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Parishioners Take Down Gunman in Deadly Texas Church Shooting; 1 Dead After Plane Crashes into Two Homes in Maryland; Crash Victim Was En Route to See Father-in-Law's Bowl Game. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired December 29, 2019 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:00]
JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: I have never faced to fight quite like the one I have now. This month in a routine medical visit and subsequent tests, doctors discovered stage 4 pancreatic cancer. This diagnosis has been reconfirmed." He goes on to write, "Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this journey."
And we are getting more reaction to this news. Former President Barack Obama tweeting, quote, "If there's one thing I love about Representative John Lewis is that his incomparable will to fight. I know he's got a lot more of that left in him. Praying for you, my friend."
Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. tweeted in part, quote, "I am praying for him and encouraged by the knowledge that he is a legendary fighter. Fight on, sir." Former President Bill Clinton tweeting in part, "If there's anyone with the strength and courage to fight this, it's you, John. Hillary and I love you and we join with millions of other Americans in praying for you and your family."
I want to bring in CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, now.
Sanjay, what can you tell us about this diagnosis?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): It's obviously a tough diagnosis. People who have heard of pancreatic cancer at all know that it's a challenging cancer. And when it's stage 4, that basically means that the cancer has spread somewhere outside of the pancreas itself. So that's what that statement is basically telling us.
You know, he also talks about the fact that he had this diagnosed on a routine visit. And that's important to note. I think part of the reason this cancer is often found late is because there's no symptoms typically. And I think that's what the congressman was telling us. He also says that it was reconfirmed. That probably means they were suspicious and they subsequently did a biopsy, you know, or something to confirm the diagnosis.
So stage 4 pancreatic cancer. That's the diagnosis. The congressman talks a lot about, you know, being optimistic and the various fight that he wants to have going forward. And, you know, there are different treatment options which I'm sure he's being presented with and discussing with the doctors and his family now to figure out the best path forward.
DEAN: And Sanjay, what would treatment for him look like? What is typical or is there a typical protocol in this case?
GUPTA: Yes, there are some typical -- you know, typically, when you think about stage 4 pancreatic cancer, one of the goals, you know, typically if it's earlier cancer to try and remove the cancer surgically. If it's stage 4, that means that the cancer has spread so surgical removal is not going to be a cure. That's one thing that doctors are sort of thinking about in terms of going forward. They may do surgery to -- if there's blockage or something that the cancer is pushing on to sort of relieve that pressure.
But really most likely it's going to be some form of chemotherapy and possibly radiation. But typically chemotherapy is given into the bloodstream and specifically targets the cells and tries to prevent them from growing. That's the goal. And you know --
(CROSSTALK)
DEAN: And he -- right. He is 79 years old. How much does age factor into all of this? And health?
GUPTA: You know -- yes, that's a good question. And what I would tell you is that, you know, we typically really focus on the physiological age of someone as opposed to the chronological age. And what I mean by that is, you know, there are people who are 50 years old who have physiological of 80 and vice versa. So typically this type of cancer and the treatments that I've just talked about are often done in people who are older because that's when this cancer typically, you know, is diagnosed.
So it does play a role. It's certainly a tough diagnosis. It's harder to undergo some of these therapies when you're older. But, you know, it happens. But you have to -- you remember Jimmy Carter, you know, President Carter, he had metastatic melanoma and he was I believe close to 90 years old at the time and underwent therapy and has, you know, done very well since then from the cancer standpoint. So --
DEAN: Yes.
GUPTA: There is optimism certainly. But it's going to be a tough road.
DEAN: Tough road. Yes. And, you know, it struck me and I think other people I've been talking to, too, Alex Trebek had stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
GUPTA: Yes.
DEAN: And went through his treatment. And has been able to really prolong his life and gone back to work. How personal is it in terms of treatment? And I guess what I'm getting at is some people react really well to one certain drug or one certain protocol.
GUPTA: Yes.
DEAN: How much does each individual play into it?
GUPTA: It is changing so quickly. And it's kind of -- it's a great question because, you know, we used to think about these cancers as just, you know, pancreatic cancer, period.
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And now the testing will look at the type of cells that are mutated within that cancer and try and figure out, are those mutated cells, do they provide certain new targets in terms of immuno-therapy or a more targeted therapy. This is, you know, the wave of new cancer therapies. Right now there's a lot of people I'm sure going on the Internet and Googling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
DEAN: Yes.
