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Officials Give Update on Mass Shooting at Indianapolis FedEx Facility; Bodycam Video Released of 13-Year-Old Shot By Chicago Officer. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired April 16, 2021 - 11:00   ET

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

MAYOR JOE HOGSETT (D), INDIANAPOLIS: Between people about how we stop this cycle of violence that's driven by readily accessible guns.

[11:05:13]

And I certainly intend to lead in that regard.

REPORTER: We've been told that the suspect was allegedly shot and killed himself. So what the gun is found with him?

DEPUTY CHIEF CRAIG MCCARTT, INDIANAPOLIS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT: So we know that there was or believe there was a rifle involved. We don't have the specifics on the weapon yet, as again, we're still processing that, all that hasn't been collected yet. But we do believe right now that he had a rifle.

REPORTER: Can you talk a little bit about the process right now to find families of, still going on right now (INAUDIBLE) families? Is this typical procedure (INAUDIBLE)?

MCCARTT: So I guess to hesitate to say typical. Thankfully we don't do this very often. Sorry we had to do it today.

But, yes, we do have our victim assistance counselors. We have our chaplains at a nearby hotel which is where we took employees to, which is where we had had family meet them.

Obviously, there are families that are still trying to locate loved ones and family members. So we continue to stand by their side until such time when we can either locate those family members or identify them as a victim we have on the scene.

REPORTER: The weapon was a rifle. So was the capacity altered or changed to allow the --

MCCARTT: Way too early -- yeah, at this point really it hasn't even been touched as we still document everything.

REPORTER: Is his car under investigation? Do you know which car was his?

MCCARTT: Oh, absolutely. That's part of -- that's part of the scene. So we're, you know, we're making sure that we have correctly identified the car that we believe he showed up in and then absolutely, I mean, we will -- we will process that as part of the crime scene.

REPORTER: How many people were shot and killed inside and outside the building?

MCCARTT: I believe that we had four -- four outside and then four inside plus the suspect.

REPORTER: Don't they have armed security inside?

MCCARTT: That I don't know.

REPORTER: Have you been able to -- certainly you've been able to identify some of the victims. (INAUDIBLE) Have you been able to contact these families yet?

MCCARTT: We really haven't. I mean, nothing gets moved. Nothing -- we don't check wallets, we don't check purses until everything is appropriately documented. So I mean there may be some fairly simple ways to identify and we'll work with the coroner's office to make sure that that's done appropriately with those families. But to this point, we have -- we have not identified any family of victims.

REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)

MCCARTT: You know, that might be a better question for the coroner's office. They make that official identification. But I would think hopefully in the next 24 hours that maybe we can do that.

REPORTER: Have those victims been removed from the site?

MCCARTT: Not -- I don't believe so. When we came in here, they were still a couple hours away. So -- do you want to address that?

REPORTER: What was happening at the time? Were people sorting packages? Can you give us an idea? I think you know what happened at FedEx. What were those folks doing before this happened?

MCCARTT: Again, that's a question that I'm not qualified to answer. That will be best served to ask the FedEx folks. You know, they have some different facilities, different things happen at different facilities and I don't (AUDIO GAP)

REPORTER: How many people are injured and how many hospitals did you use last night?

MCCARTT: So, I said, I believe we have five injured. And I can't say -- and I can't say with certainty how many different hospitals that they went to. I know we had -- I believe we had at least three, but I'm not certain of that.

And I'll let Alfarena McGinty, I will let her address the identification -- the victim identification issues and if you have any questions for her.

[11:05:05]

ALFARENA MCGINTY, CHIEF DEPUTY CORONER FOR MARION COUNTY: Good afternoon. On behalf of the Marion County coroner, Dr. LeeAndrea Sloan, my name is Alfarena McGinty and we are in the process of conducting our investigation.

As has been stated, what we typically have to do is wait until all of the evidence has been collected. We are not able to go on to the scene yet to confirm any identities. What we will do is we work with the victim's assistance as the chaplains at the identify location for the families to reunify those families with the deceased.

We will utilize as much information as possible that is on those deceased that are at the scene to make that positive identification. As you all know Indiana is very specific in how positive identification can be done which is identification by a family member, dental, DNA, and fingerprints.

And so adhering to all of those measures, we must make sure that people that are identified on the scene are accurately and appropriately positively identified. So that process will take a little bit of time. We have some information so far as to what families are waiting their loved ones to be identified or to turn up somewhere. We're working with the families to efficiently and effectively confirm the positive identification.

