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Blast Shook Entertainment District Early This Morning, At Least 3 People Injured; Downtown Nashville Sealed After "Intentional" Explosion; FBI Now In Charge Of Investigation Into Early-Morning Blast That Injured At Least 3; Downtown Nashville Sealed Off After "Intentional" Explosion; CDC To Require Negative COVID-19 Test For All Passengers Traveling To United States From United Kingdom; FBI Now Taking The Lead In The Nashville Blast Investigation. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired December 25, 2020 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. Merry Christmas to you. I am Amara Walker, welcome to the special edition of NEWSROOM. Thank you so much for joining me. This Christmas morning, we are following breaking news, you are looking at the scene of what police believe was an intentional explosion.

In downtown Nashville police have shut down and sealed off that area as crews are sorting through significant damage on forensic evidence, an investigation is under way, expected to take several days. Take a listen now to the moment when it all happened.

Officials calling this a significant explosion as you just heard there. We're expecting another update from Nashville officials soon. Here's what they said just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON AARON, METRO NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We do believe this to have been an intentional act; significant damage has been done to the infrastructure there on Second Avenue North.

The FBI, the ATF, and the Metro Police Department are conducting a full-scale investigation, resources from our federal partners are coming in from outside of the Nashville area to assist in this and we will be conducting this investigation for the next number of days.

A number of our police dogs have been called and are now searching the area. These are explosive detection dogs to make sure that there are no secondary devices. We have no indication that there are secondary devices, however, out of an abundance of caution, we have a number of dogs that are conducting sweeps of that immediate downtown area at present.

We're also going to be conducting searches of downtown buildings, particularly those impacted on Second Avenue, to make sure that there is no one in need of help in those. I will say that central precinct officers conducted a door to door, apartment to apartment if you will check of units on Second Avenue this morning just before the explosion occurred and got persons to safety.

There was actually a man walking his dog on Second Avenue that an officer stopped and directed in another way just before the RV exploded. The explosion knocked one of our officers to the ground. Thankfully no officers were significantly hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Yes. Very thankful and no critical injuries to report as well, which is remarkable. CNN Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz has been following the developments since it happened, and you are getting some new information, Shimon.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We are learning that now the FBI there in Memphis actually is going to be taking over this investigation. They're going to lead the investigation and part of the reason for that is because of the resources they can provide.

We are now dealing with what appears to be an explosive material used in this explosion. So that is why the FBI would take the lead. In this, they can provide all sorts of resources. Not that this right now, no officials are telling us that at this point this is any kind of terrorism or terrorist act.

Certainly there are some who are investigating this and trying to find out if it is, but we shouldn't read the fact that the FBI is taking over this investigations because this has been determined to be some kind of terrorist act that is all still under investigation.

But as we have been seeing from the pictures, the size of this explosion, the debris field for blocks in some cases, windows being damaged all over downtown Nashville, the explosion heard miles away.

And so, the fact that we have what appears to be a very large explosion, what appears to have been something that was placed in an RV perhaps that caused this explosion has everyone very much concerned.

And what we're hearing is now also they're searching the area to make sure there are no other explosive devices. They've closed down the downtown area. And remarkably, there have only been three injuries so far, the fire department says those injuries are minor, a police officer was injured.

And part of that is because the police, they responded there early this morning before the sun rose and when they got there, they were responding to calls of shots fired. And when they got there, they noticed this RV, something suspicious about it. They started evacuating the neighborhood and as the bomb squad was rolling in, that is when the RV exploded.

WALKER: Shimon, thank you. Let's bring in CNN Security Correspondent Josh Campbell and I first want to get your reaction, because obviously you have worked for the FBI.

[12:05:00]

WALKER: The FBI taking over this investigation or leading in it what do you make of that and what does that mean?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think it's important to first point out that whenever the FBI assumes jurisdiction, federal jurisdiction over a case, it's not like in the movies where they show up, and say we're on the scene here, we got this, and this is joint investigation. This is very much hand in glove joint investigative effort because it is involving multiple agencies here.

