Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Shooting at Jewish Center; UN Security Council Meets

Aired April 13, 2014 - 16:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Welcome back.

We are following breaking news out of Kansas now. We understand that the overland park fire department is telling our affiliate there, KCTV, that police are working on two shootings taking place at two separate Jewish related locations. They're reporting that a shooting happened around 1:00 at the Jewish community center of Greater Kansas city and then a second shooting took place at the village Shilom which is an assisted living center. No immediate word on injuries or if the suspect is even in custody.

On the phone with us right now is Lisa Benson, a reporter with our CNN affiliate, KSHB.

So Lisa, tell us more about this investigation, two separate investigations?

LISA BENSON, REPORTER, KSHB (via phone): That is true. Right now, we are live outside the Jewish community center in Oakland Park. And we have confirmed that two people has been shot, one at the Jewish Community Center and one at Shalom Village which is less than a mile from the Jewish Community Center. Again, two people dead. We know one other person is taken to the hospital in critical condition. We are told that only one person is in custody. Right now, we are definitely collecting more information here and the shots, the gunfire started about 1:45 this afternoon.

And during that time, they were holding audition for (INAUDIBLE) Superstar which is a dance competition here locally. And they were also having dance recitals for seven, eight year olds. So this is a community center full of young teens and they were on lockdown after the shot started. Some of the kids were taken to the locker rooms and told to lay on the floor after the shots rang out in the actual parking lot.

Again, we are still collecting information but again two people, you know, confirmed dead and one person in critical condition.

WHITFIELD: And then Lisa, are you able to tell me kind of the sequence of events here. So we're talking about two locations and also give me an idea how close or how far away these two locations are but did the shooting take place at the Jewish community center where you mentioned there will be dance recitals and then it moved on to the elderly home facility? Can you give me a sequence of events? BENSON: That's what we believe. We believe the shots started at the Jewish community center and then were reported shortly thereafter at the senior living facility. Again, one person shot and killed at both locations.

WHITFIELD: And this dance recital or the auditions that were taking place at the Jewish community center, any idea of telling me how many people, you know, were there? Describe the scene for me.

BENSON: Yes. We talked to a 15-year-old who was number two and she actually went through her audition and the shots started shortly thereafter. That's when they were told to go to the locker room and that's when they were on lockdown. The entire community center went on lockdown.

WHITFIELD: OK. All this taking place on the eve of Passover. Clearly a lot of people at the Jewish community center. How far away is the other location where the shooting took place?

BENSON: It's less than a mile away. It is less than a mile. In fact, there are a lot of people who frequent that area. Again, it's a community center. A lot of people live in that area come here to the community center. It's less than a mile away.

WHITFIELD: OK. And now you told me, you mentioned that there might be someone in custody. Is there or is there not?

BENSON: We are told that one person is in custody and we were also told that possibility that one gunman was also shot and injured but we are still efforting information in that area as far as the gunmen, how many gunmen and who was shot, who's injured and who is in custody.

WHITFIELD: OK. At the Jewish community center, you mentioned everyone was asked to hit the ground. It was in lockdown. Is it still?

BENSON: I'm sorry?

WHITFIELD: Earlier you said at the Jewish community center everyone was asked to hit the ground. That it was in lockdown, the facility in lockdown. Is it still?

BENSON: No, no. They have released the lockdown. In fact, we talked with people and young teenagers coming out of the community center. At one point they were in the locker room and then the young girls were allowed to leave the locker room but they were still forced to stay inside the community center but within the last 20 or 30 minutes we saw lines of cars coming out as young people and parents were leaving.

So at this point I believe they have evacuated the community center and allowed all of the young people and their parent to leave and probably about 30, 40 minutes ago we saw crime scene investigators move on to the property to process the scene.

WHITFIELD: A horrible situation. OK. In your reporting, as officials there are telling you that two are dead and one in critical condition as a result of two separate shootings? BENSON: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lisa Benson, thank you so much for with our affiliate KSHB, there out of the Oakland Park area of Kansas City. We'll, of course, keep a close watch on that developing situation there.

