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NRA Kicks Off Gun Convention in Houston Despite Massacre; Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX) Discusses NRA Gun Convention in Wake of Massacre & Bipartisan Group of Senator Meeting to Discuss Possible Gun Reform; City of Uvalde Shares Names & Photos of All 21 Victims; Survivors of Uvalde Shooting Express Fear of Returning to School. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 27, 2022 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:32:54]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Just three days after 19 elementary school students and two teachers were fatally shot in Uvalde, Texas, the NRA kicked off its annual meeting in that same state, in Houston.

Former President Trump is scheduled to speak. So is Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Texas Governor Greg Abbott was scheduled to give a speech, but he says he will instead provide a video message while he visits Uvalde.

CNN chief national affairs correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, joins us now from that convention center.

Jeff, Governor Abbott is not the only person to bow out in the wake of the school shooting. Who else is canceling?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, he's not. Congressman Dan Crenshaw is not going to be speaking.

As well as some entertainers. Lee Greenwood, whose song, "God Bless the USA," is played at every Trump rally and has been for years, he will not be speaking this week and will not be performing here this weekend.

As well as Larry Gatlin will not be. Gatlin said it's not an appropriate time to be celebrating.

But that is what's happening here. It's a celebration of the Second Amendment.

I can tell you it is a tale of two Americans in the bitter divide over guns.

We are about 300 miles or so, even less than that, from Uvalde here in Houston. And inside this convention hall where I am, people are simply going about their business, looking at guns, looking at weaponry of all kinds. This is largely an exposition hall, a place where manufacturers come

and sell their wares and people come and buy things.

But outside this convention hall, where I was just a few minutes ago, several thousand protesters are gathering, mothers and daughters and sons, and people of all ages. And you can see these pictures right now.

And it is really striking just the closeness in proximity, but the vast gulf in the differences on guns in America.

Talking to some protesters, they simply do not understand, A, why the NRA is holding its convention but, beyond that, why politicians in Washington have done nothing on this issue for year after year.

But inside the convention hall, there's no discussion virtually of what happened in Uvalde. When you talk to people, of course, they are sympathetic, but they believe guns are not the issue.

[14:35:03]

So we are going to hear from former President Donald Trump. He'll be speaking in a couple hours or so. Texas Senator Ted Cruz also will be addressing the NRA.

But one manufacturer that's not here is Daniel Defense, the company that manufactured the gun that was used in the Uvalde shooting.

They had a big display set up. Now, in place of that display, is a popcorn stand, a baked potato stand and some tables and chairs. That is noticeably absent in this large exhibition hall right behind me here.

But again, I can tell you, this bookend conversation between protesters outside and Second Amendment rights supporters inside, certainly no agreement. It is a metaphor for the divide in Washington as well -- Victor and Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Jeff Zeleny, thank you for the reporting.

BLACKWELL: Joining us is Congressman Marc Veasey. He's a Democrat who represents parts of Dallas and Fort Worth. He's calling on the NRA to cancel the convention this weekend.

Congressman, thank you for being with me.

Let me read a line of the statement from the NRA earlier this week in which they say that at their convention they "will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, and pledge to redouble their commitments to making our schools secure."

I see you shaking your head. Put that into words for me, please.

REP. MARC VEASEY (D-TX): Victor, I've got to tell you, I think that is a shame. And it shows you what type of organization the NRA is, that they would actually still show their face in Texas when they are part to blame for what happened in Uvalde.

The NRA, any time they get a chance, they go against gun legislation, gun safety legislation, even when it's reasonable and supported by 90 percent of the public.

Something that your reporter didn't say about Larry Gatlin, one of the reasons why Larry Gatlin is not going to the convention is because he supports background checks.

That's something, again, that 90 percent of the public supports, and the NRA continues to try and squash it. And we can't even get a vote on it in the Senate.

It's ridiculous. It makes the organization not reasonable.

And it makes -- quite frankly, the Republican leaders that endorse this sort of madness, it makes them responsible for the massacres that we've seen in Uvalde, Buffalo, going all the way back to Sandy Hook and beyond.

