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Mass Shooting in U.S. Grocery Store; Russia Blockades Grain Exports; Putin Tells Finland Joining NATO a "Mistake"; Abortion Rights Marches across the U.S. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired May 15, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

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PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and thank you for joining us. I am Paula Newton.

Ahead right here on CNN NEWSROOM, another mass shooting in the United States. A gunman opened fire in a grocery store, killing 10 people.

Plus, during a visit by U.S. lawmakers, Ukraine's president asked them to designate Russia a terrorist state.

And with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a historic decision in the coming hours. A look at the ramifications if Finland decides to join NATO.

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NEWTON: And we begin with a senseless tragedy that is becoming all too common in the United States, yet another mass shooting.

Police say 10 people were killed when an 18 year old white male opened fire at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in a largely Black neighborhood. They are calling the attack racially motivated. Witnesses are describing a scene that was horrifying and heartbreaking.

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GRADY LEWIS, SHOOTING EYEWITNESS: I'd seen a guy in a full army suit. He is shooting shots at people. And I'd seen the security guard run in the store, and then I'd seen the guy go in Army style, bent over, just shooting at people. And I heard him shooting at people and then I saw three 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 little crew vest. And then he got on his hands and knees and put his hands behind his back and then they arrested him.

(END VIDEO CLIP) NEWTON: The suspect, Peyton Gendron, has been charged with first

degree murder. Investigators are also reviewing a reported 180-page manifesto written by the shooter, where he describes his perceptions about the dwindling size of the white population.

Now in a news conference following the shooting, New York governor Kathy Hochul condemned the racial extremism that apparently motivated this attack. Listen.

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GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): A military style execution targeting people who simply want to buy groceries in a neighborhood store. It strikes us in our very hearts to know that there's such evil that lurks out there.

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NEWTON: Joining me now from Cambridge, Massachusetts, CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem.

Juliette, happy to have you here with us just to try and really go through the components of what was a horrific, chilling crime that unfolded there in Buffalo. I mean, let's start with the fact that this is an 18 year old man, a person, who was just a few months out of teenage hood (sic), in terms of being a child.

He had an assault rifle, Juliette.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, lawfully obtained, apparently, although, may have been retrofitted illegally. And this is a big issue in New York right now. It's happening to their weaponry.

But in the U.S., lawfully obtained so there's clearly premeditation here. So even though he's 18 today, we don't know how long he has been premeditating or been inspired by this kind of hatred that we are reporting on.

This manifesto, we don't know the contents. He drives four hours-plus. He picks a market in the middle of a African American community and he certainly knows this. He knows that his victims are likely to be African American, although not all were.

And then, videotapes it, and this is really important, because it's a performative violence that he is doing, right?

It's not just enough for him to do it; he actually has to perform it. It's like a show for them. It's like theater. And in many ways, I think that's a consequence of social media.

How many likes am I getting?

How many favorites am I getting?

It's the performative nature of violence. [01:05:00]

NEWTON: It's so interesting that you use that word, performative. People have been speaking about the fact that, look, there is a certain infamy in doing this, which is a reason why a lot of the authorities on the ground didn't want to utter his name.

And yet, other people were following him, likely, on social media.

In terms of what you know from law enforcement in the United States, how worried are they about this phenomenon?

KAYYEM: Very worried. So this is why the FBI has been so focused on radicalization, white supremacy, in particular, in a white supremacist right-wing movement. This is a greater terror that threatens the United States, that any international foreign threat at this stage.

One reason why is, obviously, that we do have a First Amendment.

So people have noxious opinions, right?

About others, about minorities or women or whatever. That's not enough to say that they're in danger. So that line becomes more difficult.

The other reason, though, is that there are movements within the United States, that are race based, violent movements. We know that. I mean, it's been documented. We've seen it in other instances. We saw it in Texas, at a Walmart.

We've seen it against Asian Americans, African Americans. And that hatred, which we tend to say is an aberration, is actually, unfortunately, not. It's actually a very organized movement. And so, while this perpetrator today in Buffalo may have technically acted alone, right?

He had no one that we know of that was helping him with the violence. He actually did have an apparatus of hatred that was supporting him, his manifesto, his performative nature. And that's hard to get through criminal law. It's very difficult to get through the criminal law lens.