Also, another breaking news situation we continue to watch, all that's taking place, the volatility in Ukraine. Just moments ago, CNN confirmed that the U.N. security council will meet in about four hours from now on the crisis in Ukraine. That coming after two days of violence in the eastern part of that country.

Pro-Russian protesters have taken over several government buildings and police stations. Senior United Nations correspondent Richard Roth joining us live now. So Richard, Russia actually demanded this meeting. What have you learned about what they want to get out of this meeting besides, I guess, publicly stating their case?

RICHARD ROTH, CNN UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): Well, that's right, because the senior officials in Moscow have made it clear that they feel that Russian citizens are going to be under attack after Ukraine's leader says force will be used against these activists and others who have taken over buildings. There have been increasing violence in the last few days and weeks. This was going to come to a head for Russia which is watched Ukraine demand at least eight or nine U.N. security council or general assembly meetings now with Moscow (INAUDIBLE).

A troubling sign could be that they are asking for this meeting on the eve of whatever will happen tomorrow. We don't know if behind close doors Russia will say we are going to have to take military means because of these threats. This is definitely an urgent security council meeting with unknown consequences right now. It's a closed door meeting. We'll certainly get a better idea afterwards as to the level of rhetoric or level action that Moscow might be threatening.

WHITFIELD: And so, Richard, help us understand here. Russia is stating the case that its citizens are being harassed here. Is that right?

ROTH: That's right. Well, Russia has insisted that the trouble in Ukraine whether by fascist, activists, rebels. That was there all from the start. And that pro (INAUDIBLE) movements supported Ukraine when in effect here was violence against minorities and Russians and that is why Russia moved in to protect its citizens in Crimea.

Russia says it strongly condemns attempts to use force against protesters and activists with the help of militants, criminal orders of the president is how Russia is putting it. So we know there are thousands of Russian tanks, planes lined up on the border. They, Russia has insisted it is not going to use them, but events have a way of spiraling out of control, sometimes with these issues.

WHITFIELD: All right. Richard Roth, thank you so much. Keep us posted again. That U.N. security council meeting per request from Russia, four hours from now, 8:00 Eastern Time. Thank you. All right. Now to the search for flight 370. The search area is now getting bigger after days of shrinking. We are talking about that aerial visual search. Today officials in Australia said that visual search area expanded to a 22,000 square mile area. Almost 40 percent bigger than yesterday's search area on the surface.

But it may not change the underwater search. The big focus there is still trying to detect pings consistent with the plane's black boxes that crews last heard on Tuesday. An official with the company that builds pingers tells CNN the batteries are most likely dead or very close to it.

Erin McLaughlin is following the search for us out of Perth, Australia. And so, Erin, why did they expand this visual search area?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredericka. No specific reason given by authorities here in Australia. Although they have been refining the search field for debris pretty much by the day based on their calculations of oceanic drift and important to point out that there's really two searches going on here. There's the search for the underwater pings and then the search for debris and it's a debris search field that expanded by some 6,000 square miles which isn't all that much when you consider that the current size of the debris field is about a quarter of what it some 10 days ago.

So they've actually been pretty successful at narrowing down that search field. Less successful in actually finding anything. Hours and hours, days and days of meticulously combing those waters by air and by sea, not a single sign of this plane to be found. They are contending with, though, some 36 days, 37 days, rather, of oceanic drift there, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: And so Erin, any indication what kinds of discussions are taking place and when they might move this search to a new phase?

MCLAUGHLIN: No timetable given at the moment, Fredricka. We know that the Australian vessel, the Ocean Shield and then the British vessel, the HMS Echo continuing to comb those waters, trying to detect any pings. Efforts by air, as well. Surveillance planes overhead trying to detect signals from the sonar buoys.

