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Family Mourns for Independent Spirit of Niece Killed in Rampage; Prosecutors Say, Oath Keepers, Proud Boys Coordinated before January 6th Attack; Senate Committee to Hear from Military Survivors of Sexual Assault. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired March 24, 2021 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

JOHN SANDWEG, ACTING DIRECTOR OF ICE UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA: The public needs to see what's going on so that we can make real decisions based on facts, not based on the political rhetoric in Washington, D.C.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: That's exactly right. John, thank you very much for coming on. I appreciate your time.

And thank you all so much for joining us for the past two hours today. I'm Kate Bolduan. Brianna Keilar picks up our coverage right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Brianna Keilar, and I want to welcome viewers here in the United States and around the world.

Family members of victims are expressing their grief today but also their gratitude. They are coming forward to thank the Colorado Police officer who died trying to save lives and when a gunman opened fire at a grocery store and they are talking about the futures that their loved ones won't see.

Moments ago, the uncle of Rikki Olds shared stories about his niece, her (INAUDIBLE) how she would snort when she laughed and regret about how she that she will never experience motherhood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB OLDS, UNCLE OF COLORADO RAMPGE VICTIM RIKKI OLDS: On behalf of my family, we can't thank the community and everybody for their overwhelming support that we have gotten. Rikki was truly special to us. She was vibrant. She was bubbly. Rikki was kind of the light of our family.

When Rikki showed up at the house, we never knew what color her hair was going to be, and we never knew what new tattoo she may have, but that was Rikki. And Rikki lived life on Rikki's terms, not anybody else's terms. And her life was cut short, unfortunately, by the events the other day. Sad in that she didn't get to experience motherhood, she didn't get to experience marriage. She didn't get to -- she was 25 years old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Outside of the King Soopers Grocery Store, there is a memorial of flowers and posters that is growing by the hour. And new details are emerging about the hour of terror that unfolded at the Colorado grocery store. According to witnesses, the killer was wearing some kind of tactical vest and he shot an elderly man in the parking lot multiple times before he went into the store and aimed at customers and employees inside.

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is with us now from Boulder. You're at the police department, Shimon, and the suspect is going to be in court tomorrow. Is that right?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. He is going to make his first -- his initial court appearance tomorrow morning. But as you said, Brianna, I am here outside the Boulder Police Department and I just want to show you what has been happening here behind me for the last two days, really.

That vehicle is actually Officer Talley's cruiser. That was his police cruiser. And that is where -- that's the vehicle he drove. Now, what people have been doing is they've been coming here every day dropping off flowers, notes. We have seen people in the community come here with food, sort of thanking the officers for what they have been doing, and to also grieve with them. This is certainly a very tough time for people here in this community for this police department to suffer such a loss.

So many of the people in the community of all ages have been coming here, people bringing their kids, they have been dropping off flowers, saying prayers, dropping off notes. And that has been the scene here mostly this morning and through the afternoon.

And as you said for the first time tomorrow, we're going to possibly see this shooting suspect as he appears in court. The D.A. says it could be a potentially lengthy proceeding. Hopefully, we will learn more details.

But, really, the big question that is on everybody's mind certainly is the motive, what caused all this, what set him off. What set off the shooter, the alleged shooter here? And that is something that investigators are still trying to figure out and piece together. We know that, according to police, he purchased the weapon just days before he went on this shooting spree, so they are trying to figure out if that indicates some kind of planning.

The other big question is the location, why did he choose this location. We drove to the home of the suspect today. It's about 30 minutes or so from this shooting site, so the question is why that location? There are other locations closer to his home that potentially could have been targets. That is something that, of course, the investigators want to figure out. Was there something connecting him to this location? And just the brutality and the nature of the way this shooting unfolded, that is certainly raising a lot of questions.

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The weapon is raising a lot of questions.

So, hopefully, in the days to come, as investigators talk to his family, talk to friends, continue to try and build out this timeline and the days leading up to the shooting, to kind of figure out what was going on in his life and ultimately what set this off, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, so many questions. Shimon live for us from Boulder, thank you.

I want to bring in Correspondent Stephanie Elam to talk now. Stephanie, you are learning more about the victims' families, how one of those killed won't get to know his future grand baby. I mean, this is heartbreaking.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's completely heartbreaking. The more you get to know not just the names of these people but their stories, and the person you are talking about is Kevin Mahoney, Brianna, and his daughter tweeted about her father. And I just want to go ahead and read what she wrote in the tweet.

She says, I am heartbroken to announce, my dad, my hero, Kevin Mahoney, was killed in the King Soopers shooting in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado. My dad represents all things, love. I'm so thankful he could walk me down the aisle last summer.

She also added on to there that she is now pregnant and that I know he wants me to be strong for his granddaughter. I love you forever, dad. You are always with me.

Kevin Mahoney was 61 years old and lived in Boulder, Colorado, but until the mid-90s had lived here in Los Angeles County.

And we're told by another neighbor telling one of our affiliates that he was known as being a wonderful neighbor and incredible father and an incredible spouse.

