were terrified for their lives.

And we've heard from these people who say absolutely this was the most horrendous, most frightening incident of their lives, including this young woman by the name of Sarah Richardson.

Here's what she saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH RICHARDSON, LAX SHOOTING WITNESS (via telephone): We heard a lot of loud gunshots, and my colleague pulled me to the ground.

We hit the ground, and tried to scoot behind something. Everyone was just scrambling along the ground.

At which point, someone from security told us to sprint and make a run for it. So we all sprinted. All our stuff is back there.

And we got -- I got pulled into a hallway. My friend fell and didn't get pulled into the hallway with me. I started screaming her name and we got pulled into a room that they pulled a copy machine in front of the door, and I was under a desk.

At which point we weren't allowed the leave the room, but you could hear more shouting and more gunshots outside the room.

BALDWIN: Are all of your friends -

RICHARDSON (via telephone): At which point, someone told us to go ahead and evacuate and they brought us to a terminal, but then they were telling us to run in different directions. And people ran into the bathroom to hide. Then they pulled us to the sidewalk and said we were going to get bussed out, but then they pulled us back into the international terminal and now we're being told we're not allowed to leave.

BALDWIN: So, at the moment, you're sitting somewhere, not sure what your next step is. Are all of your friends OK? Let me ask you that.

RICHARDSON (via telephone): My friend's OK. She's in another terminal. She said that there's a bomb squad there. We're not really sure when we're going to get out of here.

I didn't see him. Some of the people in the group that I got locked in the room with saw him.

BALDWIN: And what did they tell you about him?

RICHARDSON (via telephone): Just that he basically came out of nowhere, that it was pretty jarring that someone just randomly pulled a gun right in the middle of nowhere.

BALDWIN: Did they describe the gun?

RICHARDSON (via telephone): The sound of it was so loud that the first time, someone thought a bomb had gone off. I would think there were at least eight shots.

BALDWIN: What was happening around you?

RICHARDSON (via telephone): Just pure and utter mayhem. People were tripping over each other on the floor, bags everywhere. Crying, screaming.

BALDWIN: And once you run into this room and someone grabs a copy machine and shoves it up against the door, what's everyone saying around you?

RICHARDSON (via telephone): Everyone said to turn cell phone ringers off. People were holding each other's hands. They didn't want to open the door when the security manager came because we didn't know who it was.

BALDWIN: And they were turning these cell phone ringers off because the fear was this person was roaming around the airport and you didn't want to make a sound, is that right?

RICHARDSON (via telephone): Yes.

BALDWIN: Have you called your loved ones to tell them you're OK?

RICHARDSON (via telephone): Yes.

BALDWIN: Where are your bags?

RICHARDSON (via telephone): They're with security. I left my wallet. I don't know. I don't know how I'm going to get out of here.

BALDWIN: What are they telling you, other than to stay put?

RICHARDSON (via telephone): They're just telling us we can't leave. We don't know when we're going to be able to get out of here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Sarah Richardson, who joined me, who was one of many waiting to be rescreened and for investigative purposes, questioned before they can finally leave LAX.

Coming up, you'll hear from a young man who was cuffed by police in the midst of this melee, they might have thought he was a suspect.

He joins me live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DR. LYNNE MCCULLOUGH, RONALD REAGAN UCLA MEDICAL CENTER: We're on the ready. We have plenty of staff, plenty of personnel, and plenty of blood to take care of the patients that we received.

Currently, one of those patients is in critical condition. Two of those patients are in fair condition. We have been in contact with the families of the victims.

And at this time, that's all we have to say. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does the person in critical (inaudible)?

MCCULLOUGH: It's not clear at this time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was he the gunman?

MCCULLOUGH: It's not clear at this time.

You could speak with the police about that. They would have the most up-to-date details of exactly who we got.

Because when they come to us, they don't have identification. We just take care of the patient.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly what kind of gun shot wounds are we talking about? Where (inaudible)?

MCCULLOUGH: Multiple areas, multiple areas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible).

MCCULLOUGH: No, but multiple areas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All three of the patients? All three of the patients are (inaudible)?

MCCULLOUGH: Multiple injuries. We have gun shot and other injuries as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there anything --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you clarify? I just want to make sure I understand.

The one critical is a gun shot patient. The other two (inaudible) --

MCCULLOUGH: One of them is a gunshot. One is not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there anything you can tell us about the victims taken to other hospitals?

MCCULLOUGH: I'm sorry. I can't at this time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't know the conditions?

MCCULLOUGH: I do not. I'm sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you just go through exactly what you're saying in terms of the people who have been brought here to UCLA, their conditions, and any kind of description you can give us?

MCCULLOUGH: Unfortunately, it's so limited due to privacy concerns.