Authorities here have said they are going to continue to do that as long as they believed that there is any possibility that those black box battery pingers have yet to expire and they haven't given a real timetable for that. We are some 37 days since this plane went missing. The black box batteries have an operational life of some 30 days and we really can't be all that far off from them deploying the underwater autonomous vehicles to go an find the actual wreckage. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Erin McLaughlin. Thanks so much, in Perth, Australia.

When we come back, we're going to go take you to Ukraine. Again, just four hours away from could be a U.N. security council meeting that has been called upon by Russia this after two days of violence, rising tensions in Ukraine. Gunmen storming buildings in two towns. So what is the international reaction, next?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: If you're just now joining us, we want to bring you up to date on breaking news out of Ukraine. In four hours from now, the U.N. security council will meet about the escalating tensions and violence in that country. It's coming at Russia's request, the meeting at the U.N.. The move coming after two days of violence in eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian gunmen stormed buildings in two towns.

Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joining me now on the phone. I also want to bring into the equation, Nick Paton Walsh in Donetsk, Ukraine. So Nick, to you first, what are you hearing?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, on the ground here it is remarkable the pace of change in the past 36 hours. I think many people will expect pro-Russian activists will not pay much heed to the Ukrainians (INAUDIBLE) deadline he posted for 9:00 local time tomorrow to lay down their weapons, quit the government buildings they seized and then the amnesty. He also suggested a bit of governmental reform here that might decentralize power, that could be (INAUDIBLE) protesters. But they're saying they're moving full steam ahead towards the referendum. They say (INAUDIBLE) bring them closer towards Russia and it has gone increasingly violence here.

We are now seeing nearly 10 towns where the protesters have taken over key facilities. (INAUDIBLE) today which the interior minister said was going to be retaken for an anti-terror operation. We were told. They never really got much farther than the outskirts. And the cross fire there with what would have been pro-Russian militants. One of those Ukrainian security soldier, in fact, killed and five injured and inside the town no sign really of any weakening of the pro-Russian militants position.

They still hold two key buildings inside there and a neighboring town (INAUDIBLE) pro-Russian militants took by force yesterday and pro- Russian protesters holding that station, as well. And local government building, playing music, having the pro-separatist flag flying. Even the (INAUDIBLE) saying Vladimir Putin will save us from fascism. No real sign of any government sign presence here and all eyes (INAUDIBLE) on Kiev and the central government can in fact muster the troops and manpower required tomorrow if the deadline is not met like many people think it won't to actually intervene and it's a huge number of towns, effectively a huge task ahead of them.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.

Let's check in with Barbara Starr. So what is the reaction coming from Washington?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): Well, Fred, I think all eyes at the moment are going to be what happens at the United Nations Security Council in about four hours. We have an extraordinary Sunday night meeting at the request of Russia. The Russian foreign minister actually tweeting earlier today that Ukrainian authorities must in his words "stop war against their people."

This is what (INAUDIBLE) the U.S. so concerned. This kind of language from Russia claiming that the Ukrainian authorities are putting the situation at security risk is what worries the U.S. They worry that Russia is looking for a provocation to go ahead and send its 40,000 troops across the border into Eastern Ukraine. This is what the U.S. wants to avoid. This is why you're seeing such strong diplomatic efforts last - at the end of last week from Secretary of state John Kerry, from the White House, Vice President Biden scheduled to go to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine this week.

But the real question is will any of this diplomatic maneuvering make a difference at the end of the day? Because what every U.S. official will tell you this is all up to what Vladimir Putin decides he wants to do. He has the troops, he's got the capability. Does he want to send them in? Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Barbara Starr, Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much. Appreciate it. We'll be right back with much more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. The final round of the Masters is underway and soon we will know who will be putting on that famous green jacket. CNN's Lara Baldesarra joins us live now from Augusta with the very latest. All right, Lara, spill the beans. What is it looking like out there?

LARA BALDESARRA, CNN SPORTS: Hi, Fredericka. It is very, very interesting out there right now. Jordan Speed has opened up a two- stroke lead over Bubba Johnson. They were the co-leaders heading into the final round and this round, Jordan Speed, has just been playing absolutely amazing.

