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Suspect In Custody Following Mass Shooting At Buffalo Supermarket; Abortion Rights Activists Rally Against SCOTUS Leaked Draft Decision; Russia Retreating Near Kharkiv, Ukraine's Largest City. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired May 14, 2022 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:09]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. And we are following breaking news out of Buffalo, New York. Police say they have a suspect in custody after a mass shooting at a grocery store there. Local authorities saying multiple people were injured at a Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue. They have not released specific casualty numbers yet, but to reiterate police are calling this a mass shooting.

Let's go to CNN senior law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey who's with us.

Chief Ramsey, not a whole lot of information coming in at the moment. We do understand a suspect is in custody. People are being told to avoid the area. The governor of New York has already weighed in.

What do you think authorities are focusing on right now? I mean, a mass shooting in a grocery store, this could be awful.

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yes, it could be very well awful. You know, listen, right now, they have a suspect in custody. That's the good news, but right now it's important that they reach out to family of individuals that may have been injured during the course of that incident unfolding. And that's what they're doing right now.

Of course you have a crime scene that they have to protect. They've got to try to find out as much information from this individual as possible. They're probably trying to secure search warrants if they've gotten that far in the investigation. So there are a lot of things going on right now, but one of the main things is actually notifying family members.

ACOSTA: And here's an eyewitness who just spoke to our affiliate there in Buffalo, WKBW. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, from what I saw, just left off the store and I stopped here and I started to drink my juice, and I heard a gunshot that I knew was a gunshot and not a fire cracker. So I looked up and I seen smoke. Then I seen a guy in a full army suit, just shooting shots at people. And I seen a security guard run in the store and then I seen the guy go in, army style, bent over, just shooting at people and I heard him shooting at people and then I saw some people laying down.

And I didn't have a phone on me so I was just screaming for somebody to call the police. And then he came out. He put the gun to his head, to his chin, then he dropped it and he took off his bulletproof vest and then he got on his hands and knees, and put his hands behind his back and then they arrested him. And that's a shame because it was a lot of people in there.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Just like seeing all of that, like, what was going through your mind?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I still don't even believe it happened, actually, that a person would go into a supermarket full of people. I have an aunt in there. I know some other women in there. One woman just had a baby. So hopefully they're OK. But it's a shame and something has to happen because this is ridiculous. That's just ridiculous.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And I'm hearing like it was like a white guy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a white guy. And he was fully prepared, ready to go. Yes. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) the devil.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it was a white guy. Full army suit. Prepared and ready.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Like what else did you see? Like how long did it take for police?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It took the police about two minutes. A minute and 30 seconds, actually. That was pretty much it. Took them about two minutes. They got here and they stood and watched him. I thought they was going to shoot him, but they didn't shoot him. But, yes. Like I said, he got on the ground and surrendered himself. I heard from people over there that he had other rifles in his car but I don't really know.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How many shots did you hear?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard, at first, and saw seven or eight gun smoke shots. When he went inside, I heard at least 20 or so shots but I couldn't really tell because I was yelling and screaming myself for somebody to call the police. So he went in there shooting. Ready to shoot and ready. I don't know what the problem was, but it was horrible, actually. Really horrible. I'm still kind of shooken up.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gun shots was kind of loud. I really didn't hear no screams because the gunshot was really loud.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: I heard like, I heard like he was also shooting from outside and then inside. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, he shot outside first. The security guard ran

inside. That's what I'm looking like, what's going on? I'm thinking it's a play, actually, because I don't believe that that stuff happens for real. Then I seen him go down and I seen him do this. I'm, like, well, that's for real. Because he had the glasses on, the brown --

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And you saw people coming out, too?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, people were running that was sitting down at the chair over there. People was running the other way.

[16:05:03]

So I did see that, you know. And I see him go in the store because you can see a little bit from over here. I just seen him going like this. Shooting at people. So hopefully not too many people passed away in there, but I guess we'll find out.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What else do you have to say? Like what do you remember?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it has to go to educational system. That's as far back that I would go. Just for people not to harm other people. Something has to be wrong with you that you want to harm somebody else. A lot of miserable people out here. I don't know what they do to people in the army, but something has to be done. Something really has to be done and it's not taking the guns away from people. It's the people learning how to deal with guns and issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Yes, and Chief Ramsey, a pretty descriptive account from that gentleman there about what occurred.