GUPTA: And what they're reading is not going to sound particularly optimistic, but it's also reflective of data that, you know, maybe 10, 20 years old. Things are changing quickly. And Congressman Lewis talks about that in the statement that he released that, you know, doctors have told him that there are new therapies available and there are.
To your point, there's more sophisticated testing that can give doctors and the medical team a better idea. If he likely responds to these new therapies, and if so, what's that degree of response.
DEAN: Right.
GUPTA: It's exciting, you know, people don't want to put the cart in front of the horse. Be overly hopeful. But he's right in that there are new therapies and new options available.
DEAN: Our thanks to Dr. Sanjay Gupta. We appreciate it.
With me now is the White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Network and CNN political analyst April Ryan.
April, thanks for joining us tonight. I just want to get your first reaction to this news.
APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, you know -- you know, Jessica, like so many around the nation, really around the globe, we were in shock when we heard the news. And what's interesting is everyone went to Twitter -- took to Twitter. I did as well. And believe it or not, the congressman staff and the congressman are learning about all the love that he is being sent. The prayers from Twitter. The well wishes.
But what's very interesting is, is that those surrounding him are picking up on the people who are saying on Twitter that they're in remission from their pancreatic cancer. So they're very hopeful about this. And I'm learning this. You know, I have been on the phone, texting, e-mailing so many people about this, and Congressman John Lewis and his being and his mind right now. And he's hopeful.
He's so hopeful that he plans to file for another run for his seat by the April deadline. He's not going to leave Congress, he's staying in Congress. But they are hopeful. They want to fight this like he's fought everything before. From civil rights to voting rights to issues of gun control. Remember in 2016 the congressman took part of the historic sit-in in the well of the House on gun control.
You know, I have taken notes from many people I have talked to. You know, he's going to continue to fight for issues like environmental justice. He doesn't like to support appropriations for war. And advocate for voting rights and once again a fierce advocate on issues of gun control.
And Jessica, just finding out why this diagnosis came about and how they found out earlier this month, the congressman had been losing weight. The congressman had been losing weight for an unexplained reason and they tried to find out and they found out it was pancreatic cancer, stage 4.
DEAN: Oh, man. Well -- but like you said a lot of hope. And as we were talking to Doctor Sanjay Gupta, that there's this new immuno- therapy. Hopefully something out there that's going to really work for him.
Congressman Lewis, April, as we know, as we all know, has spent practically his entire life fighting for civil rights, voting rights. Help us understand the scope of his impact that he's had.
RYAN: OK, so the scope of his impact. If it weren't for Congressman Lewis, Doctor Martin Luther King, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond, Andrew Young, Jesse Jackson and so many more, the scope of his reach I would not be sitting in this chair.
DEAN: Wow.
RYAN: Congressman Lewis -- that's the truth because of race, because of the heart issue of race. And think about it, they -- this group of young men, Congressman John Lewis was in (INAUDIBLE) before he became a congressman. He was this young guy who wanted to go to Troy University and Dr. King said look, if you go to Troy, you will be the first black person there. But your house could be bombed, your family could lose the hundred acres of land that they own.
Now for a black family at the time that was a lot. So he decided not to go to Troy. But -- Troy State but he decided to march with Dr. King. At a time when race in the South, you know, we saw strange fruit hanging from a tree, meaning we saw people being lynched and there's still no federal antilynching laws. We saw people being lynched just for the color of their skin. We saw people being denied access to go to the lunch counter of a Woolworths. We saw Montgomery bus boycott. We saw so much at that time. And he
marched with Dr. King at the time when blacks were not allowed to stay at a hotel off the interstate or go to a restaurant, you know, public accommodations.
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And he marched against those injustices. He wanted equality. He marched with Dr. King. He was important to the shift in the atmosphere. The shift in the laws. So we received the voting -- the Civil Rights Act and then this group of young black men dared to be different. Dared to go out there and challenge the system. Just after they received the Civil Rights Act.
Now John Lewis did this against the will of his mother. His mother never wanted him to march because for black people at that time in the South it's like don't rock the boat. We're all right. We're all right. Just be careful.
DEAN: Be dangerous. Yes.
RYAN: Because there was so much at stake. Dangerous. Not just dangerous, your life, you lose anything you have. And his mother said don't do this, don't do this. But he said -- Congressman John Lewis told me and I wrote it in a book, "At Mama's Knee," he told me this about his mother. He said, you know, she said no, but it was her faith that helped me go along. Because he said, my mother used to always talk about how good God was.