NEWTON: In terms of the fact that social media may have amplified any hate that he expressed, how difficult is it for people to get this?

Juliette, you know the routine. Everyone says that this can't happen again. Everyone says it should not happen again. And it happens again.

KAYYEM: Right. I mean, exactly. The idea of never again, we're like, well, here we are again. It is -- it can be that surprising. I have to admit to you. I am on CNN so often with these kinds of shootings.

I said something today and I can't remember if I had said it that day or was I just repeating something at a killing two weeks ago?

They're starting to become -- the narrative becomes so familiar in this country. And that's a huge challenge. Look, the social media platforms exist for the likes, right?

So they're amplifying what you already want to see. That increases your engagement, that increases the engagement of the platform. And so, someone who wants to search out this hate is going to get, is going to benefit, basically, the way the algorithms work. Is that kind of hate going to constantly be in their feed.

Those of us who are on social media, you know that's true; if you look at exercise stuff, if you're looking at camps, that stuff gets into your feed. And that's what's happening with hate.

And they could get a lot better in terms of what they're seeing and the amplification before it is too late. But it is a very, very touchy thing in this country.

I want to say that there is a difference between this noxious thoughts, that I may not like and you don't like. But the push to violent extremism, and I think it's that focus on violence that we really need to keep our eyes on.

This isn't just hatred that we hate; it's violence. This was -- I mean, this was like a hunt today. I mean he literally drove to an African American community to kill Black people. I mean, you know, this is the violence.

NEWTON: The allegations are stark and certainly, authorities on the ground made it clear that that's what they believe happened here. Juliette Kayyem for us, appreciate it.

KAYYEM: Thank you so much.

NEWTON: One of the most surreal aspects about this crime is the fact that it was livestreamed on the interactive service Twitch. The company said it pulled the stream less than two minutes in. But many, of course, say these platforms need to regulate their content better. CNN's Brian Stelter takes a look at the issue.

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BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Hey, yes. This crime in Buffalo may be another example of a livestreamed murder, a terrifying phenomenon we've seen several times in recent years in the United States and in other countries.

In the case in Buffalo, authorities have confirmed that the suspect was using a livestreaming site to share his own point of view, his own vantage point, while firing his weapon. Now Twitch, which is a popular livestreaming site, owned by Amazon.

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STELTER: It came out Saturday evening and essentially confirmed that its site was used. Its platform was used by the suspect.

The company said in a statement, quote, "We are devastated to hear about the shooting that took place this afternoon in Buffalo. Our hearts go out to the community impacted by this tragedy. Twitch has a zero tolerance policy against violence of any kind and works swiftly to respond to all incidents."

The company also said that this user, quote, "has been indefinitely suspended from our service and we are taking all appropriate action, including monitoring for any accounts rebroadcasting this content."

That's an important detail because, in the past, in some of these cases, the videos from the point of view of the suspect have gone viral on websites and have been used by others to spread certain ideologies.

So Twitch, in this case, saying they're trying to stop that from happening. What we've seen, again and again, in the U.S. and elsewhere, are examples of online radicalization. People spending too much time in front of their computer screens, being poisoned by lies and, eventually, acting out in public, in the real world.

And then, trying to share their experiences on the internet, while they are committing a crime. It will be very telling to see what investigators share in the coming days and weeks about this livestream, about what it showed and about whether it can be used in a court of law in this case -- Brian Stelter, CNN, New York.

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NEWTON: Ukraine's president is again calling on the United States to formally declare Russia a terrorist state. Now president Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the request during a meeting on Saturday with a small delegation of U.S. senators, led by Republican leader, Mitch McConnell.

Now at stake is an additional $40 billion in aid to Ukraine, which is expected to pass the Senate this week. Mr. Zelenskyy said the visit the important show of solidarity. Listen.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I held talks today with a delegation of U.S. senators led by Senate Republican minority leader, Mitch McConnell, in Kyiv. I believe that this visit once again demonstrates the strength of bipartisan support for our state, the strength of ties between the Ukrainian and American nations.

We discussed various areas of support for our states, including defensive and financial, as well as tightening sanctions on Russia. I expressed gratitude for this historic to renew the lend-lease program. I called for the official recognition of Russia as a terrorist state.

