Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Michigan School Shooter's Parents Now In Custody; CDC Chief Says Omicron Could Become Dominant Variant; Pope Francis Arrives In Greece; Biden Wants To Calm Tensions Between Russia And Ukraine; German ICUs Brace For Peak Around Christmas; Pakistani Mob Kills Sri Lankan Man Accused Of Blasphemy; Blizzard Warning For Hawaii's Big Island. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired December 04, 2021 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): CNN's breaking news coverage out of Michigan continues this hour. I'm Kim Brunhuber.
Just moments ago, the parents of the suspect in Tuesday's deadly school shooting were booked into Oakland County Jail. James and Jennifer Crumbley were taken into custody in Detroit after hours on the run. Police say they were given a tip about the couple's whereabouts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JAMES WHITE, DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT: We got a tip that they were here or that possibly the fugitives were at this location. The vehicle was spotted. Our officers responded in a matter of minutes. When they got here, they set up a perimeter, did surveillance.
We notified and activated our metro division, our special response team. They came out and they were able to take the fugitives into custody. Well, they certainly appeared to be distressed, as you can imagine.
And, as I indicated, they were in a commercial building, in a room. We were able to take them into custody without incident. And -- but however, they were very distressed as they were walking out.
QUESTION: Any indication they were aided getting into the building?
WHITE: Yes, they were aided. And we're looking into that portion of the investigation. That part is very active right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Authorities considered the couple to be fugitives after they failed to show up for their arraignment on charges of involuntary manslaughter Friday afternoon. Investigators say their son shot and killed four students at Oxford
High School earlier this week. Legal experts have pointed out that these charges against the Crumbleys are unusual but the local prosecutor said their egregious behavior before the shooting led to the charges being filed.
Shortly after police said someone helped the Crumbleys into the building where they were found, my colleague, Paula Newton, spoke to CNN's Shimon Prokupecz about the new information. He was on the scene and showed us where their car was found.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE PRODUCER: There was some question that I certainly had.
OK, why did they wind up here in Detroit?
So now we know that the police are working an angle, where someone told them to come here, that someone perhaps may have helped them get inside this building.
They didn't break into the building. But I want to show you something, Paula, you may not be able to see. But the car is kind of behind -- well, this guy here is standing so you can't see.
But the car is parked in a parking spot. So they just came in, drove through this parking lot, parked the car and it's just sitting there in a parking spot like nothing. So someone saw the car. It's really -- it's really striking. The car is just there, like just taking a space.
So they clearly knew to come here and we know that. We didn't know that before. They clearly knew to come here and that there would be a place for them to hide out. It didn't work because someone saw them and called 9-1-1.
And the chief saying, well, thank you to the community for doing that. And as a result, the police were able to take them into custody. But yes, that curve ball, that now someone else is being investigated for essentially aiding them, aiding their escape or, you know, for their help on being on the run. And now that person is potentially facing charges.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Shimon, we could see the car and actually that's troubling, right?
They just basically drove right in, parked this car, as if they were, you know, parking up to a mall or something and then got into this building, which is why the chief said, look, you know, there could be other charges pending here.
We're getting a much better look now at the car. As you said, it was there. They weren't even making an attempt to kind of hide it. And they were in the building right next to where that car was parked.
Shimon, I also want to point out -- and this is no small thing. They did say that they basically were in distress, that they surrendered to police, that they were not armed. And I have to say that, when police approached them, they couldn't have known that, right?
These were people that they knew had bought guns and knew how to handle guns.
PROKUPECZ: Right. They couldn't have known that. But when you see the type of officers that came in here, SWAT team members, right, heavily armed officers. They had to come in here and they had to go through this building to look for them.
There is video of them going into the building. So they knew. They had a lot of information, so they were able to prepare, suit up and go in and look through the building.
And then they found them. They found them in a particular area of the building. And so they don't know if they knew the owners of this space in the building. And so that is something they're still trying to figure out. But it is really interesting that someone let them in. So that's going to be an interesting angle, once we learn who that person is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: CNN's Alexandra Field has more on why the prosecutors say the couple should be held accountable for the deadly shooting.
[04:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAREN MCDONALD, OAKLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR: While the shooter was the one who entered the high school and pulled the trigger, there are other individuals who contributed to this.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a rare move, a prosecutor holding the parents of a school shooter responsible in the deaths of four teenagers hunted down investigators say by their son in the hallways of a high school.