Because they keep rubber-stamping everything the NRA says, and it has absolutely got to stop.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about these bipartisan stalks. You discussed the Senate not making moves on legislation passed by the House.

We've learned that Mitch McConnell has given his blessing to John Cornyn, Texas senior Senator, to continue talks with Chris Murphy, of Connecticut, about potentially coming together on some legislation that can move forward.

Do you know anything about those bipartisan talks? Again, this is over in the Senate. And your degree of confidence that this time will be different, that something can get done?

VEASEY: Every time we think that something different is going to happen, nothing happens.

I can remember my freshman year in Congress in 2013 and we thought, with all the children that were killed in Sandy Hook, that that one was going to be different, and absolutely nothing happened. And so we need more than talk and more than a nod.

I actually think that Mitch McConnell, by him not being more definitive and coming out and saying, yes, we're prepared to move on the bills that the House has already passed, that he's hoping that time will just pass and nothing will get done.

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BLACKWELL: So you think this is a stall tactic?

VEASEY: Right, absolutely, a stall tactic. That's why I'm not confident. And we need more than words from Mitch McConnell. We need for him to say it is far past time that we pass a bill that 90 percent of the public supports. Otherwise, what's you're doing is endorsing basically the idea that

terrorists, that criminals, that sociopaths can walk into a gun store, walk into a gun show and buy a weapon and you're going to do absolutely nothing about it. It's crazy.

And the fact that these people want gavels next year is absolutely scary, because we can see that, when it comes to protecting the American public, that they would rather allow for criminals to still be able to get guns.

And we absolutely have to get something done this time. And I'm absolutely worried that Mitch McConnell is doing nothing but asking for a stall tactic.

BLACKWELL: All right, Texas Congressman Marc Veasey, thank you very much.

CAMEROTA: "I realized all the people I knew were dead." That's just one of the harrowing quotes we're hearing from the child survivors of the Texas school shooting. Their stories next.

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CAMEROTA: The city of Uvalde posted photos on its Web site of all 21 people killed in Tuesday's rampage.

Among them, Maite Rodriguez, a 10-year-old who already knew where she wanted to go to college. Her mother wrote on Facebook that she aspired to attend Texas A&M and become a marine biologist.

She wrote that Maite was sweet, loving, funny, silly, and taught herself to sew by watching YouTube videos.

BLACKWELL: Rojello Torres, he was also just 10 years old, Rojello. Family members told CNN affiliate, KSAT (ph), that they are devastated and heartbroken. His aunt added that Rojello was a very intelligent and helpful person.

CNN's Rosa Flores joins us from Uvalde.

Rosa, you've learned about other children who were all supposed to start their summer vacation today.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Victor and Alisyn, I just can't stop thinking about these children, especially after the press conference today.

Because we heard from these children that they received active shooter training. And it sounds like the children did what they were trained to do. They called the police.

But from what we've learned from Texas DPS, it was the police that didn't do what they were trained to do, which was go into this school and stop the threat. Now there's 21 people who have died, 19 of them children. We are

learning their names. We are learning their stories.

Here are three more.

11-year-old Miranda Mathis. She is described as a bright little girl, spunky and fun. Her best friend, she said, was her brother.

10-year-old Alithia Ramirez. She loved to draw. She was an artist. She was very talented. She was described as being very sweet.

And 11-year-old Layla Salazar. She loved to have fun and dance and film TikTok videos.

[14:45:05]

In fact, one of her last TikTok videos was on Mother's Day. But not just for her mother, for all mothers.

Take a listen.

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LAYLA SALAZAR, VICTIM IN SCHOOL SHOOTING: Hey, guys. Today is Mother's Day, OK. And if you haven't said happy Mother's Day to your mom, what are you doing? Go say it right now.

And I just wanted to wish all the moms out there, happy Mother's Day, even though you're not my mom. And I also want to say I hope all the moms out there have an awesome and blessed day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Her family is shattered, to say the least.

I was at the town square where now 21 crosses memorialize the victims when her grandmother was there to write a message on her granddaughter's cross.

