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Details About Orlando Shooter Coming Out; Shooter's Ex-Wife Speaks Out; New Stories Emerging About Shooting Victims; Trump Renews Call for Ban on Muslims. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired June 14, 2016 - 09:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[09:00:23] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Divided no more. Thousands gathering here in downtown Orlando last night to pay tribute to the victims.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was the scariest day of my life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pure evil. That's what it sounded like. It didn't even sound like a peon.

JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: We're working hard to understand the killer and his motives and his sources of inspiration.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Was he gay? Was he leading a secret gay life?

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Do you think he was gay?

SITORA YUSIFY, ORLANDO SHOOTER'S FORMER WIFE: I don't know. He did feel very strongly about homosexuality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, and welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Carol Costello, live in Orlando, Florida, near the scene of the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

BURNETT: And I'm Erin Burnett, live from the hospital, a scene of so much heroism in the face of this act of terror.

COSTELLO: Just so awful. But let's begin with the investigation, shall we? And the mysterious past of the Orlando terrorist. Witnesses tell CNN that the killer was a regular visitor to the nightclub, describing him as friendly and comfortable. They say he visited dozens of times over the past few years, and over the last year, he reached out to another club goer through a gay dating app. That's according to the "Los Angeles Times."

Was this man so consumed with hate when he gunned down dozens of gay patrons, hiding a secret life of his own? And could he have been scouting Walt Disneyworld as a potential target? Law enforcement officials say just hours before the attack, he visited Disney Springs, that's a shopping and entertainment area inside the theme park.

Also, President Obama will visit Orlando on Thursday to pay respects to the victims and their families.

BURNETT: And I'm here at Orlando Regional Medical Center. That is where doctors and survivors are going to speak next hour. This hospital so close to the nightclub, just a few minutes away. Their stories of courage and love and horror. People have been celebrating and remembering the lives lost at vigils held throughout the world and of course right here in Orlando.

This is what downtown Orlando looked like last night. Thousands were gathering in solidarity, and these scenes, similar ones, playing out around the world. We saw that in New York, we saw it in London, in Paris, in Los Angeles, so many communities coming together to mourn those lives lost and those lives that have forever been changed.

Today, we have all the names of those killed, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, and of course, we're covering all angles of the story as it unfolds, the victims, the killer and the disturbing details before their worlds collided. Let's begin, though, with the investigation.

CNN's Jim Sciutto has been digging into things. He has some new information for us this morning. Tell us more, Jim.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: A confusing picture developing of his motivations here. We now know based on examining his electronic devices that he was searching Islamist ISIS beheading videos, Anwar al-Awlaki, the al Qaeda in Yemen leader. He was doing that. So clearly an Islamist motivation including his pledge of allegiance to ISIS as he was carrying out the attack.

But we're also learning new details about his personal life. There were indications that he had hatred against the gay community, despite the fact that he may very well have been gay himself, based on witnesses who saw him at this club multiple times before here, and the use of a gay dating app. This, as we're getting more details of exactly how it played out inside that club during this horrific attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CALLEN, REGULAR PULSE NIGHTCLUB CUSTOMER: We said hello and everything and he was very friendly.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Club goers recalling their interactions with the terrorist they say frequented the popular gay nightclub before carrying out the massacre.

CALLEN: I would maybe twice a month see him on Tuesday nights.

SCIUTTO: Several regular customers telling the "The Orlando Sentinel" they've seen the terrorist on and off for a few years there.

CALLEN: He seemed like a very nice, comfortable. He was -- he loved where he was at. He was drinking with another guy at one time. A lot of it don't make sense and we're never going to know.

SCIUTTO: Another regular, Kevin West, telling "The Los Angeles Times" that the terrorist had messaged him on a gay dating app several times in the last year.

MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE, REPORTER, "L.A. TIMES": He said the man had contacted him looking for clubs to go out to.

SCIUTTO: This, as we're getting our first look at the chaos inside the Pulse nightclub as gunshots rang out. Twenty-five-year-old Amanda Alvear eventually hiding out in the club's bathroom, where the terrorist continued his carnage. She did not survive.

[09:05:08] Investigators working to piece together clues to trace the terrorist's moves in the hours just before the attack. Using cell phone tower data, investigators now say the terrorist spent several hours at Disney Springs, a popular shopping and entertainment center in Walt Disney World Resort. He was believed to be alone at the time. His exact motives there unclear. What is becoming more clear is that he appears to have been self-radicalized and expressed support for conflicting Islamic groups.

COMEY: He said he was doing this for the leader of ISIL, but he also appeared to claim solidarity with the perpetrators of the Boston marathon bombing and solidarity with a Florida man who died as a suicide bomber in Syria for al Nusra Front, a group in conflict with the so-called Islamic State.

