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Biden Awards Highest Civilian Honor to 17 Americans; Uncle Says Gunman Who Killed 7 Showed "No Aggression" Toward Him; Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback (D-IL) Discusses About the Firearms Restraining Order Law. Aired 3-3:30p ET
Aired July 07, 2022 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, Fred Gray represented her in front of the courtroom just as he did for Martin Luther King Jr. and countless marchers for justice.
Risking his own safety, he helped secure voting rights, desegregate schools and win other battles for the soul of our nation. A patriarch of a family and a movement, Fred Gray is a lawyer by trade and a preacher at heart who follows the command to hate evil, love good and establish justice and negate.
Laurene Powell Jobs accepting on behalf of Steve Jobs. Few people in history embody the American spirit of innovation like Steve Jobs. The adopted son of high school educated parents, he redeemed soda bottles to pay for his meals after dropping out of college. At every turn of life he dared to think different. As the co-founder of Apple, he created one of the most important companies in history, bringing computing into homes and phones and revolutionizing our way of life. A true visionary, a beloved husband and father, Steve Jobs embodied that most American questions: "What's next?"
Alexander Karloutsos, Protopresbyter of the Economical Patriarch that the former Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Father Alexander Karloutsos, is a humble servant of God and the embodiment of the ancient idea that binds to great nations, democracy. Through more than 50 years of service with moral clarity, love of family and pride in the Greek American community, the man known simply as Father Alex to presidents and parishioners alike inspires us to believe in the power of 'we the people'.
Khizr M. Khan. A son of farmers in Pakistan, Khizr Khan studied law inspired by the U.S. Constitution. He met and married a college classmate, Ghazala, and together they immigrated to America. A brilliant lawyer, he watched their three sons follow their American dreams, including their middle son, Army Captain Humayun Khan who enlisted during the - during college and paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq. The father of a Gold Star Muslim family, Khizr Khan turned pain into purpose to become our foremost defender of the ideals of our Constitution and the embodiment of its highest ideals.
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Sandra Baeza Lindsay (ph). An immigrant from Jamaica, Sandra Lindsay is a nurse in Queens, New York and the first American to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of clinical trials. At the height of the pandemic, she directed a team of nurses as they work tirelessly to save patients while risking their own lives. When the COVID-19 vaccine became available, she was a ray of light in our nation's dark hour and continues to champion vaccinations and mental health for health care workers. She represents the best of America.
Cindy McCain accepting on behalf of John S. McCain III. John McCain was a giant among Americans from a family of patriots, a genuine hero who endured unspeakable torture as a prisoner in the war in Vietnam. A true public servant elected twice to the U.S. House of Representatives and six times to the U.S. Senate for the people of Arizona and nominated for the presidency by the Republican Party. Respected around the world, he was an eternal optimist who believe in consensus, character and putting country first, his legacy continues to challenge us to cherish integrity and serve with courage and conviction.
Diane J. Nash. A fearless leader of the Freedom Rides and Nashville sit-in movements, Diane Nash was a fierce light in darkness. She did more than dream a better America. She helped build one. As a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, she's led some of the most important 20th century civil rights campaigns that inspire activism around the world to this day. For her strategic savvy and absolute courage, Americas - Americans owe a debt of gratitude to Diane Nash for helping forge a path toward a more perfect union.
Megan Rapinoe. World Cup champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, named the world's best women's soccer player, Megan Rapinoe is one of America's great athletes. Known for her creative play and leadership, she also leads with a fierce will off the field. A champion protecting the rights of fellow LGBTQI Plus Americans. A leader on the U.S. Women's national team, perhaps the most dominant of any team in any sport in their successful fight for equal pay. Megan Rapinoe challenges and inspires millions of people who believe in themselves and the possibilities of our nation.
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Alan K. Simpson. An Army veteran and public servant, Alan Simpson served with conviction and integrity for 18 years as a Republican U.S. senator from his beloved state of Wyoming. Despite increasing polarization, he brought people together with wit and wisdom to make progress and find common ground. Never afraid to stand up for what he felt was right, he worked on pressing issues like campaign finance reform and marriage equality. Alan Simpson exemplifies our national ideas of civil discourse, responsible governance and public service.