MCDONALD: Anyone who had the opportunity to stop this from happening to have done it.
FIELD (voice-over): James and Jennifer Crumbley each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter following Tuesday's attack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have an active shooter incident. So far, we do have confirmed injuries.
FIELD (voice-over): The Oakland County prosecutor saying the father bought the semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting four days before the attack with his 15-year-old son by his side.
The shooter later posting a picture of it on social media with the caption, "Just got my new beauty today." And his mother in her own now deleted post writing. "Mom and son day testing out his new Christmas present," according to prosecutors.
Within days, their son's behavior sets off alarm bells at Oxford High School, prosecutors laying out a series of glaring failures that followed.
A teacher at Oxford High School observed the shooter.
MCDONALD: Searching ammunition on his cell phone during class and reported the same to school officials.
FIELD (voice-over): Jennifer Crumbley doesn't respond to messages from the school but investigators say she does send a text message to her son. "LOL. I'm not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught."
The next day, the morning of the shooting, another teacher makes a shocking discovery.
MCDONALD: A drawing of a semi-automatic handgun pointing at the words quote, "The thoughts won't stop. Help me," end quote.
In another section of the note was a drawing of a bullet with the following words above that bullet quote, "Blood everywhere," end quotes.
Between the drawing of the gun and the bullet is a drawing of a person who appears to have been shot twice and bleeding. Below that figure is a drawing of a laughing emoji.
Further down the drawing are there words quote, "My life is useless," end quote and to the right have that are the words quote, "The world is dead." End quote.
FIELD (voice-over): Officials say the suspect and his parents met with administrators, law enforcement isn't notified, neither is the School Resource Officer but the Crumbley's who were told to get counseling for their son within 48 hours resist taking him home for the day. They never asked him where his gun is likely in his backpack investigators say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put it out as a mass casualty, please.
FIELD (voice-over): As news of a shooting at the high school breaks on Tuesday afternoon, a text from Jennifer "Don't do it." Minutes later, prosecutors say James Crumbley calls 9-1-1 to report a missing gun that had been stored investigators say in an unlocked drawer.
MCDONALD: I am by no means saying that an active shooter situation should always result in a criminal prosecution against parents but the facts of this case are so egregious.
This doesn't just impact me as a prosecutor and a lawyer, it impacts me as a mother.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: That was CNN's Alexandra Field reporting. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Harry Litman is a former U.S. attorney and host of the "Talking Feds" podcast. He joins us from La Jolla, California.
Thanks for being here.
To start, how rare are charges in circumstances like this against the parents?
HARRY LITMAN, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: It really depends on what you mean by "like these." From looking around, I haven't seen charges like this against parents.
And, obviously, they sort of alarm people with thinking that, now every time there's a rampant shooting, they'll simply blame the parents. But that's really, in my view, a mistaken a way of looking at it.
And I think you can run this analysis if the parents were, say, adult roommates who had bought him a gun, given him access, known he was likely to use it and not done anything with it.
So I'm confident, though I can't cite you case, letter and verse, that there have been involuntary manslaughter cases for people like that before.
And I think everyone's kind of shocked at seeing that these have been brought against parents, tend to distort what the prosecutor is really saying, which is, as in any case, where somebody doesn't intend to kill but does action that unintentionally causes the death, involuntary manslaughter charges can result.
Those, I think, are not 1 in a million.
BRUNHUBER: Let's look at the process here. The prosecutor announcing charges against the parents, without informing the police so they could arrest them. The sheriff said he heard from the media that they were being charged with a felony.
How unusual is that?
It seems to have been a big mistake.
[04:10:00]
LITMAN: Yes, so it's both unusual and bad form if it happened. There's bedlam and total confusion here and they'll be trying to sort of unscramble things over the next many hours.
But yes, it does seem as if nobody really took account of the possibility that they would abscond, which, by the way, their 15-year old is in jail. It is a remarkable thing to do. But I certainly agree. It should have been much more methodical.
If it was as reported, I just don't think from my own experience we should be too certain to credit every kind of fact that is being reported about the process now. It's obviously frenetic on the ground.
BRUNHUBER: Just a horrific case and still so many outstanding questions but really appreciate you helping them unpack some of the legal issues there. Harry Litman, appreciate it.
