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10 Killed in Racially Motivated Mass Shooting in Buffalo; Pennsylvania Republican Senate Race Goes Dow to the Wire; More Than 260 People Evacuated from Mariupol Steel Plant; Sweden and Finland Launch Bids to Join NATO; Russian Missile Target Base Near Lviv; U.S. Troops Deploying to Somalia to Counter Al-Shabaab. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired May 17, 2022 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Max Foster in London. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He came into my home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a straight out hate crime, pure evil.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many more people would probably have been killed and injured if the Buffalo Police did not get to the scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important we win these primaries to have real Republicans that'll fight like Donald Trump did.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And who can actually get there on day one and make a big difference because the country is sliding away from us here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Pennsylvania Senate race is the Democrats best chance to flip a Republican seat to their side.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster.
FOSTER: It's Tuesday, May 17th. And in the coming hours Joe Biden and the first lady are set to travel to Buffalo, New York where they will pay their respects to the victims of Saturday's racially motivated shooting and meet with their families.
The visit comes as we learn new details about the 18-year-old accused of opening fire in a supermarket in a predominantly black neighborhood. Investigators say the suspect travelled 200 miles to the area two months ago and he was there this past Friday for what authorities say was recognizance. Just a day before the massacre.
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BYRON BROWN, BUFFALO, NEW YORK MAYOR: Absolutely incredible someone with so much hate in their heart, so much hate in their head, traveled from more than three hours to get to this community, a community densely populated with African-American residents, with the express purpose of trying to take as many black lives as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Law enforcement officials say federal prosecutors are working to bring charges against the suspect. The latest now from CNN's Omar Jimenez.
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OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New details show the alleged gunman meticulously planned the attack months in advance. Investigators saying he's believed to have scouted the store in early March and prepared for a gunfight.
JOSEPH GRAMAGLIA, BUFFALO POLICE COMMISSIONER: Because of the body armor that he had on, he could have easily have retreated back into that store, where there were dozens of other customers in that store fleeing for their lives. Which could have then turned that into another barricade and further slaughter.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Investigators piecing together the sequence of events on what authorities say was a racially-motivated attack. The Erie County District Attorney tells CNN, the suspect seemingly planned on killing more Black people if he could.
JOHN FLYNN, ERIE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: It appears that way. Again, we need to drill down further.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Federal investigators drilling down further. Going to the home, where the 18-year-old suspect lived with his parents. As well as the gun store, where the suspect purchased the Bushmaster assault rifle. They're also looking into his planning ahead of the attack, including illegally modifying his gun to carry 30-round magazines.
FLYNN: We are going to look into everything that this young man was doing and thinking.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Including analyzing the alleged shooter's past. How last year, police paid him a visit after he did a high school project on murder suicides -- according to the Erie County Sheriff.
And analyzing his state of mind. Just before heading to the market, he's believed to have written and posted a 180-page statement proudly labeling himself a white supremacist and outlining the attack.
The Buffalo Police commissioner says he even live-streamed the horrific attack that has scarred this community still grieving over the lives of 10 of their own, gunned down in a matter of minutes.
Ruth Whitfield was 86-years-old and on her way back from visiting her husband in his nursing home when she stopped for groceries. Her son called and called. No one ever answered. JIMENEZ: You're looking for her. You find out. You go home. What's going through your head?
GARNELL WHITFIELD JR., SON OF RUTH WHITFIELD: I'm angry and hurt. She was a beautiful person. We're still -- we're still in the midst of this thing.
One of the things that we as a family wanted to ensure is that we call it what it is. It is white supremacy. It is hate. It is racism. It is bigotry.
[04:05:00]
And we got to call it what it is and stop beating around the bush, and take it head on, because it's proliferating. It's not getting better.
JIMENEZ: Now Buffalo's police chief says this suspect had basically been doing recon leading up to the shooting as recently as Friday but as early as months ago back in March. Now over the weekend, he pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. But no word yet on whether he will face any federal charges. Meanwhile, President Biden is expected to visit Tuesday here to meet with the families of victims.