Now all week I've been talking about Speed, as this young kid, 20 years old. He could become the youngest-ever player to win the Masters. He would also become the first, first-timer in the Masters to win since Fuzzy Zeller in 1979. So history is definitely could be made today. But we have been talking about Jordan Speed's composure because yes, he is 20 years old. He is very young. When he won his first PGA tour event last year to earn his invitation to the Masters. That's big bucks. He didn't exactly go out there and buy some sort of flashy car, dropped a lot of money. He maintained his maturity and his composure. A lot of that, it comes from his family, life and situation.

Jordan has a younger sister who's about seven years younger than him, and her name is Ellie. She is developmentally challenged and Jordan says she is his biggest fan and it's because of her that he - it remains so well grounded and he remain that composed kid that we see out there when he gives interviews and how he handled himself and also how we're seeing him play today. Keep your eye on this one. History could be made. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh! From a 20-year-old? That's amazing. We'll be watching and you'll keep us posted. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

All right. Hopefully after the break we'll also get more answers on the biggest worldwide mystery. That of that missing plane. And it's an incredibly difficult task.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... precisely where the civilian - you don't have to push.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Tensions with Malaysia. Officials reaching a boiling point. What questions they don't want to answer, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Australian officials say today search crews are combing through a now expanded visual area on the surface of the ocean. And so far, no signs of any debris. And the one shred of evidence officials do have, the four pings consistent with black boxes haven't been heard since Tuesday.

Well, this whole mystery has led to more questions than answers and the Malaysian government has appeared reluctant or unable to release details.

Nic Robertson has more on the tension between officials and journalists.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Minister, hello, good morning. Nic Robertson from CNN. How are you?

HISHAMUDDIN HUSSEIN, ACTING TRANSPORT MINISTER: I'm having a PC later.

ROBERTSON: Absolutely.

HUSSEIN: I'm just doing a walkabout for that.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): With that, the man heading Malaysia's hunt for missing 370 is off. (INAUDIBLE) Malaysia's defense minister and acting transport minister is hosting an international arms fair, from helicopters to tanks to guns.

Reporters invited along. Some questions apparently not so welcomed.

(on camera): When precisely were the civilian - you don't have to push.

(voice-over): As the tour continues, his aides advice us to wait for his press conference. That's good. Because the question he just refused to answer, when the military told civilians they picked up flight 370 on the radar, is an increasingly contested question.

(on camera): Precisely when did the military inform the Department of Civil Aviation about what they saw on the radar?

HUSSEIN: I said earlier this is on (INAUDIBLE) next

ROBERTSON (voice-over): No answer then. He doesn't want flight 370 questions. But as the conference continues, turns out some flight 370 questions are OK.

(on camera): Tell us, are you any closer to deciding who will extract the data from the black boxes?

HUSSEIN: Yes, we are getting closer to that issue. The attorney general is in the U.K. right now discussing exactly that.

Two days ago you said that even the passengers were still under investigation. But a week ago the I.G. of police said passengers cleared from investigation. Which is it?

HUSSEIN: Let me clarify. Unless we find more information, specifically on data in the black box, I don't think any chief of police would be in a position to say that it's cleared.

ROBERTSON: Are you in a position to rule out terrorism, sir?

HUSSEIN: We can have a separate session with CNN later.

ROBERTSON: Questions still to be answered.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. So lots of mixed messages still out of Malaysia. That's one obstacle.

Now in the southern Indian Ocean the visual search area is expanded while a fifth day passes without anymore pinger sounds. What's next?

Let's go to our panel this hour. Miles O'Brien is a CNN aviation analyst. Allen Diehl is former NTSB, FAA and Air Force investigator and author of a book about air crash investigators. Captain Van Girly, he is a retired Navy oceanographer and a senior manager at Metron Scientific Solutions and David Soucie is a CNN safety analyst and also author of "Why Planes Crash."

Thanks so much to all of you for joining me. OK. So David, to you first, you know, what would provoke this expanded visual search area in your view?

DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Well, I think that we are looking at just the movement of debris. You have got winds and -- and currents moving things around, naturally separated itself, and I think you -- they have got to reaction to that. I think it's a good move on their part.

WHITFIELD: So, Miles, in your view, is this encouraging or is this grasping at straws, expanding the search area? MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Probably a little more of the latter, unfortunately, Fredricka.

I mean, they have looked in a smaller area and haven't had any luck, and so now they're going to a bigger area, which tells you they're not finding anything. This is extraordinary to go this length of time, to know where we presume the crash site to be, emphasis on presume, but the pinging evidence seems to be pretty solid, and yet not a shred of debris floating on the surface based on any of the hindcast models that they predicted for the ocean currents.

Where's the debris? I suspect it's all at the bottom of the ocean, or most of it anyway.

WHITFIELD: And we're talking about day 38 now.

It would seem, Alan, this has to be very frustrating, but of course searchers have to come up with a new plan, this expanded search area, hoping they will find some debris. But is this also predicated on the fact that there haven't been any pinger sounds in five days, and so this really is the only recourse to continue to search or widen the search on the surface?

ALAN DIEHL, FORMER NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR: Fredricka, I think you have kind of hit it on the head. They might as well keep looking for the surface debris, floating debris. I have said before I'm not sure there ever was any. It depends on how the airplane entered the water.

WHITFIELD: OK, so Captain Gurley, are you in agreement? It sounds like Alan and Miles are agreement on the fact that perhaps this plane went as a whole into the water and there is no real debris field.

CAPT. VAN GURLEY (RET.), FORMER NAVY OCEANOGRAPHER: Well, Fredricka, I mean, these are kind of questions that we will know hopefully within a month or two the answer to when we find it on the ocean bottom.

It is important to remember there's three different searches going on. The first is the surface debris. We haven't found anything. It seems to me the Australians are trying to move the area around to check places they haven't looked before. That's the logical projection.

The second search is for the pinger locators. That's been successful. Don't downplay the fact that we had solid contact last Saturday. That's the key for the hardest days the search, which is where things will go soon, maybe within a week, which is the very meticulous search of the ocean bottom.

WHITFIELD: You are not discouraged that there hasn't been that re- detection of that pinger song, the last sound, in five days?

GURLEY: No, Fredricka.

Again, when you look at what the manufacturer said on the expected battery life, we are probably beyond that now and the Australians are just being very slow and deliberate. It's not that we haven't heard it in five days. It's fact that we heard it definitely or at least very sure we heard it last Saturday for that two-hour period. That in my mind says we are in the right area.

WHITFIELD: David, what kind of further research can be done on those last pinger locations if they're within a 17-mile radius? What can researchers do and searchers do with that last bit of information to try to pinpoint a pinger or a black box, whatever originated that sound?

SOUCIE: Well, there's a couple of things.

We talked about triangulation before. But when you only have one point, you have got just a straight line to work with, so if you put circles around that, when you put that two-mile stretch within the three-mile dome or so, two-and-a-half-mile dome, it really limits the options as to where it would be emanating from. That's a good piece.

The 17 miles where they're located around, I believe those are artifacts. You have to remember that this pinger locator, there's a requirement that it transmits to two-and-a-half to three miles from its location, but that's a minimum requirement. That doesn't mean that it doesn't go far than that. In fact, it's at 160 decibels, which that's as loud as a gunshot and that's 10 times as much as the ocean requires to put hearing protection on for a human being.

Now, granted, this is underwater, but the fact is, it's a very loud sound. Those simulations we have heard at 37.5 kilohertz are just that, simulations. At 36.5 or 37.5 kilohertz, that's as high as a dog whistle, so I'm very encouraged with it. I'm very confident that's where the sound came from.

WHITFIELD: Alan, in your view, now's the time to bring in new air assets, new Air Force assets that would made available. To what degree?

DIEHL: Well, if they continue to look for the surface debris, there's limitations with the P-3s, which are the primary type of aircraft they use.