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NEWTON: Now also on Saturday, Germany's foreign minister said her government fully supports Finland and Sweden in their desire to join NATO. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNALENA BAERBOCK, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I want to be very, very clear. It is not NATO that has pushed Sweden and Finland to join but the actions of the Russian president have pushed Finland and Sweden, because they want to continue to live in peace with their neighbors, into this alliance, if they join together, which I would very much support.

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NEWTON: Now the German foreign minister also said Russia's blockade of Ukrainian grain exports was a deliberate attempt to destabilize the West by weaponizing food.

Meantime, Ukrainian forces are pushing their counteroffensive east of Kharkiv, as Russian troops intensify shelling of the area. So far, Ukrainians have denied the Russians any significant gains in the Donbas. CNN's Sam Kiley has the latest from near the front lines.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Heavy fighting continues here in Eastern Ukraine, with two major thrusts being conducted over the last week. The first, really, it sent artillery duels being escalated, particularly by the Russians, north of the town of Slovyansk.

And then, also, close to Sievierodonetsk, which is on the north side of the Donets River, where heavy fighting is persistent and the Russians just south of there, trying to push across the river and establish some kind of pontoon bridge crossing.

That was turned to a disaster with a Ukrainian counterattack, destroying a large number of Russian armored vehicles and other equipment. And also, the Ukrainians claim many hundreds of Russians killed in that crossing.

This represents really, I, think a desperate attempt to try to break the stalemate in the major thrust of the Russian campaign, which has been downgraded from regime change, across Ukraine, to essentially, according to the Kremlin, anyway, to try to take over this eastern area of the country, known as the Donbas.

But this is the local picture where, internationally, increasingly, there is concern, particularly being expressed now by the German foreign minister, about the interruption of grain supplies coming out of Ukraine. Ukraine is a major grain exporter alongside Russia. Its ports have been blockaded by Russia.

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KILEY (voice-over): And the Russians are now being accused of stealing grain and trying to sell it on the international market. This has been something that has been raised as a major issue, because, down the line, it is likely to cause instability, particularly across North Africa -- Sam Kiley, CNN, in Kramatorsk.

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NEWTON: Finland delivers a major blow to the Kremlin. Why the Nordic country's decision to apply for a NATO membership has angered Vladimir Putin and what Russia could do to retaliate.

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NEWTON: Russia's war in Ukraine is prompting a historic shift in Europe's security map. And in the coming hours, Finland's leaders are expected to formally announce they want to join NATO.

Now neighboring Sweden is expected to make a similar announcement. Finland's decision has infuriated the Kremlin, since it would effectively double Russia's land border with NATO.

Now on Saturday, Russian president Vladimir Putin warned his Finnish counterpart that joining the alliance would be, in his words, a mistake. Finland's president told him the invasion of Ukraine fundamentally changed his country's security calculations.

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NEWTON: Joining me from Washington, D.C., CNN political and national security analyst, David Sanger.

David, good to see you and have you weigh in on this, as these meetings continue in Europe.

I mean, how transformational will all of this be for NATO, especially since it really will redesign its security architecture here?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I'm not sure it's going to be transformational in a military sense because Finland has been training with NATO for many years. Sweden dismantled a good part of its military and it's now trying to sort of put that back together.

Not totally dismantled but enough that they don't have the kind of force they need. But there's two important elements to this.

First, it's a symbolically important thing to say to Putin that you started this whole process demanding that NATO pull back to pre-1997 borders. That was before troops and training were taking place in countries that had once been part of the Soviet bloc.

And, here they are now, expanding NATO again, adding more than 800 miles of NATO border with Russia.

The second reason that's important, Paula, is that Finland, in particular, actually has a pretty serious trained force. And right now, the Russians are so jammed up in the south and east of Ukraine, that they don't really have the ability to go take them on.

NEWTON: Yes, even if they wanted to be provocative along that border.

And to continue on the issue of Finland specifically, how much do you think Russia will do to voice quite loudly its objections to this?

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NEWTON: We had this symbolic issue, perhaps temporarily, a stopping in the electricity exports to Finland. I mean, what do you think it can do?

What do you think it will do?

SANGER: Well, Finland gets very little of its gas from Russia. Unlike Germany, unlike Italy, unlike Bulgaria. So the biggest weapon that the Russians have to use against the current NATO members doesn't really work in Finland's case.