Omar Jimenez, CNN, Buffalo, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: As Omar just reported, the attack in Buffalo was live streamed online. The district attorney says that video will be a powerful piece of evidence in this case, but social media platforms have struggles to stop its spread online even though the video streaming service, Twitch, took it down just minutes after the violence began. CNN's Donie O'Sullivan explains.
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DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Twitch took the video down within a couple of minutes after the violence started, but they didn't take it done quick enough. People had downloaded the video. They had copied it. They had reposted it elsewhere online. Over the past 48 hour, we have seen many copies of that video circulating across the internet, across social media, viewed some news outlets are estimating millions of times. The major platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have banned the circulation of this video. They are working hard to get it off their platforms, to keep it off their platforms but it's a big, big challenge. Because there is a very sustained group of people, individuals who keep posting versions of this video online.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: CNN's Donie O'Sullivan.
Now investigators have identified the gunman who had fired added Taiwanese church service in Southern California on Sunday. 68-year-old David Chuo is a U.S. citizen born in China, they believe the shooting was politically motivated and Chou was upset over the tensions between China and Taiwan. He's not thought to have any connection to the church or its members. Chou wounded five and killed 52-year-old Dr. John Cheng. Authorities say Cheng charged at the shooter giving others times to help subdue him. They say Cheng's heroic actions helped save lives.
Now it's primary day in America, the biggest one so far this year in fact. Polls will open across five states in just a few hours from Oregon to Kentucky to Idaho, along with the swing states of North Carolina and Pennsylvania. These primaries also represent a key test of former U.S. President Donald Trump's lingering influence and grip on the Republican Party. The country will be closely watching to see if the candidates he backs win their races. One of the most contentious contests is the Pennsylvania Republican Senate race which has been rocked by some last minute twists. Analysts say they have no idea which way it will go in and the Democratic Senate race also thrown a curve ball as Jeff Zeleny explains.
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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A chaotic close to the Pennsylvania Senate primary. The leading Democratic candidate, John Fetterman, will spend Election Day in a hospital, recovering from a stroke he suffered late last week that his campaign did not reveal until Sunday in this video with his wife by his side.
GISELE BARRETO FETTERMAN, WIFE OF LT. GOV. FETTERMAN: We hit a little bump in the campaign trial.
LT. GOV. JOHN FETTERMAN (D), PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE: Yes, it was on Friday. I just wasn't feeling very well, so I decided, you know, I need to get checked out.
BARRETO FETTERMAN: I made you get checked out.
LT. GOV. FETTERMAN: Yes.
ZELENY (voice-over): On the eve of the primary in one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races, far more drama and uncertainty on the Republican side where it's a three-way fight to the finish.
A late grassroots surge from Kathy Barnette is threatening to upend a vicious months-long battle between TV celebrity, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and David McCormick, a former hedge fund executive and Army veteran. All three are trying to win over undecided voters.
KATHY BARNETTE (R), PENNSYLVANIA SENATE CANDIDATE: I earnestly believed 13 months ago that if Pennsylvanians knew they had a better option you would have the good sense to take it.
ZELENY (voice-over): Donald Trump hangs heavy over the race, where his endorsement of Oz has outraged many hardcore members of the MAGA movement, who are turning to Barnette. Her candidacy caught fire with a compelling personal story and repeated false claims the 2020 election was stolen.
BARNETTE: I don't think we have any more room to just pick a warm body with a "R" next to their name and call that a win for us.
ZELENY (voice-over): In a radio interview today, Barnette would not commit to supporting the GOP nominee if she doesn't win.
ZELENY: Do you believe that's dangerous for the party given how important this seat is?
DAVID MCCORMICK, PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, listen, I think the stakes are so high, I think we as Republicans have to win this seat. And so, I believe I'm going to win this primary, but if I weren't to win, then I would support whoever the candidate was that was selected by the voters.
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ZELENY (voice-over): Republicans are not deciding whether to choose a candidate in Trump's mold, that's been settled, but rather, how Trumpian they hope their next senator will be.