So there's three male victims. Two have suffered gunshot wounds. Another has suffered other injuries. But I can't characterize further.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are they speaking? Have you spoken to them?

MCCULLOUGH: One is in critical condition. Two are in fair.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you spoken to them?

MCCULLOUGH: Fair patients, you can speak to. Critical, you cannot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you explain how -

MCCULLOUGH: Is there someone here that had a question?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are FBI agents on site, visiting with the victims and/or --

MCCULLOUGH: I can't comment to that. I'm sorry. I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The person who is in critical condition, is that a gunshot wound victim?

MCCULLOUGH: Yes, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you talk about how being a trauma -- why they were brought here?

MCCULLOUGH: Sure, yeah. Well, when an event like this occurs, we prepare for as many as 50 victims.

So we clear out rooms and get ready. We get all of our personnel, and this is something we are well prepared to do. And as it turned out, very thankfully, we received only three.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you receive any patients who have died?

MCCULLOUGH: No. Three patients. One critical, two fair, that's it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)

MCCULLOUGH: I'm sorry. I don't know that right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you tell us more about the description, their ages, perhaps?

MCCULLOUGH: Unfortunately, I can't, due to privacy concerns, and actually, they're details I don't have.

Like I said, they come with really very little information, and we just take care of the injuries and move to the next patient.

I'm sure that'll be released later as we get gather more information.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you been able to talk with them?

MCCULLOUGH: Excuse me. One second.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) another UCLA facility --

MCCULLOUGH: No, sir, I'm not sure about that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are all these people residents of Los Angeles?

MCCULLOUGH: It's unclear to me at this time. I really don't know anything except they came in, they were injured and we take care of them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible) --

MCCULLOUGH: I really can't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, adults, children?

MCCULLOUGH: Adults, no children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) --

MCCULLOUGH: Three male.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is the range of their ages?

MCCULLOUGH: I don't really want to estimate, dear. I'm sorry. Because I don't want to misstate it. I just don't have that information.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When would you expect the two victims in fair condition to be released?

MCCULLOUGH: It's unclear, but generally, patients in fair condition after such traumatic injury situation would maybe be in the hospital for one to two days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would it be fair to characterize their injuries as non-life-threatening.

MCCULLOUGH: It's always hard to estimate what can occur with various injuries, but I would say at this time, they appear to be life- threatening -- not life-threatening.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How about the critical person?

MCCULLOUGH: Could be life-threatening, hence the critical status.

I'm so sorry. I've got to go back in and take care of other patients, but I appreciate you all gathering here to get that statement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One last, with the critical patient, can you say where the majority of the gun shot wounds were?

MCCULLOUGH: The gun shot wounds were in a variety of areas, and I don't want to provide any more detail just for patient privacy reasons.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

MCCULLOUGH: But more updates will come as it becomes more comfortable to say that.

OK, thanks. I'm sorry. I'm all done. Thank you. Have a great day.

BALDWIN: OK. OK, so as you can tell, very preliminary information there from that doctor from UCLA Med Center.

Just briefly, to recap, she said they're treating three adult, male patients. And so one is in critical condition, two in fair condition.

We heard from the fire chief earlier, saying seven people in total had been hurt, six taken to area hospitals.

And we also know from our own sources that one TSA agent who was shot has died, and another TSA agent is wounded.

As we continue to follow the story, some of the facts, some of the -- filling in some of the blanks as far as what happened this morning at LAX, we're starting to hear more and more from the people who witnessed and heard not just the shots, but saw the gunman himself, including Nick Pugh who joins me on the phone.

And, Nick, take me back. Take me back to this morning, and tell me where you were when -- you not only heard this, you saw the guy.

NICK PUGH, WITNESS (via telephone): I didn't actually see the shooter, but I saw flashes.

BALDWIN: Got it.

PUGH (via telephone): And smoke, whatever, commotion. I had just gone through the TSA area, the first checkpoint. where they check your i.d. and your boarding pass.

And I went up the escalator and I was at the very back of a big line for the second check-in area, and I basically just was standing there, and then that's when the shots started.

And you know, I would say linear distance, probably 20 feet away from me, but I couldn't see him because he was sort of down below floor level, and I was up on the upper level.

So everybody just pretty much immediately just dropped down to the ground and started squirming along the ground to try to get and then they all started pushing toward the main security check-in area

I saw like an emergency exit down to the runway or whatever, so I just went out that door. I just thought I'm not going to be caught in a huge crowd or whatever.

I just thought it would be better to try to get out from what was going on and ran out on to the runway and ran past, you know, then, the police, whatever.

I saw the first line of police coming, and they put me down on the ground and handcuffed me, thought I was a potential suspect or whatever.

BALDWIN: Let me stop you there. Did they explain to you why you, why did they do that to you?