RAMSEY: It is.

ACOSTA: And what stood out to me is he's saying it was a white man dressed in some kind of army fatigues or something like that?

RAMSEY: Yes.

ACOSTA: And it sounds as though he was spraying the supermarket with gunfire and may have been wearing a bulletproof vest. Of course, you know, eyewitness accounts, when people are in a chaotic situation like that, they may get some things jumbled up, but that is a frightening scene that that man just talked about there.

RAMSEY: Well, he was pretty descriptive so I think he's probably got it pretty accurately. You've got an indoor and an outdoor scene. If he fired shots outside, that's not to say that someone was hit, but you'd still have shell casings. So you would have both an indoor and an outdoor crime scene that you have to protect. He was dressed in military gear according to the witness. It looked like he may have had a bulletproof vest.

Just from the way in which he described it it sounds like an assault weapon might be involved. Of course that's speculation, but that's what it sounds like just from his description. And it also sounded like he, you know, thought briefly about perhaps committing suicide, putting the gun right to his chin, but then thought better of it and then just surrendered.

So if there's another vehicle out there with weapons, obviously they'll get a search warrant. He had to come from somewhere. I don't know if he lives in Buffalo or lives somewhere else, but they'll track all that down as part of the investigation.

I don't know how many ambulances showed up at the scene. That's usually an indication as to how many injured or unfortunately deceased individuals that you might have inside. But again, all this is speculation at this point in time and I'm sure Buffalo PD will be having a news conference soon to be able to provide some level of information to the public, but again, you can't get too specific because you want to notify next of kin.

Even if a person's just wounded, not killed, but you want to let them know. You don't want them finding out on television what took place. And then of course you have a reunification center that you have to establish somewhere for people who were able to escape, but they still have to be able to, you know, meet up with their family members. So there's a lot of things that's going on right now.

ACOSTA: One, and based on what that gentleman was just saying, I mean, this is disturbing. You know, it sounds like it could have been premeditated.

RAMSEY: Yes, absolutely.

ACOSTA: We've got a reporter now from our affiliate WKBW. Let's listen into that real quick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: At Jefferson and Laurel on Buffalo's east side. I'm going to step out of the way so you can see exactly for yourself what's going on. This is the Tops on Jefferson. You can see police tape stretches for blocks and cordons off many parts of the parking lot in front of this Tops. We should let you know that a number of people have been shot. We don't have definite numbers of people who were shot. We don't know of any injuries at this point.

We do know the shooter, according to Buffalo Police, is in custody. Who that person is -- had to open fire unclear at this point. But we do know a number of people have been shot inside the supermarket.

On scene right now, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joe Gramaglia -- over to the other side here. There are a number of people on the other side of Jefferson. On Jefferson and Landon here. All of those people who are standing there are trying to figure out what happened in their community.

I just spoke to one of the figure heads of this community. A woman who prides herself on living -- in living in this community. She says this is a terrible day. A tragedy no less for our community. She says that she knows one of the people who was inside that store who was shot. It's unclear what exactly that person's injuries are. A 19 or 20-year- old, she said.

There are other people on the other side of these police cars, on the other side of that crime scene tape standing right by the Dollar General waiting to hear from their loved ones. In fact, there was one person that I spoke to just moments ago on Facebook Live which you can watch on our WKBW page who said -- that was inside and according to this one person that we spoke to, that relative, his relative was being held at gunpoint by the shooter.

[16:10:18]

I believe it was his mother who was begging for her life. Again, we don't know any information about her condition at this point and as we try to get some more information, obviously fluid details coming out here and obviously we're trying to be very cautious of what we're showing you because, as you can imagine, this is still a very raw, real scene. A lot of activity going on here with a lot of police officers trying to figure out who needs to be accounted for, who needs to be interviewed.