We also have more information on Tralona Bartkowiak. She also has ties here to Southern California as well. But when you take a listen to how people speak about this 49-year-old, the fact that she left California for the family's business there in Colorado, according to her cousin, she had just gotten engaged and was in a really great place in her life.

But listen further to her cousin talk a bit about her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID, COUSIN OF RAMPAGE VICTIM TRALONA BARTKOWIAK: She was the backbone of this family. She was the backbone of that company. She helped raise me. She was always there for me. And it's just really sad that she's gone. It's unbelievable. She had the biggest heart. She was the most loving person I ever met in my life and this is so devastating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: And another friend saying that she was just the most giving person, that that is what she really lived to be able just to give. So you're getting this idea of who these ten people are.

And I want to show all of their names right now just because it's really important. As we get more and more about these people, we are going to keep bringing it to everyone so we can know who these people are that lost their lives this week, but also just acknowledging as we are still getting, you know, images. We have five of their images. But as we continue to get more, we will continue to get those out to you. Brianna?

KEILAR: Stephanie Elam, thank you so much for bringing us these stories. They are so important to hear.

One of these victims, Suzanne Fountain, she was a theater buff, she worked as a financial counselor and health care by helping seniors sign up for Medicare, and friends describe her as incredibly warm and absolutely lovely.

One of her closest friends is joining us now, Martha Harmon Pardee. Martha, I am so sorry. I am so sorry for you and everyone around your friend who is suffering this loss. I think we are getting a sense of just how widespread the joy is of someone like your friend and when they are gone, the devastation of that.

Some of the photos that you sent us were at your wedding, and she was actually your matron of honor. You call her your soul mate. Tell us about that.

MARTHA HARMON PARDEE, FRIEND OF SHOOTING VICTIM SUZANNE FOUNTAIN: Sorry, I was just listening to the other tributes and they are just so beautiful and moving. We met onstage doing a show and quickly discovered that we were just a week apart in age, and she never let me forget that I was the older one.

Oddly enough, we were playing a character split into two parts, an older and a younger, and, of course, I played the older. We also quickly established that we've both been born in New Jersey even though we met in Denver. I loved her immediately.

I think that's what just happened when people met her. She was a bright light, a peace lover, a strong feminist, she has the most incredible son that she raised in viewing him with the kinds of values that I hope all our young men these days carry with them. That's a tribute to her. She just had so many friends and kept them. We were friends for over 30 years. She was authentic, down-to-earth, a lovely hostess. Boy, did you eat and drink well when you went to her house, a beautiful actress.

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It was a joy and an honor to work with her onstage because she was so connected, and so present, and so generous. Generosity just was in her cells. She (INAUDIBLE) everything she did.

KEILAR: Tell us a little bit about that, because that's clearly a big part of your relationship with her. She was very active in the Denver theater community and she even won some awards.

PARDEE: She sure did and rightfully so. Again, I just have to reiterate. It was her authenticity and her generosity as a person that carried through on to the stage. And, you know, I think that's the sort of the highest praise you can give to an actor is that they're authentic and generous on stage, to watch and to work with.

And she wasn't self-centered, she wasn't self-serving. She was always part of the team. She boosted people up. She brought light into any situation. And she was really good too. I mean, all that and superior talent, she studied at Circle in the Square in New York and we got to act together twice, but I never missed a show she was in because I loved to watch her on stage. I always learned

something, yes.

KEILAR: I know it's fresh and it has not been very long since you learned that you lost your friend, but people are listening right now and there are lawmakers both at the state level in Colorado who are listening. There are lawmakers at the federal level who should be listening. It's unclear if they are going to be able to do anything at this point to move out of this sort of stalemate that they seem to be in with addressing issues of mass violence like this. What do you have to say to them?

PARDEE: I don't know it's if they can't, it's if they won't. That's my humble opinion. A fellow Wilmingtonian, I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, I appeal directly to President Biden to please lead this long overdue fight, you know, be the leader, make the change, make it happen. You know, to all of the Colorado legislation, the ones that are ready for this kind of legislation, and even the ones that, for some reason, refuse to leave the side of the NRA, I implore you.

And right next to that is the piece about mental health and making that a priority in our country, accessible, inexpensive mental health facilities for anyone. And let's remove the stigma of seeking that kind of help because this is a two-fold problem. Both things have to be addressed.

KEILAR: Why do you think people won't address this? Why do you think that they see what happens, they hear the loss and they won't or they don't -- they are not moved enough by it to take the chance?

PARDEE: My humble opinion, it's the almighty dollar at the base of a lot of it. There's a lot of money in guns and ammo and there's a lot of votes that are protected by voting against gun measures that would benefit everybody.

I am sad to say that a lot of times I think it boils down to that, it boils down to economics. And it's just -- it's a poor reflection on us if we place that above human life and the kinds of connections that people have been talking about, the grandchild that will never meet the grandfather. It's ridiculous. KEILAR: Yes, it's heartbreaking. I know people far from Boulder, they feel a connection through stories of people like your friend, Suzanne. How are you going to be honoring her in the coming days? How is her family and friends going to be honoring her and remembering her?