SCIUTTO: Investigators also say his electronic devices show searches for ISIS beheading videos and videos of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American imam who joined al Qaeda in Yemen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: A continuing focus of this investigation is, did anyone help him? Law enforcement has told us that they do not believe there is a continuing threat here. The conclusion from that is that they do not believe that he had an accomplice in there. Someone else who would threaten the community. That does not leave out another possibility. That there was someone who provided some support to him, whether financial or otherwise, or someone who knew something about what he was doing, comments that he said, sites that he looked at as possible target. These are still lines of the investigation.

COSTELLO: And I would assume police are looking into perhaps his family and what they possibly knew. Right?

SCIUTTO: No one is out of consideration in that category.

COSTELLO: But as far as it being part of a bigger terror group, operating within the United States, that's not part of the investigation? SCIUTTO: Not believed -- not believed here in the U.S. or one that is

tied to an overseas terror group by anything beyond inspiration online which frankly is just as powerful.

COSTELLO: And in listening to investigators, they seem confused about this guy. He pledged allegiance to so many different groups.

SCIUTTO: Right.

COSTELLO: So was it ISIS inspiring him? What was it?

SCIUTTO: Over time, ISIS, al Qaeda, Hezbollah, why is that important? They all seem like crazy names, but these are groups that are diametrically opposed to each other. Sunni, Shia, fighting a way against each other in Syria. And that's one reason why the FBI, when they were looking at him from 2013 to 2014 concluded he's not serious. He is making a lot of claims, they don't really make sense. They made a judgment call, a difficult one, and that's why they stopped the investigation.

COSTELLO: All right, Jim Sciutto, many thanks.

We're also getting a look inside the shooter's home. He lived in Fort Pierce. That's hundreds of miles southeast of Orlando. This is our first look inside the shooter's apartment after police searched it for potential evidence. But what stands out, tons of family pictures on the walls and in the kitchen, on the refrigerator. According to authorities, the shooter's wife, Noor Salman, helped them put together a timeline in the shooter's movements before the attack.

And just last night, Salman was seen leaving that apartment, the apartment she shared with her three and a half year old son. She was seen carrying a duffel bag and hiding her face with a hoodie. Salman is the shooter's second wife, by the way.

We don't know specifically what she told authorities, but Erin, you did talk to the killer's first wife and she had some very interesting things to tell you.

BURNETT: Yes, you know, she had been married to him seven or eight years ago for about four months. She described, Carol, the relationship at first as normal, fun was the word she used when she talked to me, but then he quickly turned abusive. He would hit her. She was able to escape from what she said was a horrifically abusive relationship.

She said at the beginning, he confessed to her, though. She used the word confessed. Confessed to a habit of clubbing and liking to go out. And obviously now, as we are learning more and more about whether he himself was gay, that he went to this gay club many times as well as others, I asked her about that. And here is what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: The "Orlando Sentinel" reports that he had visited this particular nightclub, the gay nightclub Pulse, at least a dozen times. Why do you think he might have been frequenting this gay club?

YUSIFY: Well, you know, when we had gotten married, he confessed to me about his past that was recent at that time, and that he very much enjoyed going to clubs and the nightlife, and there was a lot of pictures of him. So, you know, I feel like it's a side of him or a part of him that he lived, but probably didn't want everybody to know about.

BURNETT: Do you think he was gay?

YUSIFY: I don't know.

[09:10:01] He never personally or, you know, physically made any indication while we were together of that. But he did feel very strongly about homosexuality.

BURNETT: I mean, I know this is a tough question, but do you think it was possible he was hiding his own feelings about being a homosexual? Did you ever get the feeling that that might be the case?

YUSIFY: I -- it surely might be because, you know, now everything that is coming out and I feel like the tragedy that happened, you know, particularly in that nightclub, you know, targeting that group of people, there has to be some sort of a reason psychologically, you know, for that person to feel that way that much to do something like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Phil Mudd joins me now, our counterterrorism analyst, former CIA counter terror official.

Phil Mudd, I'm sure you're not surprised to hear what she had to say. That perhaps this could have been some incredible feeling of self- loathing because of his own feelings of homosexuality?

PHIL MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: That's right. I think there is a couple of things we need to think about. First, when he stated he was conducting an act for a terror organization, my first question is, was that a cover claim? In other words, he had other feelings, other reasons why he went to the club. He didn't believe publicly he could claim those are the reasons why he conducted the attack, and therefore he said this is in the name of ISIS.