You know, he never saw a seed begging for bread. You know, the congressman kept pushing because of his mother's faith. Even though she didn't want him to do it. And then one day received the Voting Rights Act after Bloody Sunday in Selma. He wound up being a hero in his mother's eyes. And she joined in.
DEAN: Wow.
RYAN: And had the fire to go register people to vote. That was more than 50 years ago. That was more than 50 years ago. And now we are voting. Without the full enforcement of the Voting Rights Act after all of that happened. But Congressman John Lewis, a man of faith, a man of peace, is someone that has pushed forward in so many different things. He's pushed for humanity, equality, civil rights. Just the rights of people.
And if he were not at the forefront on the Hill on some of these things, some of these things would not have happened.
DEAN: Yes.
RYAN: So he is more than an icon.
DEAN: Yes.
RYAN: He -- I credit him and Dr. King and all those soldiers and those people behind the scenes. If it weren't for them I would not be here talking to the world today. So he's more than just a man. You know, and we look at him as this small man who has such a great impact peacefully. That's one thing he will tell you. Go about it peacefully. But we love to see him in his joy as well.
Remember, Jessica. You may remember this from a couple of years ago when that song "Happy" came out.
DEAN: Yes.
RYAN: By Pharrell.
DEAN: Yes.
RYAN: Yes, and he had that viral video. So I'm happy -- we love John Lewis in all parts of John Lewis. And that is why -- because he is pushed America to its greatest being. But he challenges the conscience of America. Even today. Even this president of the United States so -- who has yet to say anything about this. But he has challenged the conscience of America for good and for our better selves. And we have seen the man in his entirety. The march. We've seen the happiness. And now we are there standing with him, praying for his recovery.
DEAN: As he fights. Yes.
Well, April Ryan, I just want to say --
RYAN: Yes. As he fights. As he continues to fight.
DEAN: That fighting spirit he's always had. May it carry him through.
April Ryan, thank you so much.
RYAN: Yes.
DEAN: We really appreciate it.
RYAN: Thank you. Thank you, Jessica. Thank you.
DEAN: Coming up, two states, two horrific attacks. One thing in common. The victims were people of faith. What we're learning about a mass stabbing inside a rabbi's home in New York and also a shooting at a church in Texas. The mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio as well as the attorney general of Texas, Ken Paxton, they'll both join me live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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DEAN: And we are following other breaking news this Sunday evening. Violence and bloodshed during a peaceful religious service in New York. And I do want to warn you that these are disturbing images you're about to see. This is where a man with a knife barged into a rabbi's home outside New York City late last night and he stabbed several people. Sending five people to the hospital before running away. At the time that house was filled with people celebrating the seventh night of Hanukkah.
Take a look at the surveillance video from the neighborhood. It shows what is believed to be that attacker running to a car. Police say they found him covered with blood a few minutes later driving in New York City. He has now been charged with five counts of attempted murder.
Following that brutal stabbing attack in the rabbi's own home during the Hanukkah celebration, you can imagine the Jewish community is reeling. But just hours after that attack take a look at this scene outside the rabbi's house. I want you to listen.
You hear the community members singing, dancing, coming together following the dedication of a new Torah at a synagogue up the street.
And then this earlier tonight in Brooklyn, as the community there lit the eighth candle on the menorah in celebration of the eighth night of Hanukah, amid a heinous crime and heavy hearts, the Jewish community, though, coming together showing their strength and their resilience.
And with me now New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Mayor, thanks so much for making time for us tonight. I want to ask you first what you're hearing from the Jewish community, what they're asking of you and of government leaders.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK CITY: Jessica, I think it's a combination of real fear that we've seen these attacks now all over the country, most horribly at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg. And there's a fear that anti-Semitism is growing in America and becoming more and more violent. And for folks, that's very personal. It's literally if their kids go out in the street, are they going to be in danger? If they themselves wear a symbol of their religion, will they become a target?
It's getting very, very personal. What the Jewish community is asking for is support and protection. And what I announced today was three things. One, more NYPD presence in Jewish communities, more security cameras, the physical measures. But also the community-based measures. We're going to have patrols of community folks who go out, working with the NYPD from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to make sure, particularly of young people, in any way, shape or form thinking of getting involved in hate crimes or anything negative.
That there's intervention, that there's community members to find them and put them on the right path and stop them from doing the wrong thing. And then lastly in our schools. We have to continue to improve our curriculum to talk about the consequences of hate. If someone commits an act of anti-Semitism, well, they may think that's against a different community but, you know what, that's eventually going to come back to hurt you and your own community because that hatred spreads and it never ends up in a good place. We've got to help our young people understand that.