PARDEE: It remains to be seen. Right now, you know, big picture, I know personally I'm going to step up my involvement in gun legislation and mental health legislation personally. I have been in touch through text a lot with her son, who is my godson, and just will do whatever I can to support him.

You know, I have been listening to all of the people throughout this past year mourning the loss of a chance to celebrate a life together, and I didn't think I would have to be feeling that, but, of course, there are restrictions on how we can celebrate Suzanne's life. But I guarantee it will happen and it will happen in great numbers and with a lot of love and energy and laughter, because that's what she sowed everywhere she went.

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KEILAR: And you will be celebrating her and missing her for years and years, for your whole life. Martha, thank you so much. I am sure you are making your friend very proud. Thank you for being with us.

Ahead, one soldier allegedly sexually harassed before being brutally murdered. Hear what Senator Kirsten Gillibrand plans to do to keep American soldiers safe as we near the anniversary of Specialist Vanessa Guillen's death.

Plus, a new revelation, prosecutors say that two right-wing extremist groups were in touch and coordinating before the January 6th insurrection, what could mean for the investigation.

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KEILAR: Prosecutors trying Capitol insurrection suspects say that two extremists groups were coordinating in the lead up to the January 6th insurrection. Prosecutors say that a leader from the paramilitary group, the Oath Keepers, worked with members of the Proud Boys before the insurrection.

Joining me now, we have CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez in Washington and CNN Legal Analyst Elie Honig, former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Okay. Evan, first off, how are prosecutors describing this coordination, because we assume or we knew, we knew there had been coordination but this is something different or more elevated?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brianna. This -- what prosecutors say in this court document is that this shows coordination between separate groups. This is the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. And this document was filed in an effort by prosecutors to keep Kelly

Meggs, who is alleged to be one of the leaders of the Oath Keepers who came to Washington on January 6th, talking to someone in from the Proud Boys group, talking about what they are preparing to do. These are messages from late December, about two weeks before the insurrection.

And I will read you just a part of what the court filing says. It says, I have been communicating with the leader. We are going to march with them for a while, then fall back to the back of the crowd and turn off. Then we will have the Proud Boys get in front of them and we will come in behind Antifa and beat the hell out of them. What the prosecutors say is that this shows that there was some planning effort, again, coordinating with other groups coming to Washington on January 6th to carry out some of the violence.

What this document, however, doesn't show is a specific plan by these groups to carry out that specific attack. It seems to be a reference to -- they were expecting to battle left-wing activist from Antifa on that day.

KEILAR: Yes, maybe who were there in response to their presence over the days in Washington.

Are there implications here for possible sedition charges, Elie, or no?

ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Brianna. So there could be sedition charges here as well. First of all the conspiracy charge is really important because they will enable prosecutors to charge people who even weren't physically present at the Capitol because a conspiracy just means an agreement to act. Beyond that, there could be sedition charges, I think the facts match up.

People hear this charge, sedition, they think it must be something incredibly dramatic. It can simply mean trying to interfere with a governmental function, the counting of the electoral votes. That's why they were there on January 6th, or trying to take over a government building, as they successfully did.

KEILAR: There's actually something that the Justice Department is look at right now, Evan, investigating the 60 Minutes interview given by Michael Sherwin, who was the prosecutor who initially led the department's inquiry into the Capitol riot. What might that mean for Sherwin?

PEREZ: Well, what this means is that, right now, the Office of Professional Responsibility, which is sort of the internal disciplinary group inside the department, is taking a look at that interview to see whether there was any violation of Justice Department's rules. Keep in mind that, as we reported, Sherwin did not get permission from his bosses to do that interview.

And in that interview is where he mentions the fact that there is this effort certainly pushed by him and other prosecutors to bring these sedition charges. That's something that is being weighed by the new attorney general, Merrick Garland, and by other officials here.

Keep in mind, Brianna, that despite -- as Elie points out, there is this sedition laws. It's very rarely used. It's not very commonly brought by the Justice Department, and it is going to be controversial. There are political overtones to doing this. And that's one reason why I think people upstairs have been weighing whether they want to take this additional step.

And Sherwin discussing some of this gives us a peek, so to speak, at the behind the scenes deliberations that we don't normally get during these times.

KEILAR: No, we don't. Evan, Elie, thank you so much to both of you.

Ahead, she has become the face of the military's failure to protect its female service members. Vanessa Guillen vanished in April of last year and was found in a shallow grave two months later. Today, her story gets the attention of Congress.

And encouraging news from Dr. Anthony Fauci about the coronavirus vaccine and how effective it is at preventing infection.

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KEILAR: Today, we are revisiting the story of U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, the soldier who vanished in April of last year, seen in the parking lot of her barracks at Fort Hood in Texas last, her remains discovered in a shallow grave two months later. She was just 20.

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At the heart of her disappearance are allegations of sexual harassment, her suspected killer, an Army specialist with whom she worked.