The Air Force has what they call MC-130s and these aircraft can be aerial refueled, augmented crews. You could send them in the search area all day long and they don't have to keep coming back for refueling, so that would be something that the Australians might want to think about requesting if they're going to continue to search for surface debris.

WHITFIELD: That could take place simultaneous to whether Bluefins are put into the water, Alan?

DIEHL: Oh, absolutely. The surface debris -- and as everybody else mentioned, we are talking about the -- if you will, listening for the pingers. No one has mentioned -- I suspect this British ship the Echo, which is actually a submarine rescue and recovery vehicle, as I understand it, will probably start mapping that general area where David talked about the pingers being located.

And that will at least give them some idea of how to use the Bluefin later.

WHITFIELD: Miles, what do you expect this week we are likely to see in some sort of turning point of the investigation? We are entering now week five.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I think what you will see this week is the decision will be made that the pingers have definitely stopped, which I think we all have kind of shared the feeling that that's already happened, but they will give it a few more days just in case something should happen, and then they will begin the process of switching out from this towed pinger locator to the Bluefin, which is a sonar autonomous underwater vehicle, sonar mapping, will begin the laborious process of mapping this area.

Logically, they will begin where they got the great two-and-a-half- hour pinging event because that's the strongest card they have in their deck. And they will probably begin the search out from there and then the question becomes, how long do you keep this aerial search up? That's an open question.

WHITFIELD: All right. And, Captain Gurley, last word on what you see happening potentially this week.

GURLEY: Well, completely agree with Miles. I think this is the week where we will have a decision made on it's time to start looking on the ocean bottom. As Alan said, the Echo can certainly help out. She has got extra capabilities. And I think the biggest open question is how much longer for the aerial search for a debris field we still have not found?

WHITFIELD: All right, Captain Van Gurley, Alan Diehl, David Soucie, and Miles O'Brien, thanks to all of you, gentlemen. Appreciate it.

And we will be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN LEARY, CNN HERO: I was a firefighter in Philly for seven years.

You get to a fire scene, and the firefighters are there to put out the fire. The Salvation Army and the Red Cross assist the people once the fire is out. But there just wasn't anyone there to help the other part of the family.

I would see how upset the people were about their animals. You know, where is my pet? And then, where is it going to go? These are people's children. They've just lost everything. They shouldn't then be forced to lose their pets as well.

We have a dog displaced by a fire, a Chihuahua. I'm headed to the scene now. We respond 24/7, 365 days a year. We do for pets what the Red Cross does for people. We went into the basement, and found the dog hiding behind something. Once the fire's under control, we're able to look for the animals and bring them out.

Hi, baby. Come here. Red Paw headquarters is my house. We've helped close to 1,000 animals. She's been at my house. And the owner said she was pregnant. Everything that their animal needs, we'll handle for free for them.

When we reunite the families, it's a good thing. It's like this void has now been filled.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey (INAUDIBLE) welcome home.

LEARY: My hope is that it's a fresh start, that they can move forward together. After going through such a sad thing, it's so good to have a happy ending.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WHITFIELD: All right, we want to update you on some breaking news out of the Kansas now.

CNN has confirmed that three people have been killed in shootings at two Jewish facilities in Oakland (sic) Park, Kansas, about 12 miles south of Kansas city. The FBI is now on the scene helping local law enforcement. The shootings come one day before Passover begins.

George Howell joining us now from Chicago with more on this -- George.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, keep in mind, the Jewish centers here, this is a place where many teenagers were in the building at the times.

We understand from our sources that teens were told to lay on the ground, to take shelter as the shots rang out. But as you mentioned, and as CNN has confirmed, we know that three people are dead from the shooting.

One person of interest has been taken into custody. And, again, it happened at two different locations, all of this in the Overland Park area of Kansas City. If you have been to Kansas City, you know that's very busy place there in that area. A lot of people were around. Again, to our information at this point, we know that three people were killed in this shooting.

We are still talking to sources there, contacts to get more information. But at this point, we are looking to see what investigators have determined and we will bring it to you as we get more information.