So that's what I'm seeing. But I'm also seeing a lot of resilience, Jessica. You're seeing --
DEAN: And we just saw it. Yes.
DE BLASIO: Exactly. You're seeing folks who are, I hate to say it, but the Jewish community which I know is no stranger to challenges. No stranger to oppression and pain. That's also given folks a lot of resilience, a lot of willingness to fight back, stand up strong, never be ashamed of who they are, and we stand in solidarity with our Jewish community.
DEAN: Right. What can you tell us about the investigation in the stabbing, in this particular case?
DE BLASIO: Well, it happened outside of New York City as you said.
DEAN: Right.
DE BLASIO: But the arrest of the individual happened in the 32nd Precinct in Harlem. Our officers did an amazing job of getting him right away. We're going to know more in the next day or two. We do not have any indication of an accomplice at this point. But that's an ongoing investigation. We need to know what motivated this individual. And as we see this spread of hate crimes we need to understand what's going on.
The NYPD has created a new unit in the last few months to specifically investigate these patterns of ethnic and racially motivated extremism which we're seeing more and more around the country. And to try and get ahead of them and stop some of these acts before they happen.
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But other times we see these lone wolves where there's nothing that predicts it. That said, the message I'm sending to all New Yorkers I think is true all over the country, is that antiterrorism message, if you see something, say something, is just as pertinent when it comes to hate crimes. Because sometimes it's someone who says something in your presence or something you overhear, a threatening message. A threat they make to someone because of their background. That can be the sign of something much worse.
So anyone who hears that kind of thing should report it to police. You might save a life.
DEAN: It's interesting. I interviewed someone else earlier this evening and they did, they said the strongest thing that we can do is all unite together as Americans to push back on this.
DE BLASIO: That's right.
DEAN: That it's everybody coming together.
DE BLASIO: And never accept it.
DEAN: Right.
DE BLASIO: Never accept that this has to be new normal in this country because we can't let that happen.
DEAN: Right. And New York's Governor Cuomo said he wants the state to become the first to have a domestic terrorism law. Do you agree with that?
DE BLASIO: The idea of stronger penalties, yes. I want to see of course the specific wording. We always have to balance the need to protect people with our liberties and our rights. But the idea I think has merit.
DEAN: And I want to ask you one -- another thing that's adjacent just by being in New York City, the killing of the Barnard freshman, Tessa Majors. The "New York Times" is reporting now that police are banking on some pending DNA results that they hope is going -- are going to allow prosecutors to charge three minors that police suspect attacked Majors. They've questioned them. Police have collected pieces of clothing from the three minors. Can you confirm that this is going on?
DE BLASIO: Look, it's a very sensitive situation so I'll let the NYPD speak to the details.
DEAN: Right.
DE BLASIO: But I do want to say there's been a relentless investigation from the beginning. We were confident we would bring these individuals to justice. It's a horrible tragedy. I say this as a father and it's also a horrible tragedy that these -- the young people somehow went so astray. We're talking -- really talking minors, 13-year-old, 14-years-old.
DEAN: Very young. Yes.
DE BLASIO: And it's something that we have to as a society work hard to avert. Our young people -- what drives them to this kind of violence? This is again whether it's the hate crimes, the anti- Semitic violence or whether it's just violence against a poor young college student who happened to be walking by. There's something we have to get at that's deeper here. And I think I can again say this as a parent and a public official, the dynamics of social media, we still have not caught up with that.
The amount of hate that's out there. The amount of violence that's out there. The amount of information young people are getting before they're able to actually process it and before they have the reasoning skills to make sense of it. While respecting our liberties, we have to come to grips with the fact that things have gotten, you know, out of hand and we've got to find the right way to rebalance them because our young people are getting really horrible influences. And we've got to get there first with something positive.
DEAN: Yes. I mean, these people of interest, let's say, these minors of interest, 13 and 14 years old, so very young. But again you can't confirm that they've taken those pieces of physical evidence?
DE BLASIO: I'll only confirm to you that we're confident in the end we'll be able to identify them and have a successful prosecution.
DEAN: All right. Mayor Bill de Blasio.
DE BLASIO: Thank you.
DEAN: Thank you very much for joining us. We sure do appreciate it.
We're going to be back in just a moment.
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DEAN: More breaking news this Sunday evening. And it is a terrifying moment caught on camera. I want to give you a very strong warning here, the video we're about to see is this morning's deadly shooting inside a church near Fort Worth, Texas. If there's children in the room you may want to have them leave. I'll give you just a second to do that.