What this is going to tell us is that now obviously federal investigators will bring all of the resources to bear that they have. I am hearing that they're sending in resources from other neighboring offices as well to assist. We know that in Quantico, Virginia, the FBI has its laboratory there, to include a special team that does nothing but bomb analysis and so, we can imagine that they would be instrumental as well.

And as we've talked about investigations in the past that involved explosives, it's important to have this historical knowledge that the FBI has because they can look at everything from the ingredients of a device, they can look at - just for an example, down to if there was a timer involved, they can look and say OK, these timers are sold in these stores.

Just this collection of knowledge that they use in these investigations. They also work obviously with the ATF who does very much the same thing. So, I think that's important to point out. This is now being led federally but they'll also be relying on the partners there locally.

And this is also, Amara we saw after the 9/11 the FBI ramping up the number of the joint terrorism task forces around the country for this very reason. They conduct investigations, but also when something unfortunately goes boom, they can tap into those resources that all of these agencies bring to bear in order to try to quickly identify the person responsible.

WALKER: And just give us a sense of what is happening right now? We have heard from local officials there, Josh, that this is an investigation that will take several days. They're going to be combing every inch of what is now, an active crime scene.

We know they're going door to door, making sure everyone is accounted for that there was also now a second or third device to be worried about. How long will it be before the scene there has been secured?

CAMPBELL: Yes, they're going to hold that scene as long as it takes and we're probably talking days, maybe even weeks, because that is such a large area. They want to gather every piece of information that they can. I could tell you, having worked bomb investigations, sometimes the key piece of information could be a centimeter wide, and something that's so tiny that then is the key driver in where the investigation goes next. And so, with this area where we have a street explosion going on, you have that funnel, blast wave going up and down that street, so evidence could be spread over a large area. They'll be taking their time there. Also, to the earlier question about what they're doing, obviously we see officials there, the police on the scene processing what's going on.

But let me take you inside and this is the best way to explain it. There's a command post that will be set up and in these large-scale investigations you have different teams, you have the evidence team, forensic team, you have a team that's looking at communications.

We heard earlier reports that there were perhaps some kind of 911 calls of shots fired before this incident so that investigators will want to be looking at, the communication aspect, the digital aspect as well.

And then a large-scale part of this investigation is going to be fanning out, collecting all of the surveillance footage in and around that area because again, they don't know when this RV pulled up, when it parked there?

But in this day and age where technology, especially in a city, there will likely be footage of that coming up all of this is part of this wide scale, a large scale investigation that's going on right now behind the scenes again the goal to try to determine who was responsible?

The last thing I'll say is that, we don't yet know whether this person was inside that vehicle and may have been actually a casualty in explosion or if this person is at large. That's all; those are all items that investigators are trying to look at right now.

WALKER: I know this is cliche, but some of these images that we have been seeing look like a war zone. There was that picture of this incinerated car with it still smoking. It really goes to show the extent of the damage, the strength of this blast which sparked fires on streets and burned down at least three cars. It really is just astounding.

Josh Campbell, thank you so much for your expertise. Let's bring in David Katz now, a Former DEA Agent, and Firearms and Homeland Security Expert. David, thank you so much for joining us. I just want to go through the timeline, especially for viewers who might just be joining us.

We're talking about a massive explosion that happened on this Christmas morning after 6:30 in downtown Nashville in a historic part of town. It happened around 6:30. There was a call to 911 about shots having been fired. Police responded.

When they got to the scene, they saw something that made them suspicious and they ended up calling in the bomb squad.

[12:10:00] WALKER: As the bomb squad was responding, David, that is when this RV exploded. What do you make of that, especially this happening on a Christmas morning when virtually no one is out on the streets?

DAVID KATZ, FORMER DEA AGENT: Well, you know, you have a bunch of things wrapped into that question. The Christmas morning obviously is early that morning you're not going to expect a lot of people on the street. So, this could be some misguided kind of an intention to cause property damage, minimize casualties.