We are still a number of hours out before we are able to go on to the scene to conduct our investigation. And then after that, we will work with the families. Following that process, what we have to do is we will perform our examinations.

We will be calling in additional staff and so, additional resources will be available or need to be available to us for the additional staff, to be brought in for those examinations to be done within the next 48 to 72 hours to confirm the actual cause of the death.

Any other questions?

REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)

MCGINTY: I don't have the information. I don't have the information.

REPORTER: Besides victims?

MCCARTT: I don't think there is anyone still there. I can't say that for sure.

REPORTER: Can you identify the sexes of the victims?

MCGINTY: At this time. we have not been able to go on to the scene to do any of that. Preliminarily, what we will do is I will send information to the rest of the investigating team so that information can be shared. As we get updated information on identities, age, race, gender, and those things that are important for the family members and the community to know.

REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) Can you put that in perspective? How do you do it?

MCGINTY: It is a very difficult job. I've been with the coroner's office for 23 years. I've not seen this capacity in terms of the numbers of mass fatality shootings in a short period of time. It is very disturbing for our entire community.

The staff is definitely suffering and is going to need long term counseling with regard to these types of deaths. It actually has, you know, we've had to pull in all of our 30 staff to conduct these death investigations and to work with the families, because we do still have follow up information I think that has to be done and shared with the families. It is very time consuming.

So definitely takes a toll on our staff. And, again, we are asking for additional resources so that we will have the capacity to handle these types of death investigation unfortunately.

REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)

MCGINTY: Right. So the scope is significant when you have this number of people. So pulling in all of our staff that are available, calling people from other jobs that have to come in and assist as well as surrounding county coroner that's are able to come in and assist us with these types of investigations.

Additionally, you know, conducting -- we've seen an increase in death investigations in general over the last couple of years. And we are trying to work with our law enforcement partners to understand and address these issues that are causing this increase in death investigations.

And so that is something that our staff is definitely has been working through over the last two years to be able to handle these things, because it is mentally draining.

[11:10:06]

It is physically draining. We're going to work literally the next 24 to 48 hours just to give answers to the families. Our first priority is to the families and identifying with the decedent, who the decedent is as well as determining the cause and manner of death providing death certificates for those families so that they can move on with their information and things they need to do with regard to the loss of their loved one.

So, our hearts definitely go out to those surviving family members that are going to deal with this lifelong tragedy.

REPORTER: One more, Craig, you can't identify the suspect and the victims until we see that everybody is okay and then identify family members and release --

MCCARTT: I -- I think that's a safe assumption. But yet I can't say that for certain. We think that we have reunited families and workers and certainly all of those who are -- had been treated at the hospital. Again, I haven't been over there so I don't want to say that is the case. I believe right now that we have.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks, everybody.

HOGSETT: Good job, Craig.

MCCARTT: Thank you, sir.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everyone.

Control room. I'm getting mixed mikes issues, please if you can fix that.

But, hello, everyone. I'm Kate Bolduan. Thank you so much for joining us.

We've been watching this press conference, an update from officials in Indianapolis over the mass shooting that happened late last night at FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Let me bring in Charles Ramsey, CNN law enforcement analyst, former Philadelphia police commissioner.

Chief, I have to say, I don't know if you heard at that last moment as they were walk ago way from the microphones, the mayor and the deputy chief and I think I heard the deputy chief say something to the effect of, like, I can't believe we have to hold another one of these press conferences.

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yeah. They didn't give much information in this one. So, you know, I realize it's early in terms of processing scenes and sounded like they didn't identify all of the next of kin yet.

BOLDUAN: They haven't identified -- they haven't notified any family members yet, is what they said.

RAMSEY: Yeah, unusual.

BOLDUAN: And just so, we're sitting here talking about this and there are families that are sitting around hoping and waiting for an answer.

RAMSEY: Yeah. And it's unusual. I mean, sometimes it takes a little bit of time. But they haven't even started the process yet, I guess. So anyway, I guess the way they do things are different from what I'm accustom to.

But they didn't provide much information. I didn't hear a precise time line about what took place. They mentioned the weapon being a rifle of some kind but not specific type of rifle.

Obviously, they know who the suspect is. They're executing search warrants at a home and so forth. But I understand this is early. They've got a lot of work to do. But they're going to have to have another press conference to be able to provide more information because this was not something of any real substance in my opinion. BOLDUAN: They have a lot of work to do, right? We did learn there are

at least -- there are eight people who were shot and killed in this mass shooting. Four people were shot outside this FedEx facility. Four people inside. The suspect killing himself just before police entered the facility is how the deputy chief put it.