Again this video, the moment a man in the congregation stood up with a gun and opened fire. Take a look. Watch the man dressed all in black at the top of your screen.
And you see the fellow parishioners who came up with their own weapons there. That gunman would shoot two people who would both later die. But again remarkably two people in that congregation, members of the church, also part of the church's security team. They were armed as you saw in that video. They drew their weapons and shot the gunman dead before he could harm anymore people.
Police say more than 240 people were inside the church at the time. You noticed it was very full in there. Everyone in the sanctuary ducked for cover or ran from that church in panic. Just a horrific sight to see.
Let's go live now to White Settlement, Texas. CNN's Ashley Killough, and Ashley, do officials have any idea who that gunman was?
ASHLEY KILLOUGH, CNN PRODUCER: Jessica, they're not releasing much information at this point about the gunman. All they've been able to tell us so far is that he has had multiple incidents and interactions with law enforcement in the past, saying he has had multiple arrests in different municipalities but they did say that he does have roots in this area, and at one point they used the word transient to describe him.
There's also a very heartbreaking moment earlier at this press conference that they had just about an hour ago where the senior pastor who was about to give a sermon on stage today when this shooting happened, he talked about what it was like in there today and he talked about the two parishioners who did fire back at the gunman and lost their lives doing so. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRITT FARMER, MINISTER, WEST FREEWAY CHURCH OF CHRIST: Today is one sermon I'll never preach. It will go away. It was called leaving a legacy. And two men today left a legacy. But the congregation is going to build on that legacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KILLOUGH: And we are told that the church is going to have a service tomorrow night in lieu of the service that they didn't get to complete today. So they'll be doing that tomorrow night. The senior pastor that you just heard from, he's also going to give a blanket statement to the media after that. But until then we'll just keep waiting for more updates on the shooter -- Jessica.
DEAN: All right, Ashley Killough, for us in White Settlement, Texas, tonight, thank you so much.
Joining me now is Texas attorney general Ken Paxton.
Thanks so much for being with us during what is a horrific day. We really appreciate your time. We just saw some of the video from that worship service that showed the attack. And it is startling. Can you tell us more about what happened?
KEN PAXTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, first of all, you know, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families. It's obviously a horrible incident. We've had these in Texas before. But, at this point, the DPS, Department of Public Safety, is doing investigation.
They typically do not release information until they've come close to completing their investigation. So, I don't really have any more information than your reporter just gave about the gunman.
DEAN: Right. And we're piecing together the timeline of this attack. Do you -- do you -- can you add anything else to that? We know people had arrived at church for their regular service. Can you help us, kind of, go through how it unfolded?
PAXTON: Well, I mean, it was just a normal Sunday morning service in White Settlement, Texas. And I don't know if this guy had been to that service before. I don't think we know that yet. And, you know, the video caught everything on camera. So, it's one of those situations where everybody can see it, you showed it. Everybody can see what -- exactly what happened.
DEAN: Yes, and it certainly sends a shiver down your spine. We learned from local authorities and we see in that video as you mentioned, there were heroes inside that church, members who returned fire, took down the gunman. Have you been able to speak to them at all? And if so, can you share anything?
PAXTON: My hope is that I'm going to get that opportunity tomorrow, trying to basically let these families as much as possible, recover. It's -- what I do -- what I will say is there were -- there were heroic efforts. And I have been saying this for years, we need to make sure that people can protect themselves, because oftentimes, law enforcement can't react quickly.
They can't -- they can't be there in seconds when these -- the shooters are suddenly shooting. And so, it's -- it really is a remarkable thing that these people reacted so quickly and saved the lives of the other 239 people in that congregation.
DEAN: They did move very fast there. What Mr. Attorney General, do you think can be done? I feel -- we have these conversations over and over again, sadly, in this country. What can be done to curb this kind of violence? How do we stop gun violence in this country? What else can be done?
You mentioned there have been other horrific shootings in Texas in this year alone. What can we do to protect people?
PAXTON: Well, we can't stop this from happening in all cases. There's no way we can predict what every person in our state is going to do. I think, a focus on mental illness is obviously something that we need to -- we need to be mindful of. But the reality is, I think our laws in Texas allow for -- allow us to protect ourselves.
And so, more people need to carry in our state in churches, in places of business so that if something like this horrible thing does happen, at least, we have people that can react and save the lives of those around them.
DEAN: Yes, and we don't know details yet of how this gunman got a hold of his gun, what his state of mind was. That is information that will come out in the days to come. In the meantime, what message do you want to send tonight to the people there, in White Settlement.