And here's what she wrote, Victor and Alisyn. She wrote, quote, "I will always love you, my beautiful granddaughter" -- Victor, Alisyn?

BLACKWELL: Rosa Flores, there for us in Uvalde with more of the stories of these 21 victims. Thank you.

Students from Robb Elementary are dealing with unimaginable trauma. But how do they heal? How does the community move forward, especially when we're hearing things like this?

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UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Because I don't want anything to do with another shooting and me in the school.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you scared it might happen again?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Uh-huh. And I know it might happen again.

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EDWARD TIMOTHY SILVA, SURVIVED UVALDE SCHOOL SHOOTING: Yes, I was praying, thinking, why is this happening. I was praying in my head, though. I was saying, God, why is this happening.

I was sleeping with my mom and dad again because I was a little scared. I have the fear of guns now because I'm scared someone might shoot me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: That was 8-year-old Edward Timothy Silva, 2nd grader at Robb Elementary who survived Tuesday's mass shooting. He was in a classroom near the shooting, and he knew something was wrong when his teacher suddenly told the class to pray.

CAMEROTA: How will these children and families ever manage all of this grief and trauma?

Joining us now is Jeff Gardere. He's a clinical psychologist & professor of behavioral medicine at Touro College of Osteopath Medicine.

Jeff, always good to see you.

Where would you begin to treat the level of trauma that these kids have?

JEFF GARDERE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND PROFESSOR OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE, TOURO COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATH MEDICINE: Well, the very first thing is to make sure that they feel now as safe as possible.

So making sure that parents and, you know, community members, leaders, whomever may be their lives are giving them hugs, giving them love and reassuring them as much as possible.

And as well giving them the space in their time, Alisyn, to talk about this horrific tragedy that took place. And over time, they'll be able to express more and more of that pain, of that horror that they've experienced.

BLACKWELL: Jeff, after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, the building, the school was demolished. They didn't send any students back into that building likely because it would have been traumatizing to go back into that space.

This school year is over. Should 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds go back into Robb Elementary? GARDERE: I think at this point, as I said to Alisyn, Victor, this is a

time for them to feel safe. So to go back, in my opinion, to go back to that space so soon might work against their mental health.

Obviously, they are in acute trauma psychologically that will turn into a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

And therefore, it would be up to their parents, to their pediatricians, to the psychologists and social workers, clergy, spiritual people who are there to determine what would be the best course of action as to whether or not they should be going to that place.

But right now, I would think the very first thing, the very first day is for them to feel completely comfortable in a safe place. And that safe place in their minds certainly would not be that school right now.

CAMEROTA: Jeff, one of our producers, Nora, was able to sit down and talk to one of the 11-year-old survivors who watched her friends and teachers get killed.

She had to play dead for a long time. I mean, we now know they were in that classroom for an hour, waiting for police to come. And Nora said that when her own phone alarm went off, the girl startled. Obviously, her startle response is so acute right now.

How will this trauma manifest itself in these kids' lives over the next years?

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GARDERE: And it is years that we're talking about, and many years. Of course, the anxiety, the depression, the fear, the startled response, the hyperarousal, the nightmares, the eating and sleeping disorders, all will be part of that.

Being able to trust, being in a space where they feel safe, that will be a major issue.

And so I think, more than anything else, these children will need counseling for years and years to come. The families will need that, too.

And one of the things that we talked about is that when you lose a child in something like this, you don't come back from that. That changes your whole DNA.

And therefore, you have to find a new reason for existence, for living, for changing one's life from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to post-traumatic growth.

Going from being a victim to being a survivor, to actually being, now in this case, a victor and changing the world.

CAMEROTA: I mean, the devastation, the circles, you know, the ripple effect of the devastation, and these are the survivors that we're talking about and what they have to deal with.

Jeff Gardere, thank you very much. Always good to talk to you.

BLACKWELL: Well, there was this stunning admission from a top Texas official who says it was the wrong decision for officers not to breach the classroom doors during the shooting at Robb Elementary School. We'll have much more on what we're learning, next.

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