WHITFIELD: And, George, the belief is that one gunman hit these two different locations back to back?

HOWELL: That seems to be the case. And an unrelated story, but I do want to bring this into the context because we're also looking into this. Whether it's related, it's still unclear.

But keep in mind that in the Kansas City area, there have been other shootings on highways, at least 20 different shootings since March. Whether that's related, still unclear, but just adding that into the context, certainly a question we will be asking of investigators.

In this particular case, though, Fredricka, we know that at least three people were killed in this shooting. One person of interest has been taken into custody.

WHITFIELD: All right, George Howell, thanks so much out of Chicago for that update. Appreciate that.

Other stories we're also following, the NTSB is now investigating the cause of last week's deadly collision between a FedEx truck and a bus carrying high school seniors in Northern California; 10 people, including five students, were killed. An official says blood samples from both drivers could provide information about whether drugs or alcohol might have been in their systems, but he stressed that investigators aren't coming to premature conclusions about the cause of that accident.

And the CDC says there are hundreds more cases of sick passengers on cruise ships. Three outbreaks of illness affecting more than 100 people each have been reported aboard two cruise liners, two of them in back-to-back cruises on the same ship. The double dose of ill- fated cruises struck the Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas on successive voyages.

And a royal ride for the duke and duchess of Cambridge, as they continue their tour of New Zealand. The couple taken out on the boat, as you see there, big red, as it's known, designed for shallow water. Also Sunday, Catherine squashed recent rumors that she might be expecting another baby, because during a wine tasting event she commented how nice it was to drink alcohol again.

All right. Capturing a money shot of a celebrity is no easy task, but my next guest made it look so easy throughout his career. I will talk with the legendary photographer Ron Galella and see what advice he has for our Morgan Spurlock, who took a job as a celebrity photographer recently.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Actress Kat Graham is used to being surrounded by fantasy for her role in "Vampire Diaries," but for her, there's no denying the reality of war.

KAT GRAHAM, ACTRESS: I come from refugees on both sides of my family. My grandmother was in the Holocaust.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Graham recently traveled to one of the UNHCR to one of the largest refugee camps in Jordan. Meeting Syrian families who were displaced by combat hit home.

GRAHAM: Seeing so many people that looked like me, I could have easily been one of them. The biggest surprise to me was that I was expecting to see these people that were completely broken, people that had lost everything and were hopeless, but, instead, I saw these people that were resilient.

UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Like a young boy named Ibrahim. His family was forced to flee Syria in such a hurry, he could only draw cards and marbles.

GRAHAM: So, after we were done playing with the marbles, Ibrahim gave me one. And he only had like eight.

And I keep that marble and I bring it with me everywhere I go.

So this is the marble, just a little marble, but I feel like it holds like the whole world in it for me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The relationship between celebrities and the photographers who live to take pictures of them is certainly a love/hate relationship.

On one end, there are those stars who actually enjoy the attention that comes along with being famous. But then on the other end, there are celebrities like Kanye West or Halle Berry who have had it with the paparazzi. West is serving probation in fact for an altercation he had with a photographer. And Berry urged lawmakers to put together tougher laws for photographers who harass children of celebrities. And the lawmakers actually did just that.

But are these photographers just doing their jobs, and if they are, at what cost?

That's what CNN's "MORGAN SPURLOCK: INSIDE MAN," explores tonight at 10:00 Eastern time. He takes his first job working in Hollywood in the world of paparazzi. And a veteran photographer shows him what it's like to chase a Kardashian.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Inside of every magazine this week, there's some story pertaining to Khloe Kardashian, so it's a big one to get.

MORGAN SPURLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Should I try and stay back or should I get out of the car?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, that just draws too much attention to yourself. So, it's better to just sit in the car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking. I'm looking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's coming out the backdoor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Backdoor. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Backdoor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, wait.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the way.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Interesting.

All right, my next guest says some of today's photographers do that job for money and not necessarily for the art.