LITMAN: Sure, thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Thousands gathered in downtown Oxford, Michigan, Friday night, holding candles and shedding tears as they remembered the lives cut short.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Bells rang and four minutes of silence were observed, one for each of the four teens killed in the shooting. The vigil also paid tribute to first responders and the seven people wounded in the attack.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has now been found in at least a dozen U.S. states just days after the first case was identified in California. And it's racing around the world with astonishing speed, already detected in nearly 40 countries.
But experts insist there's no reason to panic. The World Health Organization said no deaths have been reported and, so far, most cases have been mild. Here's what WHO's chief scientist said Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SOUMYA SWAMINATHAN, WHO CHIEF SCIENTIST: It is something to worry about certainly. We didn't want to see another variant emerge and spread around the world at this stage of the pandemic. Certainly not what we wanted. But we're not entirely surprised. And I think we're much better prepared to handle it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Scientists don't yet know if vaccines offer enough protection from Omicron. So many countries are imposing new rules and travel restrictions. In South Africa, where Omicron was first found, COVID cases have quadrupled since Tuesday. In one hard hit area, a surprising number of those new cases are small children.
Larry Madowo joins us from Johannesburg.
Larry, what more are scientists learning about how fast it's spreading and how it's affecting people?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So Kim, scientists believe this will be less severe but they don't know yet for sure. They know those who are infected are already vaccinated so they are reinfections. Again, they say it could be less severe but it is too early to tell, because South Africa is entering its fourth wave, early days. And South Africa's National Institute of Communicable Diseases says it takes time for severe disease to develop. So it's low at the beginning and at the end of the wave.
That may explain why they just don't have enough data at this point. But South Africa's number of COVID-19 cases are now about 3 (ph) million. The deaths are somewhere around 90,000 since the start of the pandemic.
In one small area, some of those children are getting infected are less than 2 years old. They're getting hospitalized. And again, we don't have enough data on hospitalizations to determine how serious it could be and how effective current vaccines are.
But the fact that cases have quadrupled in just four days is extraordinary. Also that means there's a positivity rate here of 24.3 percent, which is completely out of the ordinary, which is leading scientists to worry and pass through the data they're seeing and try to understand more about the Omicron variant.
Health authorities are telling South Africans, get vaccinated. Get the second shot because they still believe that vaccines are going to be reasonably effective, even against this new variant.
BRUNHUBER: Larry, on that point, vaccine hesitancy has been a problem in South Africa.
So do you get a sense this is pushing people in South Africa and surrounding countries to actually get vaccinated?
MADOWO: So there's some frustration with this new variant popping up and the Omicron, especially, from some of the people we've spoken to here, they say, listen, they told me to get two shots, I got two shots and now they're saying I need a booster.
Well, they're not exactly saying that yet in South Africa but it's being considered.
They're like what if I have to get a third shot, a fourth shot, an eighth shot?
Will this ever stop?
Or do I just hope it all goes well?
That is a little frustration coming with the new variants popping up. When you see that the country has not yet achieved herd immunity, while South Africa vaccination rate is higher than some other African countries it's still not as high as the U.S. or parts of Europe.
[04:15:00]
MADOWO: And that's why this is what happens when you don't have enough people vaccinated. New variants will pop up and the vaccines might not be as effective against them.
So the public messaging around this will have to be really clear to people why they might need a second or a third shot, more boosters or what happens long-term in terms of managing this variant.
BRUNHUBER: Larry, you've been globetrotting, covering this story. Appreciate your coverage. Larry Madowo in Johannesburg, thank you so much.
Earlier I spoke to ICU and critical care physician Dr. Andre Campbell about the threat that Omicron poses to the U.S. and if it's just a matter of time before it becomes a huge problem here. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANDRE CAMPBELL, VICE CHAIR FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO: We hope not. So, let's talk about what's going on in South Africa.
Remember, there's only 5 percent of people vaccinated on the African continent, 36 percent of people in South Africa are vaccinated. Here, we have varying rates; some states at 40 percent, some above 60 percent. But the national average is 60 percent vaccinated.
That's not boosted. So that means, if you're not definitely vaccinated, two shots and boosted, then you need to get your booster. So only 20 percent of people here are boosted. So what that means, because it's spreading rapidly in South Africa, there's a chance that the same thing may happen here.
But so far, with collecting information, it's too early to tell. But the first cases that have come into the United States have been people who are vaccinated. And they're having fairly mild cases and being able to stay home. Not like right now.
