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Police: Shooting Suspect Dead Of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound; Biden Orders White House Flags To Half-Staff In Honor Of California Shooting Victims; FBI Searches Biden's Delaware Home, Finds More Classified Docs; Memorial For Lisa Marie Presley Held Today At Graceland; China Celebrates Lunar New Year With Relaxed COVID Restrictions; Bills Fall To Bengals In First Match-up Since Damar Hamlin's Injury; Crypto Mining Wreaks Havoc On Towns With Noise Pollution. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired January 22, 2023 - 21:00   ET

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

[21:00:00]

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: He got into that van apparently and went to the Alhambra location with the weapon that he used here, and two individuals, two community members, it was revealed at the press conference, were able to wrestle the gun away from him. And then he fleed, and that is how they were able to catch up with him and -- at the Torrance location.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. And then we also heard the sheriff say that the weapon that was recovered from that scene, that they were able to wrestle away from him, was a weapon not legal to have in California. So --

LEMON: It's interesting. We're going to have to --

CHEN: -- we're going to have a lot of questions about.

LEMON: We'll have questions about that, because our reporting is that that they were able to identify him from the weapon, which would lead us to believe that it was a legal weapon, but perhaps it was modified, but we need clarification on that. They're just saying it was not legal in California. It was a -- an assault-style pistol that was recovered from the scene.

And also, there was a handgun inside of the van when they recovered -- when they went into the van and other evidence in Torrance [ph].

CHEN: Right. And also, that we are hearing reports that he went to a hospital seeking treatment at one point, waited in the hospital and actually did not get seen left before he was seen by the medical staff. But that hospital saw the photos that were released by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department this afternoon, and recognize that maybe the person and called a police about that.

And I did see a note that the hospital staff noted that his injuries were consistent with someone who may have just been in a fight.

LEMON: In a fight. CHEN: So that may be the connection to the Alhambra incident.

LEMON: They said, it's important to point out still no motive because they're still interviewing and they don't know. Obviously, the suspect is dead in this. But there -- again, there was a handgun that was recovered inside of the van, as well as the one that was believed to be used in the shooting.

The congresswoman, Judy Chu, says she wants to know what happened, obviously. How did he get this gun? Why was he able -- why was he allowed to have this gun? Did he have any mental illness, any mental health issues? And did he have a history of domestic abuse as well, but they are still trying to figure out what the motive is at this point. They just don't know. And they said to give them some time, because they're still interviewing people, and also going over a number of crime scenes here to try to figure out exactly what happened.

So that is where we are at this moment. They did say at the beginning of the press conference, Pamela, that they believe that this was the last briefing, the last update that they were going to provide this evening because they had so much work to do. So they're still trying to figure it out.

But a grieving community. I know that every person here, every law enforcement person, every politician, every leader is saying feel safe, feel safe. It is hard to do when that they have witnessed such a horrific incident -- such a horrific incident in their community, but that is what they're being told, feel safe in the community. Get out and continue to celebrate, even as they -- even as they grieve here. Pamela

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Yes, it's a -- you know, look, I'm sure there is a sense of relief, but also just a fear of what happened there in Monterey is a reminder that just doing everyday activities, going out to have a fun night, could make you vulnerable to a mass shooting. This is the stark, the sad reminder of that. As police said the part of the investigation about who the suspect is, that is over. The suspect is dead, but a lot of work remains.

Thank you, Don Lemon, Natasha Chen. We'll check back in with you soon.

Let's discuss this a little bit further. We have Juliette Kayyem, Michael Fanone here. I mean, you know, Michael, police praised the community members who jumped into action and disarmed the suspect. They said they were heroes. This could have been a lot worse. What is your reaction to that? I mean, isn't it also dangerous, though, for civilians to confront someone like that, but they probably saved a lot of lives.

MICHAEL FANONE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Absolutely. I mean, they acted in an exceptional manner, considering the circumstances. So they should be praised. That being said, you know, this individual still took 10 lives, potentially more. There's other individuals that are hospitalized as a result of ohis actions that needs to be taken into consideration as well. BROWN: Juliette, what do you make of the fact that this suspect, this -- according to police, 72-year-old Asian male, Huu Can Tran, targeted a private party in Monterey? I mean, he could have gone hours earlier when there was more people. Instead, he targeted this private event.

And then --

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes.

BROWN: -- according to police went to Alhambra. What do you make of that? Does it make you think that this was more targeted? How do we make sense of that?

KAYYEM: Yes. Yes. I mean, look, he has the softest of targets just down -- just literally next to this building, in terms of a parade, which we know did not -- could not have the kind of security, let's say a building would have. You just -- there were 100,000 people. You can't -- you simply can't monitor an event like that perfectly.

[21:05:07]

And he decides this facility -- the facility, though -- I thought what was interesting is it sounds like all the victims were elderly, or at least, you know, in their 60s and 70s. So you're looking at -- so is this -- and he's elderly. This is -- this is rare. We often talk about these mass shootings being these, you know, 18, 19, 20 year olds.

And so what was his connection to that facility and to the people inside? I will say, just on the gun issue, if I could clarify, I know I'm not clarified, but I know there were some questions. There are assault-style pistols. They are -- it has to do with -- it's complicated. It has to do with the high-velocity bullets and the -- and the -- and the magazine, and how pieces of guns are purchased. They are, in some states, illegal. They act like high-velocity rifles, but they are, in fact, pistol. So you're already starting to hear debates about, well, this wasn't a -- you know, this was a pistol it was, but these pistols are essentially high-velocity pistols.