Ron Galella, he is a legendary celebrity photographer. He captured this iconic photo of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis back 1971. Everyone knows that photo. And it's just one of many legendary photos that Galella has taken over a span of 50 years. And it's also the cover of his book, "Jackie: My Obsession." And his new book, "Pop, Rock & Dance," features even more iconic photos.

Oh so great to see you. Appreciate your time.

RON GALELLA, PHOTOGRAPHER: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK.

Well, so, you know, Morgan Spurlock finds out what it is to be a celebrity photographer, but as you look at those clips, is that what it was to be a paparazzo in your day? You have been called the king or the godfather of paparazzi. But it's a very different kind of animal these days, isn't it?

GALELLA: Yes, definitely. It changed.

When I was shooting in the '60s and the '70s, it was one to one to celebrities. There was room to photograph the celebrities. It was great photojournalism. Nowadays, with these herds and gangs around celebrities, it's not the best way. I don't know how they make a living and I wouldn't do it.

I would go to where the celebrity -- where the photographers are not there, go to the airport, get exclusive pictures. That's what counts. Exclusive pictures are original. They're what's going to sell, instead of getting the same pictures like these gangs do of paparazzi.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And, you know, even Spurlock, he described it as kind of a wolf pack, girl of piranhas that feed.

GALELLA: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And then they move on to someone else, and you kind of set the scene that you tried to do in it a polite way. But, you know, Jackie O. wasn't that thrilled about your presence a lot. She actually sued you a couple times and even managed to get a restraining order. And then Marlon Brando actually broke your jaw?

GALELLA: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: But you kept going on about it.

GALELLA: But, you see, Jackie really loved me taking pictures of her. She wasn't -- and hated me. She loved my pictures, too.

She was a great subject for me. And it's only when I took pictures of John Jr. On a bike and her on a bike that she said to the agent, smash his camera.

WHITFIELD: Oh, wow.

GALELLA: Because she didn't want her children exposed to publicity.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

And so do you feel like many of these paparazzo today? They're kind of crossing the line. Does it bother you, much of what they do?

GALELLA: Yes. Well, yes.

WHITFIELD: How does it kind of, I don't know, taint your legacy?

GALELLA: I think they go too far, because they overexpose the stars and they harass them in a way, getting their way.

And I didn't do that. I was more polite. And I shot off-guard pictures that mean more, getting celebrities as themselves in their environment.

WHITFIELD: And money is a huge motivation today.

GALELLA: Yes, yes.

WHITFIELD: Huge.

GALELLA: I think the photographers today, the paparazzi do it for the money. I did not. I was an artist. I studied art.

WHITFIELD: What was your motivation?

GALELLA: Pardon?

WHITFIELD: What was your motivation, if not money?

GALELLA: I love -- I love the medium of photography, photojournalism.

I like to capture celebrities as themselves, with the beauty of their face, their expressions. That's the real beauty, not harass them or get in their way. The photographers today, the paparazzi look for -- they provoke them in a way to get the salable picture.

That's -- I did not do that. And there's vulgarity today. They photograph the stars falling or their cellulite and this and that. I did not do that.

WHITFIELD: And we are looking at your library of photos. They're very tasteful and they're beautiful.

And I'm sure, while you had someone who was throwing a fist at you and another who was throwing lawsuits, you have a lot of celebrities who actually embraced exactly what you were doing in capturing some beautiful images of them.

Ron Galella, what an honor to talk with you. Thanks so much.

GALELLA: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, again, the look at today's paparazzo, watch "MORGAN SPURLOCK: INSIDE MAN," the season premiere, tonight 10:00 Eastern time right here on CNN.

That's going to do it for me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for being with me this afternoon.

The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM begins right after a short break with Don Lemon in New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you for joining us.

We want to begin with two big breaking news stories tonight -- first, shots fired at a religious community center outside Kansas City. And we're hearing now that three people are dead. I'm talking about Overland Park, Kansas, at a Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City.

We don't have many details yet. It only happened a short time ago.