And the people who, you know, are going to worship like the people in New York, the Jewish community in New York who may be afraid right now, people in Texas who may be afraid right now to go to their church.
PAXTON: Well, I do know that there's always discussion about, you know, imposing more gun restrictions. Reality is, somebody like this who's willing to kill somebody, is unlikely to follow a gun law. And so, we need to continue to be vigilant and we need to allow our citizens to protect themselves, exactly what happened tonight or today.
And I'm so grateful for the quick reaction because what happened in other churches, you know, about a year ago, and other places around my state. When there were people were not armed, we had a lot more people die. And so, I'm really grateful tonight that we did lose one person and we had others injured. But we had such a quick reaction and I'm really grateful for the heroes that were in that church.
DEAN: Yes. We did also recently lose that second victim as well. It certainly played out as the best-case scenario with the people stepping in there with their own firearms to take down that gunman. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, thank you so much for being with us tonight. We appreciate it.
PAXTON: Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.
DEAN: Coming up, heartbreak at the Peach Bowl. New details about the difficult call an LSU coach made after learning his daughter-in-law had died in a plane crash.
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DEAN: New tonight, one person is dead after a small plane crashed into two homes in New Carrollton, Maryland. The Prince George's County fire department releasing this video. You see it shows extensive damage to both the homes and pieces of what's believed to be that plane, scattered all across the street. Officials believe the sole fatality is the aircraft's pilot. No other injuries have been reported.
Some new and emotional details tonight about one family's grief after Saturday's deadly plane crash in Lafayette, Louisiana. Among the victims in that crash, sports journalist Carley Ann McCord. She was also the daughter-in-law of LSU offensive coach, Steve Ensminger, and was headed to the playoff game between LSU and Oklahoma, when that plane went down. Sports illustrated reports McCord's husband was so shaken, family members rushed him to the hospital.
Before the game, coach Ensminger called his son to tell him everything would be OK. And the promise LSU would win, they did. Meanwhile, we're getting new information about that crash. The NTSB says no distress call was made before the plane went down. CNN's Natasha Chen is joining us now. Natasha, what else are we learning?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica. We're also learning there was no flight data recorder, which really complicates the job of investigators. According to the NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg, he calls this a sobering situation. The debris field is about a quarter mile wide. We've been watching investigators in the field behind us, looking at the pieces of the plane that crashed just shortly after takeoff, before 9:30 a.m. local time on Saturday.
We know that from witnesses, who told investigators about what they saw, they saw the plane teetering, hit transmission lines and trees, skidded in a straight line through the parking lot of a post office and really broke into a lot of pieces. Here is the NTSB senior air safety investigator, Jennifer Rodi, talking about their preliminary information.
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JENNIFER RODI, SENIOR AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATOR, NTSB: One witness who has pilot experience stated specifically that the landing gear was retracted. The altitude at the time of impact is estimated to be wings level. I do not have a nose down angle indication at this point, but the wreckage is massively fragmented and charred melted and partially consumed by fire. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: And the weather at the time was listed as foggy, with the FAA control tower reporting visibility of about three quarters of a mile. Now, we're also learning more about the people involved in this crash. As you mentioned, 30-year-old Carley McCord was among the five who were killed.
And I've been messaging back and forth with her husband, Steven Ensminger Jr., and he tells me that he could not get off work that morning to be able to drive with McCord to Atlanta to that game. And so, she boarded this flight instead. He sent me a message and here's part of his statement.
He said, I mean, I could write a book on Carley right now but I just can't find the words. It's so hard and it hurts too much. I just want her here with me. That's all I want. She is and will forever be my world.
Just really heartbreaking there. Of course, one of several families really hurting right now. We know that there is one survivor who was on that plane. He is in a Lafayette hospital in critical condition. There is another woman named Danielle Britt, who was in a car, in that post office parking lot. And her car is actually seen flipped upside down and completely burned, in some of the wreckage that we're seeing.
[20:40:10]
She suffered severe burns and had to be taken to a hospital in New Orleans. And we understand that her family is with her there. And everyone is hoping for her speedy recovery. So, just really heartbreaking all around. A long road ahead for investigators, Jessica.
DEAN: Yes. And a lot of pain and grief there. All right. Natasha Chen, thanks so much. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: Defense Secretary Mark Esper says additional action is possible after today's air strikes in Iraq and Syria. Esper spoke briefly a short time ago after he and other top national security officials traveled to Mar-a-Lago to brief President Trump on the operation.