The other thing I'd say, Erin, is we're moving too quickly to try to box this. If you look at what happened over the past days in Paris, there was a murder by a terrorist in Paris who had been incarcerated for recruiting people to go fight jihad overseas. Very clear case. In this case, we have someone who had clear personal issues, abusive toward his spouse, visiting a gay club. On gay apps, and meanwhile, he says he is a member of various terror organizations, yet themselves are in conflict. I don't think we know at this point enough about his mindset to be clear about what was motivating him.

BURNETT: No, and Phil, what's I think also among the many interesting things that she said, she talked -- she used the word confessed. That he confessed to her when they were first married about what he said was a clubbing habit. And she said that he was -- it was a part of him that he wanted to hide from others. It sounds to me on a psychological level when you're looking at this from a psychological perspective that he was fighting it. He was fighting, sort of trying to say OK, I'm starting this new chapter in my life, I'm going to move on. He failed. He then started abusing her and he starts going back to the clubs.

MUDD: No, I think that's right, Erin. If you look at the feelings of guilt, he might have been -- it might have inspired him. If you look at what ISIS and al Qaeda have talked about, you don't go to clubs, you are not a homosexual. You don't drink. We haven't talked about that. I'm sure there was alcohol consumed in this club.

Everything that he talked about being inspired by these groups that oppose these things, he was participating in. So beyond this, whether he was radicalized, when you mentioned the coworkers, we're finding increasingly almost by the hour that he had his own feelings that were in conflict with the terror groups that he said he joined, Erin.

BURNETT: The bottom line then appears to be that you're looking ultimately at a horrific hate crime that may have been cloaked in terror or terrorism excuse or use or cloak or part of it, but hate seems to be the fundamental core of this, a hate crime.

MUDD: That's right. I think we're trying to say was it terror or was it hate. You might step back and say terror and hate. This is not going to be a clear case, and because he is dead, it's not clear to me that we'll ever close the book on this one.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Phil Mudd. Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Erin, fascinating conversation.

We're learning more about the lives that the victims led before this terrible shooting. We're learning about the people inside that club. Some described the gunman as laughing as he fired. Others, like Richard Akin, said the shooter was polite but firm, as he issued orders to people hiding in the bathroom. Listen.

All right, we don't have the sound bite. And I apologize for that.

Brynn Gingras is in New York. She has more on the survivors. Good morning, Brynn.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning to you. Yes, these victims ranged in ages 50 to 18. And I want to tell you about the youngest victim, that 18-year-old, Akira Murray. She was again the youngest. She was in Orlando just after graduation, celebrating that high school graduation with her family, and we're told she was a standout basketball player and actually signed a letter of intent to play at the collegiate level and her high school coaches are the ones who spoke up in memory of her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JIM GALLAGHER, VICTIM'S FORMER COACH: Top three in the class. Very respectful to everybody. She just -- she just embraced everybody here, and treated everybody as an equal.

NAPOLEON KINGCAGE, VICTIM'S FORMER COACH: She had everything going for her. Everything. Perfect student.

[09:15:01] Mannerism, top-notch. You can't ask for more anything better from a high school kid, like Akyra Murray.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: Bright future ahead for sure.

Also, I want to tell you about 49-year-old Brenda McCool. She was a mother of 11 children and she was actually at the Pulse nightclub with one of her sons.

We're told that when the gunman started shooting in the club, her mother instincts just pushed in. She pushed her son out of the way so he could get to safety, and she was shot. Of course, you can imagine now her children are speaking out, calling her a super hero.

Also, Gene Perez, and Luis Wilson-Leon, and I mention their names together because they were partners, Carol. Perez actually worked as a sales local mall, and Wilson-Leon was one of its customers who then became his boyfriend. They died together.

I think it's important to mention, Carol, that there are four couples that died together in this shooting. We're continuing to, of course, pay tribute to everyone that we can, all 49 victims. We'll do that throughout the morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Brynn Gingras, reporting live for us this morning -- thanks so much.

Still to come at THE NEWSROOM: Donald Trump raises eyebrows and suggests President Obama may have had an ulterior motive when it comes to his stance on terror.

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[09:20:30] COSTELLO: Donald Trump renews his call for a ban on Muslims in the wake of the Orlando terror attack. On Monday, during a fiery and at times factually inaccurate speech, Trump also accused Hillary Clinton of wanting to disarm Americans, so that Islamic terrorists can kill.

There was also a bizarre suggestion during an interview with FOX News that President Obama has an ulterior motive when it comes to handling terrorist attacks.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He doesn't get it or he gets it better than anybody understands. It is one or the other. And either one is unacceptable.