PUGH (via telephone): There was no reason for this. They were really basically, get down, get down, hands above your head, get down, drop your bag. Then they pushed me down on the ground and handcuffed me and basically to secure the area.

I knew that -- I mean, obviously, you're running across the tarmac under the airplanes. You look pretty suspicious fundamentally. Whatever, I just -- they were just doing their job. I was basically just glad to be, you know, whatever.

Then they came back and checked me over and did a whole thing, you know. Then uncuffed me and released or put all the ground crew and myself and a few other passengers, I guess, had run down the same exit.

They put us up in another terminal, secured that and moved us all over to this terminal, where we're all waiting now.

BALDWIN: So you continue to wait. Tell me what you're being told right now. Tell me how many people are waiting along with you.

PUGH (via telephone): I mean, it's two or three terminals' worth of people in this one terminal, so it's pretty crowded.

I don't know what else is going on. Nobody's really said anything. I've just been listening to news and stuff. Sounds like one person passed away. Terrible. BALDWIN: I can tell you, because you've been on the inside, I don't know how much you've been able to get, the mayor said the airport is safe.

This appeared to be isolated to Terminal Three, and he said this does appear to be a lone gunman.

So you may have a bit of a wait ahead of you, Nick Pugh, but at least you are A-OK in addition to everyone who is sitting and waiting with you.

Thank you so much for calling in. We're glad you're all right.

Deborah Feyerick, now joining me with just a little bit more information here on this investigation. What are you learning?

FEYERICK: We are learning that, as you mentioned, the gunman was carrying an assault rifle.

We are also told that he did have multiple clips when he breached through that security.

He was shot multiple times in the chest, center mass, and he's currently being treated. and we believe that he is the patient that is in critical condition right now at that hospital, Brooke.

BALDWIN: What about when we heard from different officials earlier briefing the media, we heard in the back-and-forth with the gunman.

This was an officer-involved shooting. Do we have an update on the officer?

FEYERICK: Well, we don't. It doesn't appear that he was one of the ones that was injured.

What we're hearing is that there were actually three people who were shot. One of them was the gunman. Another was the TSA agent. A second TSA agent was shot in the leg.

We're also being told actually the head of the TSA has indeed confirmed that one of his agents was shot and killed. I'm going to pull up that statement for you right now.

Basically, he says that indeed, one of his officers was shot and killed today, and that there were other agents who were also wounded. so now, TSA is confirming that.

But once that gunman stepped through, he was confronted. As he made his way towards a gate, he was confronted by responding police officers.

They were called to stop this man, and that LAPD officer was able to shoot him and stop this from getting any worse than it already was, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Incredible job by LAX police, LAPD, fire, just incredible rapid response within a matter of minutes.

Deborah Feyerick, thank you very much.

What a harrowing morning for hundreds of people inside what is one of the busiest airports in this entire country.

We have folks obviously making phone calls and trying to get more information. We also have crews outside of LAX.

You heard from the eyewitness, many people stuck inside, many people outside as well telling their stories.

That is coming up, next, live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Incredibly tense and frightening morning for so many people inside of LAX. early this morning, calls came in right around 9:20 local time, a gunman, an active shooting situation.

What we can now tell you, that gunman has been taken down. He's now at the hospital. According to LAPD, he was wielding this assault rifle that he pulled out of this bag, opened fire as he walked into the airport, got through security.

A TSA agent has been shot and killed. Another TSA agent wounded. Seven people in total, according to fire, seven people hurt, six taken to area hospitals.

So as the investigation is now under way, FBI taking the lead with LAPD working alongside of them, we are now hearing more and more from what these people, these people who thought they were just waking up to get on a plane, what they saw and heard.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, just describe where you were at the time that this incident was taking place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were in line as everything is happening. I think we were probably like -- we were 10 men down from the front to get everything on our plane as we heard one shot, and we were like all right, cool.

We heard the second one and that's when we all ducked. But the first shot, just like caught us off guard. Second shots went in, and then I just grabbed luggages, and I just started making walls and walls out of luggages.

I could see that guy walking towards the escalator just pointing down past us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy with the gun?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, the guy with the gun was pointing down the escalator.

As I'm looking toward that person, that's when I grabbed my wife. When he's not looking at us, that's when we ran.

Next thing you know, there's six other people holding my wife's hand and we ran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did that guy look like? Did you see him well enough for a description?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was wearing all -- description, like one of those people working here. You couldn't even tell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He may have been a security person?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not sure. He played it off pretty cool, like camo, if I'm going to do something, blend in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: One of many stories beginning to come in after this harrowing ordeal this morning at LAX.

Obviously our hearts, prayers going out to people in Los Angeles right now.

We will continue covering this breaking news, of course, with my colleague, Jake Tapper.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me on this Friday.

"THE LEAD" starts right now.