Right now, we have 51,000 people in the hospital with Delta in the United States; 13,000 in the ICU; 120,000 cases. This is all Delta. So right now, this country is on fire with Delta. Everybody is worried about Omicron because the problem is there's a lot more mutations, instead of having 20, it has 30.
And that's why they're worried that the vaccinations may not work. But so far, they seem to be holding up. And the people who have to worry, 20 percent of people, 60 million people not vaccinated in the United States, those people, if Omicron starts going through those people in the United States, it's going to be a problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: That was ICU and critical care physician, Dr. Andre Campbell.
Fears of a Russian invasion in Ukraine are growing, as tensions between the two countries escalate. Ahead, what Moscow says about the possibility of an invasion and what Joe Biden says he'll do to keep it from happening. Plus a brutal mob killing in Pakistan is sending shock waves
throughout the country. More details ahead.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:20:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: All right. We want to take you live to Greece, as Pope Francis arrives in Athens. It's the latest stop on a five-day trip for the pontiff. This follows a trip to Cyprus, where he called on residents to welcome and to integrate one another.
That was referencing the divisions the migrant crisis has sowed on the island nation. It's the latest example of how Francis has been an advocate for migrants and refugees during his papacy. He called the Mediterranean Sea a great cemetery for all the lives lost of those trying to cross it.
The pope has arranged for 50 migrants to relocate Italy after his trip this week. Greece has long dealt with migrants of its own. During his stay there, the pope will travel to the island of Lesbos, where thousands of refugees live in squalid conditions in a camp. Stay tuned for coverage of that trip.
There's growing fear that Russia may be planning a new invasion of Ukraine as tensions between the two countries reach the highest level in years, Moscow denies having any plans for invasion but Kiev and Washington are not just taking Vladimir Putin at his word.
CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance is following developments from Ukraine and has the update.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As fears mount, that Russia is planning an imminent invasion of Ukraine, diplomacy is being urgently stepped up, with U.S. and Russian officials, saying a virtual presidential summit is being planned.
No date has been announced yet for the direct online talks between President Biden and Vladimir Putin. But the Kremlin said it hopes the summit will be held in the coming days.
Russia, which the U.S. and Ukrainian officials say has deployed tens of thousands of troops, is demanding new security guarantees from the U.S. to stop any further expansion of NATO to the east.
Ukraine, which is getting military assistance from NATO and ultimately wants to join the alliance, says that Moscow should have no voice in that process, calling the Russian demands illegitimate.
All this amid further reports from U.S. officials that they have intelligence that more Russian military deployments have been taking place near the Ukrainian border. Moscow denies it's planning any further invasion.
But President Biden said the U.S. is putting together a comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to, in his words, "make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do."
U.S. officials have warned that more severe economic sanctions against Russia would be on the table if a Russian attack against Ukraine takes place -- Matthew Chance, CNN, Kiev.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: So could Russia and Ukraine be on the verge of another war?
Alexander Baunov is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center and editor-in-chief of carnegie.ru. He joins me now to talk about this.
Thanks so much for being with us. Listen, we saw something similar in the spring, a buildup at the Ukrainian border that ended up paying off for Putin in that summer summit between Putin and Biden.
What's Putin angling for here?
ALEXANDER BAUNOV, SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE MOSCOW CENTER: Exactly. At first glance, it's similar. At that time, in the spring, the buildup of Russian troops for military drills close to Ukraine.
[04:25:00]
BAUNOV: Ended in a series of communications between the United States and Russia and in a summit, Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden.
Now the difference is that Moscow is more open about its demands. Maybe for the first time, Vladimir Putin openly demanded obligations, guarantees; first he mentioned the guarantees, then he mentioned obligations, not to expand NATO towards east.
BRUNHUBER: So this is just a negotiating gambit, you think?
It doesn't seem as if Moscow is preparing to strike first?
Putin himself once said, quote, "If a fight is inevitable, you have to throw the first punch."
BAUNOV: Look, back in 2014, nobody predicted the Crimea annexation and conflict of the east of Ukraine. So it may be the preparation of a first strike or a strike masked as pretending to be a response, like an assault (INAUDIBLE) in 2008 and other (INAUDIBLE) conflict in the post COVID-19 space between Russia, (INAUDIBLE) Georgia and its former autonomous regions.
But for now, at least before a new virtual online summit between President Biden and Vladimir Putin, it looks more like setting a stage for diplomatic bargaining.