A number of law enforcement agencies on scene here. State police. Buffalo police. The Erie County Sheriff's Office. I'm going to have you zoom on -- officers who are standing by, are heavily armed. They are guarding this scene. They are trying to --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And that report just coming in for our affiliate WKBW. And we should note CNN still in the process of trying to confirm some of those details but our thanks to our affiliate there with that information.

And Chief, I mean, here we go again. Another weekend. More mass shootings in this country. You know, and the situation in Buffalo, you could just tell from the scene there, from the video from the affiliate just a few moments ago, a very crowded area and if somebody wanted to come in and do this kind of damage, I mean, that was a terribly perfect setting for it, I suppose.

RAMSEY: Well, yes, and you mentioned earlier, it's premeditated. And obviously I think that's the case. I mean, it's not how you dress when you're just going shopping. So he clearly was planning on doing some damage. And just looking at the crowd that's assembled outside, and I'm not familiar with Buffalo, but it looks like it's probably a largely African-American community there that the store is located in.

But, again, there's a lot of things going on right now and until we actually hear from the Buffalo Police Department, you won't have any real information that you can hang your hat on because, you know, social media obviously can have a lot of misinformation on it as well. So we have to wait until they come up with something here to really let us know what's going on. But they're trying to gather witnesses. They've got to interview people.

You probably have ATF and FBI responding to the scene to assist, and again, you have a scene that you have to process both inside and outside if he fired some of those shots outside as the one witness said. And so there's a lot of work and no answers yet for any of this.

ACOSTA: And when you're talking about somebody dressed in military fatigues, and potentially wearing body armor of some sort that one witness was talking about that, and really trying to fire off as many rounds as possible is what it sounds like if you heard that gentleman's account a few moments ago. What will law enforcement be looking at here in the next several hours, Chief?

RAMSEY: Well, I mean, there's probably video inside the store, I would imagine. Maybe outside the store. So they're trying to gather as much information as they possibly can. I mean, maybe this individual is cooperating and talking. Maybe he's not. But I mean, there are a lot of things right now that the police are trying to get to the bottom of in terms of motive and why it happened, but that's down the road.

Right now, they're trying to process this scene. They're trying to identify and notify family members if there are people that have been seriously wounded or even killed. Again, there's just an awful lot of things going on, but we may not find out exactly how it happened, why it happened for a period of time yet.

But there's a lot of evidence that needs to be collected and people that need to be interviewed before we can really make any kind of determinations as to whether or not, you know, this was random. Was he a former employee?

You know, what were the circumstances? Why the Tops? Why that place as a location for this shooting? And you mentioned mass shootings. I mean, my understanding Milwaukee, downtown Milwaukee a lot of people were shot yesterday.

ACOSTA: Right.

RAMSEY: After a basketball game. And so this is going to continue. It's not going to stop. Candlelight vigils and everything else that people tend to do is not going to fix the problem. This is going to continue. It's just a matter of when and where. And that's all. It's unfortunate, but it's true.

ACOSTA: And so many on the weekends as we report nearly every weekend right here on CNN.

Chief Ramsey, thanks so much. We're going to stay on top of this, obviously. If the Buffalo Police Department or other authorities hold a press conference, we'll get you the latest from that, and the governor of New York has been tweeting about this.

Here's her tweet. She says, "I'm closely monitoring the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo. We have offered assistance to local officials. If you're in Buffalo, please avoid the area and follow guidance from law enforcement and local officials." We'll leave it there for now. Some live pictures from Buffalo as we

track the latest from this mass shooting outside a Buffalo supermarket.

[16:15:05]

We'll have the latest for you in just a few moments. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: We're following breaking news out of Buffalo, New York. Police say they have a suspect in custody after a mass shooting at a grocery store there. Local authorities say multiple people were injured at a Tops market on Jefferson Avenue. They have not released specific casualty numbers at this point, but to reiterate police are calling this a mass shooting.

An eyewitness said he saw a man in a full army suit, that's the way he described it, shooting at people. He later saw that suspect surrender to police. And we're still waiting on more details as to what happened. We'll stay on top of that and get that to you as it all comes in.