The Pentagon says the strikes targeted five facilities linked to an Iran-backed militia. And there were retaliation for a series of attacks that have injured American military personnel and left a U.S. civilian contractor, dead.
In the meantime, constant displacement has become a terrifying reality for hundreds of thousands of Syrians, as air strikes and barrel bombs pound men, women and children trying to outrun them. President Trump warned the Syrian regime and its Russian and Iranian allies against carnage in Idlib Province, adding Turkey is working hard to stop it. CNN's Arwa Damon has more on the growing crisis there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Abu Ismael's children don't need an explanation anymore. They have done this so many times that the notion of a home, a warm bed, to feel safe and snug, that ceased to exist long ago.
We go, we come back, Abu Ismael says. We don't know where to go or where we will end up. It's an existence on the move, trying and praying that the bombs won't catch up to them or when they do, that they will somehow survive.
But this time, it feels different. The bombing is more intense, final, deliberate. Entire areas in and around Idlib province are emptying out again. Upwards of 230,000 people are on the move.
[20:45:05]
The children couldn't sleep through the night, they were crying every hour, Abu Osama says, holding his daughter, so young, this is all she knows.
It's a cycle they all know well. One that starts with the renewed intense bombings, then the panic, packing up, the overwhelming sense of feeling lost, not knowing where to go, but having to flee, finding some sort of makeshift shelter.
I'm taking my family and we are heading to a tent. Ibrahim Aktar says. Whether or not we can have a tent, is still unknown. The province Syria's last rubble stronghold has never been able to meet the humanitarian needs of the growing displaced population. One of the few aid organizations, the Turkish IAH that operates in Idlib says they don't have the resources.
The first night we came, we slept on the ground. We didn't even have blankets, this woman says, begging for a tent, a stove, anything. Many end up just establishing themselves along the road, once they think they have reached safety. But as a regime with Russian-backing closes in, that may not be far enough. Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: The Iowa caucuses are now just 36 days away. It's a timeline that's kicking the 2020 democratic campaigns into high gear.
[20:50:07]
One of the presidential hopefuls, Senator Bernie Sanders, is deploying a new risky strategy to gain support in the first-in-the-nation voting state. CNN's Ryan Nobles has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If the Bernie Sanders team is right -- SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We believe in
grass roots organizing.
NOBLES: -- this is where the Iowa caucus will be won.
DENVER: Hello. My name is Denver. I'm volunteering with the Bernie Sanders campaign.
NOBLES: On sidewalks, in the cold, with the dedicated volunteers like Denver Foot, one of the many foot soldiers in the 2020 version of the Sanders revolution.
DENVER: He is for the people. He is by the people.
NOBLES: Sanders is back in Iowa this week, with a revamped strategy on full display while he's still drawing big crowds at Ruckus rallies.
SANDERS: We have a number of challenges --
NOBLES: His campaign, though, has a new more targeted focus, highlighted by Sanders himself attending small issue-based forums in town halls and his field staff organizing new caucus goers around specific issues like health care.
SALLY BENTA, VOTER: I've had cancer before, and health care is very important. I have a pre-existing condition, basically.
NOBLES: The Sanders team is focusing on voters like Sally Benda, who may not traditionally have been part of the Iowa caucus process, but have been inspired by the Sanders message because of a personal experience. It's not the first time a campaign has made turning out new caucus goers a key part of its Iowa strategy. It worked well for Barack Obama in 2008. But the Sanders campaign says its 2020 model is a political leap of faith.
Is it in any way, though, a gamble for you to do it this way?
MISTY REBIK, IOWA STATE DIRECTOR, SANDERS 2020 CAMPAIGN: If we're not willing to take risks and expand the electorate, then you're right. It is a gamble. But look, the Senator has always been somebody who is willing to gamble a bit and do what was right.
JUDY DOWNS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, POLK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY: You just show up that day and register as a democrat.
NOBLES: OK.
Caucus participation requires commitment. It means spending several hours on a specific night to publicly support a candidate, which is why campaign's traditionally place a premium on those who have reliably caucused in the past.
DOWNS: It's a big ask to bring new people into the system. But it's definitely a worthy cause. And if they can do it successfully, they might win on caucus night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your name?
NOBLES: For the Sanders team, they say this is about more than a campaign. It's about the next step in a political movement.
REBIK: I don't know if that's risky. I think that's the right thing to do, because frankly, if we want a White House that represents all people, we've got to talk to all people and they've got to get voted in by all people.