BRUNHUBER: So for people who don't follow Russia closely, you've referenced 2014. They may have missed how much the country has modernized its military since that invasion of Crimea in 2014, which might make an invasion quicker and easier?
BAUNOV: Of course, Russian military is developing, it's more high tech than even before. It's modernized but the Ukrainian military -- and in Moscow, this fact is known very well -- is not the same as 2014, either.
First, it has new weapons. And then, the psychological (INAUDIBLE) that existed in 2004 (sic), because imagine there are officers, service men, who were starting in the same (ph) military school in the Soviet time.
They were on other or different sides of the front line at that time. Psychologically, it was very difficult for Ukrainian military men to fire unto their former Russian colleagues. Now it's over.
BRUNHUBER: So you talked about this being maybe part of negotiation here and the big fear, of course, from Russia was that Ukraine would join NATO. So that might be on the table here.
But you argue that now the other reality, that a pro-West, anti-Russia Ukraine that is not in NATO could actually be worse for Russia. Explain that for us.
Absolutely. For three decades, the greatest fear of the Russian leadership was that Ukraine and maybe Belarus will join NATO. And the Western military infrastructure moves toward Russian borders.
But now, we see this infrastructure moving closer to Russia without Ukraine joining NATO. And in less predictable way, in more, like, real and long-term and less predictable way, which have possible Western vessels and aircrafts and the army trained to fight Russia back.
I mean, Ukrainian army. So it's not -- it's not better than NATO for Russia for Moscow.
BRUNHUBER: So NATO would offer some sort of moderating influence, I guess, on Ukraine.
(CROSSTALK)
BAUNOV: Well, it seems from this point, yes.
BRUNHUBER: Just before we go, because I want to ask about President Biden's response here. He has warned Russia will -- Moscow will face consequences if they invade. But those warnings have been, you know, fairly generic.
So how -- what kind of options does he have on the table here?
BAUNOV: Those who predict the possible Russian strike against Ukraine mentioned that there's a perfect timing for Putin if he wants to strike. The Ukrainian leadership is weaker. I mean, President Zelensky is weaker than when he was elected years ago.
And then the United States left Afghanistan rather (INAUDIBLE). And the worst sanction you can apply against Russia are not to buy Russian oil and gas. But exactly now, it's very improbable when the West --
[04:30:00]
BAUNOV: -- especially Europe are literally relying Russia for more gas especially before the winter. And then financial sanctions, of course, are very sensitive for Russia. But Russian reserves are full of money right now.
BRUNHUBER: So not too many levers there.
BAUNOV: Not too many options, yes.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Well, we'll have to see. They said they would clarify in the next coming days and weeks. We look forward to seeing that. I appreciate your analysis, Alexander Baunov, appreciate it, thank you so much for joining us.
BAUNOV: Thank you for listening.
BRUNHUBER: Straight ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, more on our breaking news out of Michigan. The parents of the alleged school shooter now in custody. And we'll look at the chilling warning signs leading up to the tragedy.
And Europe is battling not one but two rapidly spreading COVID variants on the continent. We'll have the efforts to contain both. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Updating you now on breaking news. After hours on the run, the parents of the suspect in the deadly Michigan school shooting are now in custody. They're in the same jail where their son is being held. James and Jennifer Crumbley were arrested shortly after police announced they discovered a car in Detroit believed to belong to the couple.
According to authorities, they were aided in getting access to the building where they were later found.
[04:35:00]
BRUNHUBER: The pair was supposed to show up for arraignment on charges of involuntary manslaughter Friday afternoon. Instead, authorities said they turned their phones off and withdrew $4,000 from an ATM. Prosecutors say the Crumbleys' son opened fire at Oxford High School
on Tuesday, killing four and wounding seven others.
Meanwhile, thousands gathered Friday night at a vigil remembering those lives cut short by gun violence.
Now we're learning more information about the shooting, as authorities detail the chilling warning signs in the days leading up to the tragedy. CNN's Tom Foreman takes an in-depth look at the timeline of events.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before the gunfire, the terrified students, police and ambulances, there were warnings.
KAREN MCDONALD, OAKLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR: There was absolute reason to believe that this individual was dangerous and disturbed.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Authorities suggest the immediate trouble starts November 26th, when James Crumbley takes his 15-year-old son, Ethan, to buy a Sig Sauer 9-millimeter pistol at a local gun shop. Although the dad fills out the paperwork, the son posts the picture on social media.