I think, at the end of the day, they will probably base a fair number of Iskander tactical nuclear weapons along the Finnish coast, as a symbol, the Russians will do this. They may keep that electricity off. But I doubt it.

I think, at the end of the day, they will probably not going to do as much as they would like, in part, because they're so busy. Now --

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SANGER: -- 10 years from now, hard to say.

NEWTON: In terms of Sweden and Finland perhaps joining NATO, Turkey seems to be voicing some objections. They're not saying that they're against it but they're certainly saying tread carefully.

Why?

SANGER: There's always been this sort of strange dance that has gone on between Turkey and President Erdogan and President Putin of Russia. You will remember that a few years ago, Erdogan bought S-400 air defense system from the Russians. They are a NATO country and they were buying a Russian air defense system.

This led to a huge breach with the United States and the result was cutting off the sale of some fighter jets, NATO fighter jets and American designed jets, to Turkey. My guess is that, at the end of the day, they will probably just go along with this. Turkey, really, I think, has probably learned from this entire experience, that they need NATO more than they need the Russians.

NEWTON: It is such a good point, especially when you see what's going on in the Black Sea right now at this hour and how Turkey will feature into that. David Sanger, again, thanks so much.

SANGER: Always great to be with you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Cities across the United States were filled with protests in support of a abortion rights. The message is clear, my body, my choice. Organizers say this is just the beginning. That story, after the break.

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NEWTON: Thousands marched in cities right across the United States, Saturday in support of abortion rights. Now protesters took to the streets with signs and many chanted, bans off our bodies.

Demonstrations were fueled by the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court could soon overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which established the right to an abortion. About half of the U.S. states are set to criminalize or severely restrict abortion, should that happen. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus reports from protests in Chicago.

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ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pro-choice supporters want their message to go from the street to the Supreme Court. Not only have they illustrated it by taking over the heart of downtown Chicago, they also have it on signs that say only the people can stop them. We will not go back.

And there are other message boards that talk about a post-Roe world. And they're saying no, a visual demonstration with these chains.

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BROADDUS: I spoke with an organizer of today's rally here in Chicago, saying they want to break the chain. She says she's from another country and she has seen what happens when abortions are criminalized. Listen in.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have seen how these restricting laws affect women and affect people's lives. And when I heard what they're doing here in the U.S., you know, trying to overturn Roe, this is just -- we can't stay quiet. We can't stay at home. We have to go out in the streets and march and protest and tell people where we stand.

Because if no one talks about it, they're just going to do what they want to do. And they have to hear from the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS: Earlier this week, the city's mayor, Lori Lightfoot, pledged to ensure what she calls "equitable access to abortion and reproductive health care" in the city of Chicago. In case you didn't know, Illinois is one of the most liberal states when it comes to abortion in the Midwest -- Adrienne Broaddus, CNN, Chicago.

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NEWTON: In Russia, wildfires raging through Siberia have killed over a dozen people. The acting emergencies minister says there have been around 4,000 fires in the region so far this year. And Russian president Vladimir Putin is demanding action. CNN's Lynda Kinkade has the story.

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Big plumes of smoke billow from a large fire near a village in Irkutsk, just one of many wildfires ripping through parts of Siberia.

Several people have died and hundreds of buildings have burned to the ground, as firefighters struggled through high winds to contain the blazes. Russian president Vladimir Putin issued a scathing warning to regional officials: do more to deal with the forest fires in Siberia.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): We cannot allow a repeat of last year's situation, when forest fires were the most long-lasting and intensive of recent years.

KINKADE (voice-over): During amazing broadcast on state TV, Putin said the fires threaten lives and the economy, noting that 700 homes have been damaged. A Russian official says so far, this year, some 4,000 wildfires have burned in an area the size of Luxembourg.

Last year's fire season was Russia's largest ever, more than 18 million hectares of land were destroyed, according to Greenpeace Russia. Wildfires have become more intensive over the past several years in Russia, due to unusually high temperatures, linked to climate change -- Linda Kinkade, CNN.

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NEWTON: I'm Paula Newton. I'm going to thank you for joining us. "AFRICAN VOICES: CHANGEMAKERS" is next. And I'll be back at the top of the hour with more news.

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