Richard Trumka, Jr. accepting on behalf of Richard L. Trumka. The son of a coal miner, Richard Trumka followed his father into the mines to later become the president of the United Mine Workers and president of the AFL-CIO. He never forgot where he came from and always fought for the dignity of working people. He built worker power by speaking truth to power. Knowing that the middle class built America and unions built the middle class. No one did more in the last half century to build unions than Richard Trumka did. A beloved husband, father and grandfather, he was the American worker. Wilma L. Vaught. Retired Air Force Brigadier General Wilma Vaught is
one of the most decorated women in the history of the United States military. Enlisting in the 1950s, over the next 28 years she would serve in Vietnam, Europe and across America continually rising in rank to become the first woman to hold every job she ever had. She was awarded the Legion of Merit Bronze Star and more. In retirement, she spearheaded the nation's first major national memorial honoring the nearly 3 million women who have served in uniform further cementing her place in American history.
Raul Yzaguirre.
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Born to a Mexican-American family in the San Juan Valley, Raul Yzaguirre saw a better world beyond a life in segregated South Texas. After serving in the Air Force, he became one of our nation's preeminent civil rights leaders as president of the National Council for La Raza. Over 30 years he has forged immeasurable progress on voting rights, education and more to deliver the promise of America to millions of Latino Americans. In service to our nation he has helped ensure that America remains a land of possibilities.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is America. Folks, this concludes this event, but we have reception. Hope you stay to enjoy it. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats as the President, Vice President, the Second Gentleman and medalists depart the East Room, thank you.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Okay. You've been watching there the ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom awards at the White House. It was awarded to 17 Americans, the nation's highest civilian honor. You just saw everyone get their medals there from Simone Biles to Sister Simone Campbell, Gabby Giffords. You saw Steve Jobs get it posthumously as well as Sen. John McCain, Khizr Khan, many others.
Actor Denzel Washington was supposed to be there to receive his award, but we understand that he has just tested positive for COVID, so he had to skip it. And President Biden said that these Americans demonstrate the power of possibility and embody the soul of the nation: hard work, perseverance and faith.
All right. Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM, everyone. I'm Alisyn Camerota.
And we are now hearing from the father of the gunman who police say opened fire on that Highland Park parade killing seven people. Robert Crimo, Jr. told the New York Post that he's furious over his son's actions, saying, "I want a long sentence. That's life. You know you have consequences for actions. He made a choice. He didn't have to do that. I think there's mental illness there, obviously, I didn't see a lot of it."
CNN's Josh Campbell is in Highland Park for us. So Josh, I think we have one of the guns that police took from the shooter's car. Here's the video of it. This is when he was arrested. What did the father think his son was doing with all these weapons that he was buying?
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, that is the big question and seemingly every new piece of information we learned about the shooter who came here to this holiday parade murdering allegedly seven people is warning sign after warning sign after warning sign. We've been reporting on this disturbing online presence. We know now based on our reporting that there were a series of police encounters being called to the shooters home him threatening to harm himself and threatening to allegedly harm members of his family.
Yet, we're hearing from members of his family speaking out saying that they noticed nothing. CNN had an interview a short time ago with the suspect's uncle. Take a listen to that sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How was your relationship with him?
PAUL CRIMO, UNCLE OF HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTER, ROBERT CRIMO III: Good. Good. Very good. He showed aggression to me or nothing, ever, ever. There's no indications of nothing that I saw that would lead me to - for all of this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:20:06]
CAMPBELL: And now, obviously, serious questions for the father as well. We know based on our reporting despite those previous police encounters, the father still, according to state police, sponsored a firearms license for his son, including the weapon that was used here in this holiday massacre.
His father speaking out saying that he has no culpability here. He spoke to the New York Post saying, "He," his son, "bought everything on his own, and they're registered to him," the firearms. "They made me like I groomed him to do all this. I've been here my whole life and I'm going to stay, hold my head up high, because I didn't do anything wrong."
So obviously, the father there speaking out saying that he bears no responsibility here. But again, it goes back to this fact pattern that we have been collecting, that investigators have been collecting, either the family was not noticing this or - obviously, a lot of questions here about what they're saying.
Again, you go to those police reports, Alisyn, over the course of the last several years, the police go into that house multiple times, including this one instance, the suspect allegedly attempting suicide using a machete. He was called - the police were called by his family. And then in September of 2019 as well, his family telling police, hey, we need you here. He is saying that he is going to kill every member of the family.
These things don't seem to square where you have those reports. The police call to that house and now after this massacre, members of the family saying we didn't see anything. A lot of questions here. And, of course, the reason we continue to ask that is because this community is demanding answers. But also if you're a parent out there, and you see this, what transpired here, you might have questions as well, what should I be looking out for? We now know, based on our reporting, there were so many warning signs, Alisyn.
CAMEROTA: I mean, Josh, I'm holding the police report in my hand here, it defies everything that the father is saying. He's sighted in it. The police talked to him when they seized all of these weapons when the son was saying he wanted to kill everybody. Josh, thank you for asking all those questions. Thank you for all of your reporting here.