NOBLES: And the Sanders strategy in Iowa will be on display this week in Iowa. In fact, Sanders planning to spend New Year's Eve in Des Moines. He has a number of events there to start 2020. They don't view this as a deal-breaker even though they believe they can win there. If they don't win in Iowa, Sanders already has plenty of investments in those first four early states as well, as the big super Tuesday states of California and beyond. Ryan Nobles, CNN, Washington.
DEAN: Ryan, thanks so much. Coming up, the singer who broke the mold, part rock, part country, a whole lot more. A preview of a new film about Linda Ronstadt's remarkable rise to fame. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEAN: Before Beyonce, before Lady Gaga, there was Linda Ronstadt, a pop icon with a voice that could conquer multiple genres. And now, a new CNN film is telling the inside story of her mediocre rise to fame and how she amassed millions of fans.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you will read.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. And the winner is, Linda Ronstadt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Linda was the queen. She was like what Beyonce is now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was the first female rock and roll star.
LINDA RONSTADT, SINGER: Want love? Get closer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was the only female artist to have five platinum albums in a row and most of them, multi-platinum.
RONSTADT: Hold her hand, be forward.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Favorite female in rock and pop --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Favorite country single, Blue Bayou by Linda Ronstadt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the winner is --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here's another winner --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Linda Ronstadt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The winner is, Linda Ronstadt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DEAN: And joining us now is James Keach, producer of the CNN film, "LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE." Thanks so much for being with us. I'm curious what first attracted you to Linda's story.
JAMES KEACH, FILMMAKER: Well, Linda Ronstadt is one of a kind. I mean, she is a giant in terms of her ability to sing, and she's also a giant in terms of her persistence as a human being to do the right thing. And to -- and she's a -- she really has an identity that personifies what Latino women should have.
DEAN: Wow. And you shot all the interviews with Linda in this film. What would you say was the most surprising thing you learned about her during this process? You spent a lot of time together.
KEACH: Well, I think the most surprising thing I learned about Linda Ronstadt was how humble she was. Here's a woman who's achieved everything you can achieve in her business, and also with the way she deals with adversity with her Parkinson's. She lives her life fully, completely. Obviously, she would love to be able to sing, but now she's able to stand up for people who need singing for them, like immigrants in this country. She's really focused on the immigration situation.
DEAN: Yes. And what did she think about this film being put together?
KEACH: I think she thought it wasn't going to be very important to a lot of people. She's very humble. She'd like to sit at home and read books. She'd like to sing with her friends at home. She never wanted to play on big stages. And yet, the rest of us in the world wanted to see her all the time because she was so incredible as a singer.
DEAN: Yes. And you know a lot of the celebrity interviews in this film which we saw a couple of -- was there a common thread through from all of them about what her friends and collaborators were saying?
KEACH: Yes, there was. They loved her very much. She's one of the only people in our business that I've never heard a bad word about. And also getting people to do interviews, I'm sure you guys know all too well that it's very difficult sometimes to get people who are very busy to do an interview. All these folks wanted to do the interview, and they wanted to make sure that she wanted to have it done. And they were fantastic. I mean --
DEAN: Yes.
KEACH: --we have a great line up of people. DEAN: It's been incredible to see just kind of the diversity of people that have come forward from different genres of music and all of that. It's really quite a group you've put together and interviewed.
KEACH: Well, I mean, she did everything. I mean, she did -- she was the queen of rock and roll. She sang country with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. And she did opera. She did Pirates of Penzance. I mean, this woman could sing -- could sing anything. And then, of course, she did Canciones de Mi Padre, which is the biggest selling non-English speaking album in history. So that's --
DEAN: Yes.
KEACH: -- pretty impressive.
DEAN: It is. Quickly, before I let you go, what do you hope people take away when they watch the film?
KEACH: Well, you know, I've been listening to your news tonight, and it's -- and it's very intense. And I want people to watch the film. This is a very positive affirmation of the human spirit. And the music is fantastic.
DEAN: It sure is. We've been listening to it here with all the promos. It's fantastic. James Keach, thanks so much for being with us, for putting this film together.
KEACH: Thank you. Happy New Year.
DEAN: You too. Happy New Year. Be sure to watch "LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE" it's on New Year's Day at 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN. In the meantime, that's going to do it for me tonight. I'm Jessica Dean, thanks so much for being with us. Up next, join CNN's Tom Foreman for a look back at the biggest moments of the year, all the best, all the worst, 20 --2019. It starts right now. Have a great night.