DR. MEHMET OZ, PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE: The 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, is actually going to call in.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's a loyal MAGA person. And again, I've known him for a long time and he'll be your next senator. He's going to win it all.
ZELENY (voice-over): Oz has struggled to close the sale with conservatives like Rick Hohenshilt.
RICH HOHENSHILT, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: Donald Trump is not Jesus. He's capable of making a mistake. The stuff I've seen about Oz, he doesn't come across to me as a conservative.
ZELENY: Even President Trump's endorsement is not enough to sway you?
HOHENSHILT: No, it's not.
ZELENY: And at the final campaign rally of this primary season, Dr. Oz is making the case one voter at a time, that he is a conservative candidate, that is one of the hurdles he is trying to cross. Former president Donald Trump called into this rally trying to make that case as well. His prestige also on the line. This is one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. Democrats believe that they can use this as a pickup opportunity to fill the seat of retired Republican Senator Pat Toomey. The voting is Tuesday, but all eyes will still be on Pennsylvania come November.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: These primaries are especially crucial for Democrats who have reason to worry ahead the November midterm elections. CNN Senior political analyst Ron Brownstein explains why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, I think the issue isn't really so much who Donald Trump endorses but who endorses Donald Trump. I mean, all of the Republican candidates in the Senate race in Pennsylvania are basically fighting over who is the "Trumpiest" and we see this in Ohio -- basically we saw this in Ohio, I think, you know, in North Carolina. The big story I think is that with or without Trump's personal and premature, Trumpism is consolidating its hold over the Republican Party and the question will be as in 2010 and 2012, whether that produces nominees in some states that allows Democrats to overcome what is overall a very tough environment for them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: The polls open in just a few hours on America's east coast. CNN will be covering the primary races throughout the day and the night, so keep it here.
We're also tracking several major developments out of Ukraine this hour. Authorities say that there have been casualties from Russian missile strikes on areas north of Kyiv. And there are reports that Russian troops have tried to cross the border with heavy fighting in Sumy east of the capital. Missile attacks are also reported in the Lviv region to the west. Meanwhile, Ukraine says combat operations in Mariupol are fulfilled for troops hold up at the Azovstal steel plant. More evacuations began on Monday allowing more than 260 people to leave. Many of the evacuees are wounded and are being taken through areas controlled by Russian troops. The Ukrainian official says that they will be brought home as part of an exchange but ask that some Ukrainian forces remain at the plant. Commander of Azov Regiment defending the steelwork had this message earlier on.
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LT. COL. DENYS PROKOPENKO, AZOV REGIMENT (through translator): This plan should evenly balance the task at hand with the preservation of life and health of personnel. Perhaps that's why war is call an art and not a science. And the task here is to preserve the maximum amount of personnel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Russia's war is driving an historic change for European security. Meanwhile, this morning Sweden's foreign minister officially signed the country's application to join NATO. Neighboring Finland is expected do the same after the Finnish Parliament votes on the issue later today. For both countries, it's an about-face after decades of military nonalignment and it marks a major expansion of the NATO alliance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that expansion wouldn't be an immediate threat but he warned that moving weapons on to Finnish or Swedish territory would provoke a response.
Meanwhile, Turkey says that it might oppose the bids, accusing Finland and Sweden of housing terrorist groups. That could be a major stumbling block since all 30 NATO member states must agree on approving new members. For the latest, we've got CNN's Suzanne Malveaux live for us in Lviv, Ukraine. Nina dos Santos is in Stockholm, Sweden for us. Suzanne, first of all these latest movements from the ground coming scarily close to where you are.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, yes, it's a potentially devastating night for the Ukrainians as we saw really missile strikes throughout the country in various places. You of course mentioned here in Lviv, that happened just slightly after midnight local time here. We heard those air raid sirens that went off about 20 minutes afterwards is when we started to hear those explosions as people headed to the bunkers and to their basements. The all-call happening about 1:15 local time here.
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The target was a railway infrastructure. It was about nine miles away from the Polish border. So very rare that you would have something here take place and quite frightening for a lot of the Ukrainian people who have kind of gotten used to those air sirens going off without an incident.