RAMSEY: Right.

BOLDUAN: And also, again, being left with -- and it appears that this could another scenario as we discussed so many times, Chief, that there isn't going to be a real answer in terms of motive at least definitely not yet. The deputy chief simply saying it appears he got out of his vehicle and just started randomly shooting.

RAMSEY: Yeah, we can't speculate on motive and so forth until you actually know they're executing search warrants. There could be some information that they'll find there. Certainly, they'll seize computers, look at his social media footprint and so forth.

They went through the car, I'm sure. He did drive up, we know that much. So, they would have had a warrant to go through the car to see if they can find anything there. And I don't know if he's a disgruntled employee or what-have-you.

Usually in situations like this, in a workplace, there is some sort of tie, somehow, to a facility.

[11:15:07]

But you never know until you uncover more information. So, that part I understand. They have a lot of work to do. They have to go back to the press because it wasn't a whole lot of information they were able to provide this time around.

BOLDUAN: Yeah. And one of the journalists in the room asked the question that I know has been in the mind of a lot of folks is, why this time of night? You know, it began around 11:00 p.m. last night. I mean that's -- add that to the list of unanswered questions.

But it did sound like to me, you tell me, Chief, reading to law enforcement kind of just -- the posture they had. It seems like they have more information that they soon could be providing to the public to the families. Again, the families are not identified, they're top of mind and have to be identified and spoken to first.

But it does sound like they very clearly have a good idea of at least who the suspect is. They're searching a home as they revealed in this press conference.

RAMSEY: Yeah, I can almost guarantee you they have a lot more information they can provide than right now. So, you know, they're going through what they need to go through in terms of trying to gather evidence. Also trying to, you know, identify the individuals, the victims so they can notify officially next to kin.

I mean, it has to be terrible if you have a family member that works in that particular facility. Between them not having cell phones readily available to say they're okay versus -- and along with the fact that they have not received offense notification yet. But I'm sure they're working hard to try to get that done as soon as possible.

BOLDUAN: Yeah, the mayor is speaking about the fact that Indianapolis -- this is not even the first mass shooting that Indianapolis had to deal with since the beginning of the year. It's been tragic -- a tragic few months in the city of Indianapolis in my beautiful home state of Indiana.

So, it is tragic to see. You can see that on the faces of the law enforcement as well as the mayor.

And, Chief, thanks for sticking with me. I appreciate you sitting through that with me.

Moments ago the White House responded to this mass shooting in Indianapolis. Let's listen in to Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

PSAKI: Like all of you, we're horrified by the shooting overnight at FedEx facility.

The president has been briefed by his team this morning. And key aides, including the White House chief of staff and homeland security adviser have been in touch with local leaders and law enforcement officials on the ground. There obviously is a press conference that's ongoing right now.

I would expect we'll put out a statement after the president shortly after that concludes.

The president has spent his entire career working to address gun violence and his determination to act is redoubled by senseless killings we've seen both in mass shootings like this and in the lives lost to the epidemic of gun violence every single day in communities across our country. We can't afford to wait as innocent lives are taken.

That's why the president laid out a set of initial actions last week that the administration can take now, that we can take now to address gun violence. Stopping the proliferation of ghost guns and better regulating stabilizing braces, making it easier for states to implement red flag laws, increasing investments in proven community of violence and intervention programs.

There's more we can do and must do. The Senate should take up and pass the three bills strengthening background checks that passed the House with bipartisan majorities and have the overwhelming support of the American people. They should heed the president's call to pass a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines and immunity to gun manufacturers.

Congress should act to pass the priorities laid out in the American Jobs Plan, including providing $5 billion in funding for community violence prevention programs, something that is great interest to a number of the groups that were part on this issue. They should speedily confirm David Chipman to lead the ATF where he served honorably for 25 years as a special agent.

Again, there'll be a statement by the president out shortly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: That's Jen Psaki.

We also heard during the press briefing that we were reminded that the chief of staff to the president of the United States, Ron Klain, he is from Indiana. He's from Indianapolis. He spoke with the mayor of Indianapolis this morning, or maybe even last night following this tragic shooting.

Joining me right now is another top official in the city of Indianapolis, Vop Osili. He's the president of the Indianapolis City- County Council.

He is joining me on the phone. Can you hear me?