MCDONALD: Along with the caption just got my new beauty today.
SHERIFF MICHAEL BOUCHARD, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: No, no. Legally that's not his.
FOREMAN (voice-over): The sheriff says by law the gun can't actually belong to the boy, raising key questions.
BOUCHARD: Was it given to him?
Was it allowed to be picked up and taken freely at his discretion?
Or was it stolen?
FOREMAN (voice-over): November 27th, prosecutors say the mother, Jennifer, posts, "Mom and son day testing out his new Christmas present."
November 29th, a teacher reports the boy is searching for ammunition on his cell phone in class. Officials say the school calls and emails the mom; no response.
But Jennifer texts her son, "LOL, I'm not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught."
The next day another teacher sees the boy with a note.
MCDONALD: A drawing of a semiautomatic handgun pointing at the words, quote, "The thoughts won't stop. Help me," end quote.
In another section of the note was a drawing of a bullet with the following words above that bullet, quote, "Blood everywhere," end quote.
FOREMAN (voice-over): There is also, prosecutors say, a drawing of a bloody body; the words, "My life is useless. The world is dead."
Shortly after 10:00 am, officials say his parents come to a meeting at the school are told their son must get counseling but they resist taking him out of school, don't mention the new gun and the boy returns to class. His parents leave.
BOUCHARD: We have to believe that he had the weapon either on his person in his backpack or somewhere secreted in that travel route.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Just before 1:00 pm, investigators say Ethan goes into a bathroom with his backpack, comes out, gun in hand, firing. Four students were killed, seven wounded. He is apprehended minutes later.
At 1:22 officials say, his mother texts, "Ethan, don't do it."
His father --
MCDONALD: Upon hearing that there was an active shooter on that day, Mr. Crumbley drives straight home to his home to look for his gun.
FOREMAN (voice-over): 1:37: the dad calls 9-1-1 to report his gun missing and to say his son may be involved. But in the wake of the note just hours before the violence, officials clearly thought there should have been more.
MCDONALD: The notion that a parent could read those words and also know that their son had access to a deadly weapon that they gave him is unconscionable. And I think it's criminal.
FOREMAN: Of course there are questions about whether school officials acted properly. But the prosecutor says simply, anyone who saw the warning signs, who could have stopped this, should have done something -- Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: The Omicron variant of coronavirus has now been found in at least a dozens U.S. states, just days after the first case was identified in California. It's already been detected in nearly 40 countries. But experts insist there's no reason to panic.
The World Health Organization says no deaths have been reported from it. And so far, most cases have been mild. But it is taking a toll.
Have a look in South Africa, where Omicron was first found. COVID cases have quadrupled since Tuesday and a surprising number are small children.
Countries in Europe are enforcing additional restrictions, as cases climb and the Omicron variant is discovered across the continent. I'm joined now by CNN contributor Barbie Nadeau in Rome. Barbie, European officials are speculating how Omicron might event
become the dominant variant. But so far most of the cases there have been relatively mild.
What's the latest?
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Europe is in the midst of a very difficult four wave.
[04:40:00]
NADEAU: But it's not Omicron, it's Delta still. And in Germany, they're predicting 6,000 people in intensive care wards by Christmas, no matter what they do. They're putting in new restrictions against the unvaccinated.
Here in Rome, the city officials have said we have to wear masks outside now in crowded areas, which is very new and inconvenient, to say the least. But all of these things are working toward, you know, trying to mitigate the spread of Delta and in anticipation, really, for the arrival of Omicron.
And in Ireland, they've seen new restrictions in place there, with the closing of night clubs and new curfews on bars and things like that.
But it usually is, in every case, the restrictions are against those not vaccinated. On December 6th here in Rome, negative COVID tests will no longer be enough to get into an indoor dining place. You have to be vaccinated or provide you've recovered from COVID, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Delta still the biggest problem there but, certainly, alarm bells are ringing about the new variant. And we've seen, in the U.K., ministers there warned that the government has to act now or it could be too late.
NADEAU: That's right. In the U.K., there's quite a resistance to new measures there or any lockdown. The government there saying there won't be a lockdown. Of course, nobody wants a lockdown like last year.
But the European Union president was saying that she thinks there should be a vaccine mandate across all Europe. That's something that all of the individual countries would have to vote in. But that's a very strict measure.