And also, Max, you take a look just north of Kyiv, that is where the authorities there say that they are facing heavy casualties and wounded that they do believe that people have lost their lives because of the missile strikes that happened overnight in a place called Desna, that is a village just about 40 miles from the border of Belarus.
And also, in the Sumy region. That is where they also reported so missile attacks and strikes hitting some civilian targets with fires and infrastructure and unknown just whether or not they are wounded there. And so, there are a lot of people, Max, this morning who are waking up and trying to figure out where do they need help, where do they need to go as the Ukrainian people look across the country as these attacks. Military analysts saying that the Russian soldiers are trying to engage the Ukrainian forces, distract them, if you will, in all these different regions to take them away from the east. That is where the Russians really want to make some progress Max--.
FOSTER: And what is your understanding of the state of play in Mariupol? Because it appears the bigger fight has ended but you've got all of these soldiers effectively that have evacuated but they have gone into Russian territory?
MALVEAUX: That's right. And that's really worrisome to a lot of the families there. What's going to happen to the fate of their loved ones. But this is potentially a very significant breakthrough here. Potentially indicating the future fall of Mariupol, if you will, that the forces there are saying that they're finished, wrapped up their combat mission there. The Russians describing it really as more of a negotiation.
But we heard from President Zelenskyy as these poor trapped militia -- the soldiers who are trapped inside of that steel mill inside and finally escaped sending them to the hospital. He really described it as these are folks that are heroes and something that was necessary to be done. Take a listen.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I want to emphasize, Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive. This is our principal. I think that every adequate person will understand these words. The operation to rescue the defenders of Mariupol was started by our military and intelligence officers. To bring the boys home, the work continues. And this work needs delicacy and time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And, Max, it's microphone significant because you know that Mariupol is really a very powerful symbol of Ukrainian resistance against the Russians. And therefore, a lot of people looking to see not only just what kind of military advances the Russians are making there. But also, the symbolic meaning behind this and whether or not this in fact squashes the spirit of some of those who realize that perhaps that fight is over.
FOSTER: Suzanne in Lviv, thank you for bringing us up-to-date with the situation on the ground. We're going to go to Nina now. She's in Stockholm because this is the wider global impact that we're seeing playing out. Finland and Sweden going ahead with the application to NATO.
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. And that'll double NATO's borders with Russia. This is a huge move for these two very neutral countries that prided themselves on decades of military nonalignment. It's an about-turn in particular, a dramatic for the ruling party here in Sweden that had opposed accession to NATO. A key policy for the last 73 years up until just the start of March. Saying essentially that the war in Ukraine and Russia's decision to invade that country that isn't a NATO member changed everything from their perspective.
So now what we've seen, is Ann Linde, the Foreign Minister of Sweden signing the NATO paperwork. She said just briefly to television crews who were present that she felt that it was a very big serious and symbolic moment for her country.
Finland will be having a vote. It's had a marathon debate in Parliament yesterday evening and continues today. It'll have a vote later on today. But in the meantime, the president of Finland is here and he's going to be addressing the Swedish Parliament about this joint NATO bid in about a couple hours' time.
And Magdalena Andersson, the Prime Minister of Sweden, made it clear yesterday evening in a joint press conference in tandem with the leader of the opposition as that sort of joint show of strength if you like. That, well, neutrality may have served Sweden well over the last couple hundred years, but that was no longer going to be the case in the face of Russian aggression in this part of the world. And she also said that they're ready for some retaliation here. Have a listen. [04:20:00]
MAGDALENA ANDERSSON, SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Sweden will be very exposed during the time our application is being handled. Russia has said that it will undertake counter measures if we join NATO. We can't rule out that Sweden will be the subject of disinformation and the attempts at scaring and dividing us. But it is also clear that Sweden does not stand alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOS SANTOS: Well, Sweden will have to -- Sweden has already signed its paperwork. Finland will sign its paperwork probably today or tomorrow. But what they have to do is convince all of the 30 member states of NATO to countersign the proposal and admit them into the club and there is one is holding out. That is Turkey. We've heard Turkish president over the last few days say that he is expressing concerns about Sweden and Finland joining NATO. He has issues with the fact that Sweden has taken in a number of members of the Kurdish community. Members that he believes are terrorists, and he wants to hold out for some kind of concession it appears before agreeing to allow these two countries into NATO. But they appear to have the backing of other NATO members not least some of the most powerful like the United States. And you can imagine that the wheels of diplomacy will continue to pace over the next few days -- Max.