Also today, protesters are approaching the steps of the United States Supreme Court. A massive crowd has moved through the nation's capital today voicing opposition to the Supreme Court leaked draft opinion that suggests Roe versus Wade could be overturned, ending the constitutional right to an abortion.

[16:20:04]

This march in Washington is just one of multiple demonstrations happening across the country today as the Supreme Court's final ruling could be released within weeks if Roe is struck down. So-called trigger bans in 13 states would immediately go into effect enacting near total bans on abortions and 23 states have laws that would create major limits on abortion.

I want to bring in our CNN political commentators, Democratic strategist Maria Cardona, she attended the march in Washington today with her daughter. Also, with us, Republican strategist and former Ted Cruz communications director Alice Stewart.

Maria, what was the mood in the crowd today? I mean, we were talking about this with the reporters on this earlier today. Everybody saying this is going to motivate Democratic voters heading into the fall. Were you seeing signs of that today?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATORS: There's no question about that, Jim. And I've talked to so many women both today as well as since the leaked opinion came out and they are pissed. I mean, there's really no other word for it. They are pissed and they're going to change that anger into marches like you've seen today and then voting at the ballot box in November because what they cannot fathom is that we are at the precipice of the Supreme Court, this extreme Supreme Court, taking away a right of over 50 percent of the population that they have enjoyed, we have enjoyed for almost 50 years, to be the ones who decides what happens with our bodies, with our families and with our reproductive futures.

This decision, in essence, if it happens, will make us inferior to men, Jim. You will have more rights in this country than me and any woman who is focused on the fact that they should have a right to do what they want with their body. I thought it was very important to involve my daughter.

She's 15 years old. And I shudder at the fact that she could grow up in a country where she will not have the decision-making power to figure out what she wants in terms of a family, when she wants to have children, if she wants to have children, and to me, that is just completely un-American.

It is a value that we have had for more than 50 years and we will go to the ballot box to ensure that it continues to be such.

ACOSTA: Alice?

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The reason they should be pissed is because they were asleep at the wheel ever since Roe vs. Wade became the law of the land while Republicans and the pro-life movement have worked hard to build a grassroots effort and to build momentum behind what we expect to see overturning Roe v. Wade.

There have been campaign after campaign -- I've worked on five presidential campaigns. Electing strict constitutionalist justices at the district level and Supreme Court level has been forefront of many Republicans for many years while Democrats look the other way. And look, while we're seeing, I'll admit, I'm impressed at the crowds we're seeing, but we've had Republicans, pro-life movement at the Supreme Court.

Back in December when the Mississippi case was being tried, and it made a difference. And they're going to be out there tomorrow at the Supreme Court, Students for Life groups will be out there next week to continue to drive home the message that the American people want this decision to be in the hands of elected officials at the state level and not at the hands of unelected justices and a Supreme Court.

ACOSTA: Well, speaking of state level, Alice, I want to get your reactions, both of your reactions to these two male lawmakers in Louisiana discussing contraception while debating criminalizing abortion. It's a little long, but you have to hear the whole thing. Let's talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No woman would be prosecuted for murder if they use an IUD, and while using that IUD it prevented the implantation of an embryo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, my bill would do away with abortifacients.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not an abortifacient. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Well, that's your opinion. I don't think that's

the opinion of others.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know. It doesn't eliminate contraceptives. Contraceptives keeps a woman from conceiving. That's the definition of contraceptive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, is the prevention of implantation part of contraception?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. When the spam enters the egg, that's when it takes place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What takes place?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When life begins, that's when it takes place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I understand. But --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And anything that kills that egg afterwards is aborting it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But preventing implantation doesn't kill the egg, does it? Or does it kill the embryo, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're talking about contraceptives here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So, Mr. Speaker, I rest my question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And we should note that Louisiana has since removed language from the bill that would have classified abortion as a homicide, but here, you have lawmakers -- male lawmakers literally debating whether a form of contraception should qualify as an abortion, Alice.

I mean, it just seems like we're getting into the realm of unintended consequences and how this could go in a much more expansive way than perhaps folks who wanted to see Roe vs. Wade overturned perhaps they contemplate it.