We're led by a man that is either not tough, not smart, or he's got something else in mind. And the something else in mind -- you know, people can't believe it. People cannot -- they cannot believe that President Obama is acting the way he acts, and can't even mention the words "radical Islamic terrorism". There is something going on. It's inconceivable.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: "The New York Post", which previously endorsed Trump, well, take a look. "Trump: Maybe Obama sympathizes with terrorists." The headline on "The Washington Post" reads, quote, "Donald Trump seems to connect President Obama to Orlando shooting." The paper says Trump's rhetoric is a new low of bigotry, fear-mongering and conspiracy- peddling."

By the way, Trump has now revoked "The Washington Post" press access, accusing the paper of being phony and dishonest. As far as we know, "The New York Post" reporters are still welcome.

Joining me now is senior editor of "The Atlantic", Ron Brownstein. He's also a CNN senior political analyst. And CNN counterterrorism analyst, Phil Mudd.

Welcome to both of you.

Ron, I just want to start with you, and talk about -- so Donald Trump has banned "Washington Post" reporters. This is the paper that uncovered Watergate.

Tell us how unprecedented this is.

RON BROWNSTEIN, SENIOR EDITOR OF "THE ATLANTIC": It now joins a list of other new organizations that he has banned from his events. It is unprecedented, you know, and it is part of a pattern where he has talked about using the -- changing the libel laws to make it easier to go after the media, but also I think more broadly about using the presidency, to potentially as a way of kind of pursuing individual opponents, and those he views as his critics and enemies. I mean, this is banning "The Washington Post" is an extension of the language he used about Judge Curiel, when he said you know, I could be coming back to this court as president.

And again, you know, whether or not people get outraged at the idea of one of the major media organizations in the country being banned from his events, I don't know, but I think the pattern and the idea that he would -- could potentially use the powers of the presidency as a way of settling personal grudges is something that I do think gives a lot of Americans pause, and what you see it showing up in the polls, showing 60 percent in Fox poll, and Fox is an organization that's known for putting samples in favor of Republicans, 60 percent saying Donald Trump lacks of the temperament to succeed as president.

COSTELLO: So I just want you to get to -- you're right. People do hate the media. But I want you to tell people why they should be concerned about this,

because let's say president -- let's say Donald Trump becomes president. What might his press gatherings look like?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, there is a narrow issue and a broad issue. The narrow issue is a free society, holding to account those in power and having the ability to have access to the events and the activities that allow them to show what those leading the country are doing.

But I also think there is also a much broader point here, as I said. Trump is raising -- Mr. Trump I think has raised questions and these kind of actions continue to raise questions about whether he can separate the role of the president from his personal grievances. Whether he would use the power of the presidency to settle personal grudges. You know, I think that is one of the big questions he faces, is whether he has the temperament to succeed as president.

I think these kinds of episodes, I think raise more questions in the eyes of many Americans about whether this is someone that you can give the law enforcement power of the executive branch trouble of. What seems to be the inability to separate kind of public policy from personal grievance.

COSTELLO: OK, let's talk about the term radical Islam. I'm going to direct this to you, Phil.

So, Donald Trump says the president is afraid to use that language. So is Hillary Clinton, although she did yesterday.

[09:25:00] But in your mind, with what we know about this investigation thus far about this Orlando shooter, did radical Islam, you know, was that his inspiration to go shoot up this club?

PHIL MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: It's not clear to me. Many cases like this, you can see a clear link between the shooter and a group like ISIS and al Qaeda, and therefore, we can jump to the conclusion it was an act of terror. It is not even clear to me in this case yet that we have an act of terror? That is not clear to me.

COSTELLO: Really. Stop right there.

So, this may not be terrorism in your mind?

MUDD: I'm not certain yet. Let me explain. Very simple, to commit an act of terror, a subject, in this case, the shooter, has to go into the location with the intent to murder people for a political purpose.

We're suggesting as we debate the mental state of the individual what his relationship was with an ex-wife he abused at one point, with his visits to the club before. We're suggesting we understand the mental state of the subject well enough to be confident we know why he committed that acts and therefore, to know he was a terrorist. I am not confident.

COSTELLO: So people might be hearing this and saying, Phil, come on. That's crazy. Of course, this was an act of terrorism. MUDD: We have to judge what his mental state was and how can we make

a judgment about his mental state if we're not certain what motivated him. Not clear yet.

COSTELLO: Not clear yet. OK. Got to go, but we're going to get into this later, the next hour of NEWSROOM. Thanks so much, Phil. Thanks to you, Ron Brownstein.

Dozens of survivors were taken to the trauma center just a block from where I am standing, still, five of those survivors remain in grave condition. We'll talk with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about that, and we await a press conference from the hospital. Surgeons and some of the victims they treated are expected to people.

We'll be right back.

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