Joining us now is Illinois State Representative Denyse Wang Stoneback. She was the chief sponsor on part of the Illinois Firearms Restraining Order Act which is supposed to keep guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others. Representative, thank you very much for being here.
As you can hear, we're all just looking for answers here. So explain to us how this suspect was allowed to legally purchase two AR-15s and other guns just a few months after he was labeled a clear and present danger by police.
REP. DENYSE WANG STONEBACK (D-IL): Yes. Thank you for that question, Alisyn. Clearly, there were missed opportunities of implementation for our firearms restraining order law here in Illinois. A family members certainly could have raised red flags and brought to the attention of law enforcement that there was a crisis underway. And certainly law enforcement could have pursued a firearms restraining order against this individual and that would have prevented him being able to obtain a FOID card and purchase guns.
CAMEROTA: Okay. So just so I understand it, either families could have flagged it and triggered this red flag law or police could have flagged it and triggered this and neither did. And I mean, I think that there's this kind of circular logic that's happening in this town, which is that the Highland Park Police are saying, well, we called him a clear and present danger and then the Illinois State Police are saying, but we didn't have any application for a gun license for him, so we couldn't do anything with that clear and present danger at the time.
Then three months later, he applies for it. So something's wrong. I mean, that's a loophole. Is there - what can you do to address that and fix that?
STONEBACK: So certainly, law enforcement could have pursued firearms restraining order a lot without him actually having a FOID card or possessing guns as long as he is making threats and he's a danger to the community. They could have pursued it and it would have fallen to a judge, a court of law to make the determination of whether or not the evidence was sufficient to bar him from owning or purchasing guns or obtaining a FOID card.
And certainly, I think part of this whole piece that we know that we must pay attention to is community as well. There were many warning signs on social media on his YouTube channel and so members of the community should all know that anyone can - if they have concerns around someone who is planning, potentially, a gun massacre of this magnitude, can go to law enforcement and ask law enforcement to petition the courts and obtain a firearms restraining order law.
That's what we have red flag laws for. That's what they are intended to be used for and certainly in this case, many people did not step up.
CAMEROTA: And if we rely on the family, it just doesn't seem like it's going to work. I mean, the father - this suspect's father has now spoken a little bit to the media and basically tried to say he didn't see any warning signs.
[15:25:07]
Here he is this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT CRIMO, JR., FATHER OF SUSPECT: I filled out the consent form to allow my son to go through the process. They do background checks. Whatever that entails.
This has taken us by complete surprise. Three days before the Fourth, my wife had asked him, "Hey, do you have any plans for the Fourth?" And he simply said, "No."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: I mean taken them by some - complete surprise. The police were called to that house so many times. The police were called because he was threatening his family. Do you think the father has any legal liability here?
STONEBACK: That's hard to say. I'm sure that that will be looked into in the days and weeks to come. It is really regrettable that parents don't always necessarily do what they need to do to prevent tragedies like this from happening when someone in their family suffers from a crisis or mental illness. I think we saw the same thing happen. The shooter in Sandy Hook, actually, went to the shooting range with his mother and practiced shooting with her and then he ended up committing the massacre that he did.
CAMEROTA: So Representative, what's the answer here? Just that the public needs to be better educated? I mean, how do we stop these kids who are dangerous from getting their hands on guns?
STONEBACK: Well, I think there are multiple things that people can do and certainly local, state and federal officials can do. I passed a bill last year to task the Illinois Department of Public Health to create a public awareness and education campaign around our red flag law, because most people were not aware that they could access this tool and go to law enforcement and ask for a firearms restraining order to be issued. Also, my bill required yearly training to law enforcement. So our law
was relatively new in 2019. It's - it went into effect January of 2019. And so a lot of law enforcement officers were not aware that they had this tool and so they didn't implement or access it. So I think education and awareness is absolutely critical.
This year, we did fund that education awareness campaign at a million dollars. I think also local state and federal officials need to look into assault weapons bans. Certainly that would take the high powered rifles out of the hands of people like this. And it definitely also look at permits to purchase licenses in states that don't have them. Illinois has one, but we absolutely need to strengthen our FOID card system as well.
CAMEROTA: Yes. And there has to be a way to do this before there's a massacre. I mean, we're so open afterwards. We're so reactive. But there has to be a way to figure out how to do this before the next one. Illinois State Representative Denyse Wang Stoneback, thank you very much.
STONEBACK: Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: There's been a seismic shift in British politics. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned. We're live from London.
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