But to your first question, the initial 911 call, do we know there was actually shots fired was that a ruse to law enforcement to the scene? When they rolled up, what exactly did they see? The RV, it's a large capacity vehicle, suggestive of the ability to carry a great deal of explosive was a part right against the building - plates was it laid into the part when the shots were roaring.

That will - that officer by the way on the ball and deserves a medal and a lot of time off. But the timing and the location is interesting. I was in Nashville just a couple months back and that location in the evening, it is residential, but apparently it is next to the AT&T building. The AT&T obviously owns many corporations, including CNN. Is there a link there? It is too early to tell.

WALKER: And David, so how do you get to these answers? What exactly will they be looking at to figure out who and why and what the intended target may have been?

KATZ: Well, Josh just mentioned all of the forensics and that's going to be critical. There will be enormous amounts of the evidence collected. They're going to figure out what that explosive was, they're going to figure out the bomb components, the detonate, the wiring, the level of sophistication.

They may be able to find out if it is a rudimentary type of device, they may be able to pinpoint to a hardware store or a home depot where these things were purchased as far as putting the actual device together. And then of course Josh also mentioned technology. Every city has license plate readers. So there's no doubt if that vehicle had plates that it's going to be rolling past a number of readers.

You can be able to pinpoint where it came in, roughly when it was parked? And then of course once they get the vehicle, they're going to be able to get the win number, they're going to be able to id it. I have a fairly high level of confidence that they're going to be able to identify who was behind the wheel there?

WALKER: Yes, I was just going to ask you that. David Katz, thank you so much for joining us. If you're just tuning in here on CNN, this is Nashville, Tennessee. Yes, this is the United States of America. The extents of the damage are really remarkable after a massive explosion rocked downtown Nashville. This is near Second Avenue. It is an active crime scene.

The newest bit of news that we heard from Shimon Prokupecz is that, the FBI has now taken charge in this investigation which is expected to take days. Everyone is being asked or told actually for that matter to stay away from this area as officials are still trying to secure the scene, make sure that there's no secondary device and that everyone in that surrounding area has been accounted for.

We're going to stay on top of this story. Up next as well, Coronavirus slamming Los Angeles with hospitals on the brink and a record setting number of deaths reported.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:00]

WALKER: It may be Christmas day, but thanks to the pandemic, it's a Christmas like no other. Experts warn that a holiday surge could be around the corner. But will Americans listen? Just yesterday on Christmas Eve, the U.S. added over 190000 new cases than reported over 2800 deaths.

Despite that, this week already a record number of travelers. The TSA reporting some of the highest numbers of air travelers they've seen since the start of the pandemic. And today, a new rule for some passengers. The CDC will require proof of a negative test for anyone entering the country from the UK, and it comes amid concerns of the new COVID strain spreading rapidly there.

Let's start now with CNN's Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Hi there, Elizabeth. Tell us more about these new requirements.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Amara, let's look at what the U.S. is asking of folks who fly from the UK to the U.S? This is all because of this new variant that has shown up there.

So, the CDC is saying the passengers must get tested within three days of leaving, of departing from the UK, and then passengers have to provide documentation of a negative test result from that test to the airline.

So, the CDC is saying that this is very useful. They say this additional testing requirement will fortify our protection of the American public to improve their health and safety and ensure responsible international travel.

I will tell you, though, talking to experts and just pretty much using logic, there's a real - this isn't all that useful. You could be infected with COVID, possibly about a week before your flight and it wouldn't get caught on that test and you would be flying infected. So there's a whole sort of week there where you could be infected before you fly and no one, and the test wouldn't catch it. That's a problem.

As someone said, it's like as an expert said to me, it's like catching a mosquito with a chain-link fence. This testing requirement just will not catch all the cases or maybe even nearly all the cases of COVID. So, it might not be serving the purpose for which it is intended to serve. Amara?