[16:25:05]

STEWART: Well, those in the pro-life movement believe that life begins at conception and that's when we need to protect the sanctity of life. I happen to believe there needs to be exceptions in the case of rape, incest, and life of the mother.

And every state has different regulations when we're talking to how the punishment goes. I believe that if this is returned to the states and they believe that abortion is not a right any longer, the punishment should go to the abortion provider. Not the woman.

So these are conversations and those are difficult conversations. Often difficult to watch men talk about these issues that they're not quite familiar with, but these conversations need to be had. People need to have input. And again, it needs to be taken out of the hands of the Supreme Court and put back closest to the people, which is the way democracy is supposed to be.

CARDONA: You know whose hands this should be in, Jim? The women and the families and the men and the doctors who can help make that decision as best as she can do it for her safety, for her health, for her reproductive future, for what she wants her family to look like. It should be in no other person's hands, period.

It was disgusting to watch that just now. To watch these men who have no clue what happens and what goes on in a woman's body, and less of a clue what she's feeling and what she's going to face in her life if she's in a situation where she cannot have a baby or she doesn't want to have a baby.

I'm sorry. But no woman wants Ted Cruz or Mitch McConnell in the room when she is making such a consequential decision as to whether to have a baby or not and what her reproductive future looks like.

ACOSTA: All right. Well, ladies, we'll leave it there for now. Obviously we're going to have you back, have this conversation, keep it going.

Maria and Alice, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

CARDONA: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: And just a note, it's usually my language that people are talking about. Today it was yours. We'll put that to the side in the meantime.

Switching gears, getting back to the situation in Buffalo. Breaking news right now. At least -- and what's happening in Miami. We'll turn to that next. At least six are injured after a small plane crashed on to a bridge in Miami. The FAA says the single engine Cessna was flying from Ft. Lauderdale when it lost power. The plane slammed into a car on the bridge as it was trying to land. Look at these images right here just coming into CNN.

Three people were on the plane. A witness who shot this video from a nearby hotel tells us that he saw at least two people get out of the aircraft. Several people having put on stretchers. Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue, they say at least five people were taken to area hospitals.

An Atlanta police officer has saved the life of a 4-month-old child after performing CPR and the incredible rescue was all caught on video. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. What is wrong with my baby?

(CROSSTALK) (END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Hazards on, frantically blowing its horn when they pulled over at a fire station. The baby's mother ran over with the baby saying he was not breathing. An officer revived the child by performing CPR until paramedics arrived and took that baby to the hospital. Thank goodness.

Coming up, we'll have the latest on the situation in Buffalo and we'll also turn to the shifting battlefield in Ukraine. Bridges blown up as Russia retreats revealing new atrocities.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:33:02]

ACOSTA: Lets' go back to the breaking news in Buffalo, New York. We're still gathering details on a mass shooting there at a grocery store. You're looking at video that just came in moments ago at CNN.

Authorities have not yet announced a number of casualties. But they say a suspect is in custody after a mass shooting at a Tops Market on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo.

A short time ago, an eyewitness described an absolutely terrifying scene. A man in military gear prowling and opening fire.

Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED WITNESS: Well from what I saw at the store, I stopped here and I started drink my juice and I heard a gunshot that I knew was a gun shot and not a firecracker.

I looked up and I seen smoke. I seen a guy in a full army suit just shooting shots at people. And I seen a security guard run in the store. I seen the guy go in army style, bent over, just shooting at people and I heard him shooting at people and I saw some people laying down.

I didn't have a phone on me, so I was just screaming for somebody to call the police.

Then he came out. He put the gun to his head. To his chin. Then he dropped it and took off his bulletproof vest. And then he got on his hands and knees and put his hands behind his back and they arrested him.

That's, it's a shame because it was a lot of people in there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: We also have a report from Ed Drantch, from our local affiliate there in Buffalo, WKBW. Let's take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED DRANTCH, REPORTER, WKBW: I've been here for the last hour or so. This is Jefferson and Laurel. Directly across the street is the Tops where people were shot today.

I'm just seeing some information. Some pictures coming across my phone on social media of the suspect person in custody right now. It appears to be a young white man dressed in camo. Fatigues, if you will. Unclear who this person is.