But that seems to be the only way people are looking at fighting this, get everyone vaccinated, get everyone boosted and get younger people vaccinated as well. We haven't seen a real strong vaccination rate in the younger ages.
It's just been approved in 5- to 11-year olds so they're trying to get the campaign going for that age group, which seems to be most effective, with the science of Omicron, which is coming here as well. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. Barbie Nadeau, thank you so much. So Omicron is a mutated form of coronavirus. We'll show you a diagram
here, the colored parts indicate a difference from the original virus first seen in 2019. Omicron was detected on November 9th in South Africa and now has spread to at least 37 countries.
So because it's so new, we don't yet know how severe an illness it can cause compared to other strains and how effective the current vaccines are against it. The World Health Organization said it will be another week or so before we have those answers.
But it has warned that Omicron may spread more easily than the Delta variant, which makes up the majority of cases globally. A study by a university has found that likely Omicron can evade immunity from a past infection more easily than other strains. That means, with Omicron, there could be a greater risk of catching COVID twice or more.
Pakistan's prime minister said a brutal mob killing of a Sri Lankan man has brought shame on the country. Coming up, what police say was the motivation behind the horrific attack.
Plus, a blizzard warning for a tropical paradise.
Just how much snow will the big island of Hawaii get?
Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:45:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: Disturbing details are emerging about how a mob killed a Sri Lankan man in Pakistan on Friday. The prime minister has been quick to condemn the attack. This is the latest incident of vigilante violence against those accused of blasphemy in the country. CNN's Paula Newton has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON (voice-over): A brutal killing by a mob in Eastern Pakistan is sending shock waves shock waves through the country over the scale and savagery of the attack. Police say a large mob of factory workers tortured and set a manager on fire who they accused of blasphemy.
Angry crowds filled the streets, scaling fences and overturning cars. Police say about 100 people have so far been arrested. The Pakistani minister Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the brutal attack, saying, "It's a day of shame" for the country. His adviser for interfaith harmony said the violence will not be tolerated.
TAHIR ASHRAFI, ADVISER TO IMRAN KHAN (through translator): It is a barbaric act and against Islam's teaching. It has nothing to do with Islam or prophet Muhammad. Religious scholars across the country condemn it.
NEWTON (voice-over): The remains of the man, who police say was a Buddhist from Sri Lankan, have been recovered and taken to a local hospital. The human rights commission of Pakistan tweeted that the attack shows, quote, "the grim reality of spiraling radicalization in the nation."
Police say a separate mob of thousands of people ransacked and burned a police station in a different part of the country, just a few days ago, after crowds demanded officers turn over a man accused of burning a Quran. Blasphemy can be punishable by death in Pakistan, though no one has so far been executed for it.
The accused are often attacked and sometimes killed by mobs. Rights groups say the allegations are often unproven and used for personal vendettas or to target minorities.
In 2011, the former governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, was gunned down by his bodyguard over his efforts to reform blasphemy laws.
And violent right wing demonstrations broke out in 2018, when Asia Bebe, a Pakistani Christian woman who was convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death, was acquitted. This latest attack just another example of a source of conflict that Pakistan has long struggled to contain -- Paula Newton, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, a blizzard warning is issued for Hawaii. We'll have an update from the CNN Weather Center on just how much snow will fall in the tropical paradise. Stay with us.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BRUNHUBER: A blizzard warning has been issued for Hawaii. The big island is forecast to get up to a foot of snow in the mountain peaks. Wind is also a major threat, with wind gusts of 100 miles per hour.
(WEATHER REPORT)
[04:55:00]
BRUNHUBER: As people around the world get set for the holiday season, some Santas are showing up at unusual places, like underwater. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The sharks and fish at this aquarium at Budapest got a special visit from divers dressed as the jolly old elf. They waved at kids and installed a Christmas tree at the bottom of the huge pool. While they didn't take chances with those sharp-toothed predators, they -- you see them there -- at another aquarium in Seoul, a submerged Santa fed the fish while performing bubble tricks. Have a look.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KWON HAE-KYUNG, COEX AQUARIUM (through translator): During the show, Santa puts across a very warm message. We prepared the show to make people happier during the tough times of the coronavirus pandemic.
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Now the swimming Kris Kringle will be joined by divers dressed as elves in the aquarium's upcoming Christmas show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us.