VOP OSILI, PRESIDENT, INDIANAPOLIS CITY-COUNTY COUNCIL (via telephone): Yes, I can hear you.

BOLDUAN: Thank you very much for jumping on the phone.

We heard this update from law enforcement and the mayor, just moments ago. A lot of questions still. I want to get your thoughts if you can add anything to what is impossible to understand another tragic shooting in your city. What happened here?

OSILI: Great. I appreciate the time talking with you. I think the larger issue right now that we need to address is not just condolences and wrapping our arms around the families and survivors of the victims.

[11:20:03]

But we need to have an adult discussion about mental health and trauma, that we as a nation have had to address these issues. It's tragedies like this that make that so apparent.

BOLDUAN: What do you mean about addressing mental health? Often when people bring up mental health, as you know, they're talking about mental health of the suspect. I'm thinking of mental health of our nation, because this epidemic of gun violence that continues to happen.

OSILI: Nationally, we saw an amazing uptick in violence. The domestic, violence especially. The idea of mental health is critical that we discuss, that we are able to identify individuals who are having stress and trauma.

We have to do something proactively for it. I think too long and too often we look at one aspect of violence. We look at weapons. But someone has to pull the triggers.

And we have to find out why. And we have to find out why before they pull the triggers.

BOLDUAN: Are you hearing --

OSILI: There is a large enough mental health discussion at the local and federal levels but we got to do it.

BOLDUAN: They have to identify the suspect. They -- I mean, they were very honest that they haven't identified any of the families of the victims yet even. So this is a very tenuous moment for your community.

When you talk about stress and trauma, needing to identify early, are you getting indication that's has something to do with this shooting and motivation of the suspect?

OSILI: No. What I do have is past incidents like this had made it apparent that this is a trauma. So, this probably falls within that same bucket. We don't shoot people randomly like this if we're not addressing or not dealing with issues.

BOLDUAN: Do you -- do you know who the suspect is?

OSILI: I believe that there are some folks who do know. I don't know the individual, no. I do not.

BOLDUAN: There has been -- this isn't the first as I mention, first mass shooting in Indianapolis even this year. It has been a very tragic few months in Indianapolis. What is driving this gun violence in your city?

OSILI: I think it is -- I think it's exacerbated by the isolation, the uncertainty of the last 12 months in our country, well, actually globally. I think that has -- that's accelerated an instability and a lot of our communities across the country.

So, it's not just in Indianapolis. I think this is a national issue, which again -- which again is the reason for us elevating this to a national discussion.

BOLDUAN: Vop, thank you for jumping on the line. So sorry we're speaking under these circumstances.

As I mentioned, there is a lot of information that we'll soon be learning more of as Vop is indicating, there are people seem to know who the suspect is not identified yet positively by the Indianapolis police. So, obviously that, is something to keep in mind as well as none of the victims have yet been identified and none of the families have yet been identified of the victims.

That is something we need to keep in mind in this horrible, horrible moment of another tragedy in America, another mass shooting, again, and again.

Coming up for us, we have much more -- much more news to cover. Sadly, more tragic news. Chicago police releasing bodycam footage showing the shooting death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by an officer. The reaction from his family and the dispute between what they see on this tape and what police say happened that night.

Plus, also ahead for us, the officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright. She makes her first court appearance as his family calls for more severe charges. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:28:40]

BOLDUAN: It is video that honestly makes you sick to your stomach to see. The video camera video showing a Chicago police officer fatally shoot shooting a 13-year-old boy, Adam Toledo.

This time, the time between Toledo stopping, turning, putting up his hands and the shot that killed him less than a second.

The boy's family is distraught and furious and demanding accountability and answers as there is now a dispute between what they see and what Chicago police say they see in the video.

CNN's Ryan Young has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The tragic final moments of a 13-year-old boy's life unfolding in just 19 seconds. Chicago police releasing this body camera footage and we warn you it is disturbing showing the officer Eric Stillman responding to a shots fired call before chasing one of the two suspects down in an alley.

POLICE OFFICER: Stop! Stop! Show me your hands. Drop it!

(GUNFIRE)

POLICE OFFICER: Shots fired. Shots fired. Get an ambulance here now.

YOUNG: The officer fired a single fatal shot into the chest of Adam Toledo. Despite efforts to save him, the teen was pronounced dead at the scene.

MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT (D), CHICAGO: No parent should ever have a video broadcast widely of their child's last moments. Much less be placing a terrible.