[16:35:03]

Councilman, can you talk to you really quick? We're live on TV right now.

COUNCILMAN DARIUS PRIDGEN (D-NY): (INAUDIBLE)

DRANTCH: Can you just tell me your thoughts?

PRIDGEN: It's heartbreaking. I think the whole community is s heartbreaking. I think the whole community is concerned. The whole community of Buffalo.

DRANTCH: Councilman Darius Pridgen here as well as a number of other figure heads in the city of Buffalo, including the mayor, Byron Brown, Erie County district attorney, John Flynn.

I saw the executive moments ago and, of course, the Buffalo police commissioner.

You heard from the figure head. Mama Charlene is what she called herself. This is her community. This is a place, a safe haven, a supermarket, of all places, where innocent people come to do their grocery shopping at a time when so much costs us so much.

These people inside obviously dealing with so much more than just that.

Here's what we know so far. The shooter is in custody. There are a number of people who have been shot, according to Buffalo police. This has been going on for hours.

Obviously, many armed police officers, heavily armed police officers. We see a SWAT team, a heavily armored truck directly across from where we are on the other side of the police cars, on the other side of the parking lot, it's lights flashing.

Again, state police here. The Erie County Sheriff's Office. Would not be surprised if the FBI was here.

As you remember, many -- several months ago, a couple of months ago, when there were a shooting outside McKinley High School, we saw a much similar situation when it comes to response from law enforcement.

Obviously, when it comes to law enforcement, the investigation here, there's a lot that goes into it. There are a number of people inside the building. A lot of people who were inside the supermarket.

So anyone who saw something would have to be interviewed. The eyewitnesses have to be questioned on what they saw, what this person was wearing. Any number of questions will be asked of those police officers or witnesses by those police officers before those people are released.

And you heard from some of those folks on my Facebook, live, moments ago, that there was a woman inside, this man's mother. He lives in Niagara Falls. Came racing down here to Buffalo, obviously, hearing the mother was inside.

He said, he told me point-blank, that his mother was confronted by this shooter, held at gunpoint and there was concern because she was begging for her life.

It gives me goose bumps to even hear that, a week after Mother's Day, to even think, even fathom what goes on here.

When I was walking down Jefferson about an hour ago, I was speaking with some of the police officers here and they're hanging their heads low. Simply put, they said this is unlike anything they've seen in the city of Buffalo.

I've lived here almost 11 years. This is unlike anything I've ever seen here as a reporter.

When you look at the broader scene, you see all the people on the other side of the police tape on Jefferson and Landon Street. All of those people gathering, trying to wrap their heads around what happened here in their community.

But not only trying to wrap their heads around what happened here, but also trying to get in touch with some of the people who were inside, their loved ones, their family members.

Why did this happen? The biggest question here. Who is this shooter? What would have led him to open fire inside a supermarket?

More police officers arriving here on scene. And as you can imagine, this law enforcement presence is not going to stop anytime soon as the investigation continues.

Just about 10 or so minutes ago, I heard from the Buffalo police spokesperson, Mike DeGeorge, who speaks not only on behalf of the city of Buffalo, but also its police department, who told me that possible by 5:00 --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Our thanks to our affiliate reporter, Ed Drantch there. CNN has not independently confirmed those details at this time.

There are local reports coming out of the Buffalo area about casualties. CNN is at the moment working on confirming some of those details. We want to get that to you as quickly as possible but as accurately as possible.

So we're working on those details. We're monitoring the situation and we'll bring you to a press conference from the police department as soon as it happens. We're monitoring the situation for that as well.

[16:39:43]

Let's take one more quick break. We'll get back in a moment. We'll have more details in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As we track one mass shooting in Buffalo, Milwaukee police are investigating a mass shooting in that city that injured 17 people Friday night.

Thousands had gathered in the downtown area for game six of the NBA playoffs between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics.

The gun shots sending crowds of people running for cover. That happened just hours after another shooting where three people were shot.

Police say all victims are expected to survive and that 10 people are in custody. Nine guns, nine guns were also recovered.