OK, back with you on the updates on Finland, as well later today. And Nina, thank you.
Coming up on the show, a CNN exclusive. The U.S. calls him a specially designated global terrorist with blood on his hands and a $10 million bounty on his head. And he's never spoken with a Western journalist or shown your face in a TV interview until now.
Plus, this --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this region the SVU says it captures one or two agents run by Russia every day. And today's suspect is being watched.
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FOSTER: CNN is there as Ukrainian agents go after alleged Russian spies in eastern Ukraine. An exclusive report coming up.
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FOSTER: Now to a CNN exclusive. Afghanistan's acting interior minister is the deputy leader of the Taliban and he has $10 million bounty on his head. The U.S. says he has orchestrated some of the deadliest attacks on American and coalition forces during the war. He's never spoken on camera with a Western journalist until now. CNN's Christiane Amanpour asked him whether he considers America the enemy of the Afghan government.
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SIRAJUDDIN HAQQANI, AFGHAN ACTING INTERIOR MINISTER (through translator): In the future we would like to have good relations with the United States and international community based on rules and principles that exist in the rest of the world. And based on their arrangement, we have made commitment with them and currently we do not look at them as enemies.
But based on their conduct, the Afghans have reservations about their intentions. From our side, the freedom of the country and struggling for the country's defense is a legitimate right in accordance with the international rules. Currently we do not look at them as enemies. And we have time and again spoken about diplomacy. We are committed to the Doha Agreement. Like the rest of the world, we want relations with them.
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FOSTER: You can find the rest of that exclusive interview on CNN.com and you can watch part two later today on Amanpour. Christiane will be reporting live from Kabul. Tune in at 1:00 p.m. in New York, that's 6:00 p.m. here in London only on CNN.
U.S. President Joe Biden is sending American troops back to Somalia to counter the terror group Al-Shabaab. The order reverses the decision by his predecessor Donald Trump, who withdrew all U.S. troops from the country in May 2020. A senior U.S. official tells CNN less than 500 troops will be deployed in consultant with the Somali government. CNN's David McKenzie joins me now from Johannesburg. A change in American policy at least. What brought all that about, do you think -- David?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, I think that it's returning to a realization that you need to have from the point of view of the U.S. government that special operation forces on the ground to combat this al-Qaeda-linked militant group which has seen gains in recent months. A U.S. senior administration official saying the decision by President Trump to withdraw those forces was, quote, irrational.
Now what they've had to do over the last several years has been to cycle in and out of the country for training and advising operations which the Pentagon says puts them potentially in harm's way. There is a -- they are reiterating though, which is interesting, that they aren't going to be involved in direct attacking they say of Al- Shabaab. Take a listen.
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JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: Our forces are not now nor will they be directly engaged in combat operations. The purpose here is to enable a more effective fight against Al-Shabaab by local forces and Al-Shabaab has increased in their strength and poses a heightened threat. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: And that strength has been shown in recent months with an attack, severe attack, on an African Union force in early May -- Max.
FOSTER: There has just been a presidential election. Hasn't there? It feels like some that this is quite a coincidence that American support comes in after that transfer of power.
MCKENZIE: Well, certainly the public recognition of this has come in after the transfer of power. It's hard to say whether it is directly linked. But we do know there was significant criticism, Max, of the outgoing president of the in-fighting and the long delayed election and how many felt that that was giving an opening to Al-Shabaab and other militant actors in the country to foment instability.
There was a feeling that much of the focus of the government was in that politicking and not securing zones. We're still far away from where we were pre-2011 when Al-Shabaab controlled large sections of the capital in fact. They were pushed out. But there is a fear that these gains need to be consolidated before a slip further into insecurity -- Max.
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