[12:20:00] WALKER: Dr. Megan Ranney who we spoke with last hour had the same sentiment; she said it was basically too little, too late. Elizabeth Cohen.

COHEN: Right.

WALKER: Thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

WALKER: Turning now to California, and the state just became the first to surpass 2 million Coronavirus cases and the situation is particularly dangerous in Southern California where according to Los Angeles County's Public Health Director, someone in that county dies every ten minutes from COVID.

Joining me now from Los Angeles is CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jorge Rodriguez. He's also a Neuro Specialist Merry Christmas to you. Thank you so much for joining me, unfortunately under these circumstances.

So, Dr. Rodriguez, we are just mentioning, I mean, California's health secretary is saying hospitals in the state are full, there are very few ICU beds available. Many of the hospitals have zero percent capacity.

California though was one of the first states to lockdown back in March only to see the state surge with the virus when it reopened in May. And now as you mentioned, California, the first state to hit two million cases. What went wrong?

DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Well, that's a great question and I wish I had the answer. The truth is that many things went wrong. I am one of those that are probably more of a hard liner, because as you can tell, in your last segments, if you do things sort of in a halfway, things are going to leak in and I think that's what happened.

Even though we locked down very early during the summer, people did go out and visit friends, and go to other states where the pandemic was surging. And also, we have a very large population of people that are underinsured, under medical access, they can't access medicine.

And also, we have a large population of people that do not have documentation papers and are very reluctant to go to seek medical care. So, all that can spread. I am not blaming one particular faction, but all that has now sort of the chickens have come to roost there unfortunately.

WALKER: Yes, a host of factors definitely causing that surge in California. We were just mentioning, Dr. Rodriguez, the CDC's new requirements requiring all airline passengers arriving from the UK to test negative for the Coronavirus within 72 hours of departure. Do you feel like this is too little too late, or using a chain-link fence to catch a mosquito as Elizabeth Cohen was using as an analogy?

RODRIGUEZ: Yes, absolutely. And like they so well presented, you could have somebody that test negative and is already incubating the virus during those 72 hours before they arrive. The virus actually becomes much fuller blown in their body, and they're much more highly infectious.

I think if we're going to do it, unfortunately we need to stop allowing people from the UK to come in or anybody that's been there. So again, my position, we either do it well or we really don't do it but is this better than nothing? Probably. But again, mosquito with a chain-link fence.

WALKER: Yes, I was just going to ask you if that was better than nothing, and perhaps it is. Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, merry Christmas to you. Thank you for joining us.

RODRIGUEZ: Merry Christmas to all.

WALKER: Thank you. OK. We continue to follow breaking news out of Nashville and we're just minutes away from a police briefing on the explosion they're calling intentional. It's expected at the top of the hour. And next, we'll be talking to a Former FBI Director on why the FBI is taking over the investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:00]

WALKER: All right, back to the breaking news. Downtown Nashville, Tennessee rocked by what police are calling an intentional explosion that caused significant damage. The FBI out of Memphis is now taking the lead in this investigation. Police have sealed off parts of downtown Nashville as part of the investigation. They're telling people to stay away as they continue to try to secure the scene.

Let me bring in Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who is a CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst. Andrew, appreciate you joining us. First off, tell us more about what it means now that the FBI is taking charge? Shimon Prokupecz reported this for us a few minutes ago that this is about resources, not any indication that this was terrorism.

ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: That's absolutely right. So good morning and Merry Christmas sorry we had to spend our Christmas morning to talk about such a tough subject. But the FBI taking the lead in this investigation was entirely expected.

It doesn't mean that they're working it alone. I'm sure they're working very closely with Nashville PD, other state and local entities and other federal and law enforcement entities as well. But the FBI has a level of material resources and expertise that they can bring to an incredibly demanding and complicated crime scene such as this one.

And those resources, the scope of that manpower, the muscle memory they have from doing this so many other times, that really doesn't exist in the same way in any other entity.