[16:45:01]

An update now on the WNBA star being held in a Russian jail. Russian state media says Brittney Griner's pretrial detention has now been extended to one month, until June 18th.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was detained at the Moscow airport in February and accused of having cannabis oil in her luggage. The Biden administration says she's being wrongfully detained.

In far eastern Ukraine this weekend, Russian forces are reportedly continuing to pull pulling back and out of the area. They're not only leaving unspeakable brutality behind, but also dangerous traps hidden in the rubble. Ukrainian soldiers are busy demining.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice- over): Charred, chewed and mauled, northern Kharkiv scars seem infinite. Putin's troops breathing artillery fire down the neck of this city of a million for two months.

But even still, it's a shock to see just how close the Russians got on the other side of this road.

(EXPLOSION)

PATON WALSH: We are told this is from the mining, a controlled blast. Yet, here everything is fluid.

Ukraine stopped Russia's advance here on the first day of the war, killing two soldiers by this armor. Three civilians shot dead in this car then, and their bodies recovered only two days ago.

(on camera): You can see the colossal force used against armor here. A tank turret literally about a full distance of tank body.

(voice-over): The village of Zarichne (ph) lies ahead, liberated days earlier.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

PATON WALSH: "People are starting to go back," he said, "but they're still shelling it."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

PATON WALSH: Two women died two days ago when they walked under tripwire trapped set in the village. And even around these factories, special forces here warn us a soldier was wounded by a booby trap three days ago.

The Zed markings of Russia's invasion, still a deranged sign of their collective insanity, even two months on.

Why do they do this?

(on camera): They say they reclaimed this area about a week ago. But they're now under a difficult task of demining what they can. But look around here. There's really not much left to make safe.

(voice-over): These civilians evacuated from the next village, just two kilometers away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

PATON WALSH: "It's a nightmare," she says. "The shooting is heavy. We drive around and we let them race on."

(CROSSTALK)

PATON WALSH: Desperation takes different forms here. And caught by another kind of survivor is Dmitri (ph). His wife moved away a while ago. Wheeling back food he's got for his six dogs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

PATON WALSH: "I haven't really left my home for two months," he said. "I crossed the fields, passed the bomb fragments to get the food."

His gentle stroll in the open, a sign of how long the violence has swelled here, not that it is slowing.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Coming up, she became a household name as the White House coronavirus response coordinator under then-President Trump. Remember this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute. One minute.

And is there a way we can do something like that. By injection inside or almost a cleaning?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:48:40]

ACOSTA: Now, Dr. Deborah Birx is naming names and not holding back when it comes to what went wrong during the early days of the pandemic response. Dr. Deborah Birx joins us live after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:53:34]

ACOSTA: With the highest consumption of pork per capita in Italy, Umbria is a carnivore's dream. From wild boar hunts to incredible black truffle farms, Stanley Tucci explores all the riches this land has to offer.

Here's a preview of tomorrow night's new episode of "SEARCHING FOR ITALY."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STANLEY TUCCI, HOST, "SEARCHING FOR ITALY": On the menu is Milano (ph) cooked in porcato style (ph). But instead of the rolled loin of pork, we have a whole piglet and nothing goes to waste.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

TUCCI: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

TUCCI: Si.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Be sure to tune in to the brand-new episode of Stanley Tucci's "SEARCHING FOR ITALY." It airs tomorrow night at 9:00 right here on CNN. Powerful dust storms hit the upper Midwest this week. Look at this.

Check this out. Winds over 100 miles per hour kicking up clouds of dust that covered much of Nebraska and South Dakota.

The massive wall of dust -- just look at it -- was captured on video, causing damage and power outages in cities and rural towns. At least two people reportedly were killed in this storm.

[16:55:02]

As the bizarre weather event took place, many residents ran for cover, sheltering in their homes until it was all over. Just incredible footage there.

And we're following breaking news coming out of the Buffalo, New York. We have been talking about this throughout the afternoon.

We are still gathering details on this mass shooting at a grocery store there. Multiple casualties in the area. We're getting to the bottom of that. We'll have the very latest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)