It would explain, for example, in my mind, how did he kill 10 people so quickly -- or shoot 20 people, excuse me, so quickly, when you -- when we heard from the sheriff, that the police were there within three minutes. A handgun can do that. It doesn't often that you're really talking about a high-velocity weapon.

BROWN: Yes. And there's still a lot to learn about the weapon, as Don Lemon pointed out, wasn't modified, wasn't not. We heard the sheriff say he believed the weapon that was recovered is not legal in California. But he said they're still looking into that, but he made the point, though, Michael, that California laws are very strict when it comes to guns. And yet, this still happened, saying the status quo is just unacceptable.

FANONE: Yes. I mean, the reality is that, you know, guns are readily available in the U.S., and as long as firearms are available, you're going to see these types of crimes committed. I mean, that's just a fact. And I think that, you know, we need to come to terms with that and start looking for ways to address that reality.

BROWN: And I want to ask you to follow-up on that reality, because each time there was a mass shooting, there are grieving families, grieving loved ones, and there are law enforcement officers who have to go to the scene and look at the bodies and see the carnage.

And it really touched me when the Monterey police chief there said, look, right after I speak to you, I'm going to go up and talk to my guys, because I'm going to make sure that they're -- had their wellness. That is the priority. Some of them are new to the job relatively new.

As a police officer, how do you process that going to the scene of a mass shooting? I just can't even imagine, Michael.

FANONE: Yes. No, I mean, I remember the first time that I saw a -- an individual that get suffered gunshot wounds, vividly. All the ones after that kind of blurred in. But that being said, I appreciate the fact that the chief brought that up.

I also appreciate the fact that Don brought it up. I think it's important that law enforcement community, as well as the media, remind all of us that it's law enforcement that are the first ones that show up on these scenes. And that those events are traumatizing, and that they take a toll on the officers.

It's an important factor that we address that within the law enforcement community and make sure that these officers have the support that they need, so that they can continue to do the job that we asked them to do day in and day out.

BROWN: That's -- it's critical and times like this, it's important to focus on the sacrifices they make and the recovery that they also have ahead of them. It is also remarkable in light of the fact you have police there at the scene, processing the scene, getting victims, you know, to the hospital, but also you have across L.A. law enforcement on the lookout for this white van because of the communication and coordination structure that was set up there in Los Angeles.

I mean, the fact that this suspect what was caught and killed himself obviously as we know, and what less than 20 hours, it seems pretty quick, Juliette.

KAYYEM: Yes, it is. And we use these terms like intelligence sharing and intelligence collection. And that can seem sort of loose, like, every -- people are phone calling each other and so way it's structured in L.A. is very similar to other metropolitan areas, it's called the Joint Regional Intelligence Center, we call them JRICs. They're sort of entities that cover vast geographic areas because with cars and mobility, people are not going to stay in a small town generally. And it distributes information and shares it.

[21:10:22]

So -- and this this JRIC is huge, Los Angeles County one is huge. I think it covers six counties, 40,000 square miles and about 20 million citizens. So you can just imagine it. So this information is coming in. We're looking for X, Y, and Z. We're looking for a van. We think it's -- he's been identified as an Asian male. That is then being distributed. So that's why you saw the connectivity and information between -- three areas are not that far apart from each other.

But nonetheless, that's why that information was able to be distributed. I have to say, I'm from this area. I'm from Los Angeles, originally. These are areas, you know, on a Sunday, they're about 20, 25 miles apart, whatever.

They're not -- they consider themselves sort of similar communities. You know, there's not like a big border between them. And I -- the idea that he never made it past 20 or 30 miles is part of the investigation. In other words, did he intend on getting shot by police officers at the first -- on Saturday night? We don't know. So that's going to be part of the investigation.

We saw bedding and mattresses in the van. That will also have to be explained. What was his strategy? Because unfortunately, a lot of these killers do have it in terms of the after -- the days after.

BROWN: Yes, I mean, he had a handgun and in the van that he -- I mean, you would think used to kill himself. Although police were -- they were not that specific. But, you know, that he had evidence that police say linked him to both crime scenes, Alhambra and Monterey. What work remains, Michael?

FANONE: Well, I mean, I think at this point now that we know that the suspect, who the police believe is responsible is deceased, they're going to be looking into things like the questions we all have, motivation. With that, you know, you go into time, place, and circumstance of the crimes themselves. You can look at his social media footprint, you know, whether or not there were any communications in which he may have elaborated on his motivation.

But I think, you know, at this point, they're looking to determine his motivation, and also make sure that there were no other individuals potentially involved in committing or abetting in these crimes.

BROWN: And we're just getting some new information. And we have learned, according to three people, that CNN has spoken to, that the gunman had once been a regular patron at that dance hall he attacked, Juliette. What does that mean for the investigation?

KAYYEM: It was -- what the question you had asked me at the beginning is, this is -- this facility, when I heard what the ages were of the victims, that it -- that it's, you know, considered sort of a social hall, that it didn't -- it didn't have the kind of, I would say, reputation, of these sort of, you know, a lively place where kids are dancing or any of these clubs that we've seen these shootings that.

So then -- and given the age of the assailant, who also is elderly, that it -- there had to be a connection. It was just -- it was too coincidental. And so that is what -- that was that connection employment. Is it, as a patron, does he know someone who works there? Does he know someone who was there that night? That's what we'll learn over time.

But it just seemed -- there -- I've been doing this a while. So the ages of both the victims on a Saturday night does not -- is not normally the age of victims on a Saturday night. This seemed like a facility that had a certain kind of clientele of a certain age, as well as the age of the -- of the murderer is -- struck me as being something in which you would have some sort of social ties. And I think that's what we're reporting now. So we'll find out what the exact nature of the relationship is.

BROWN: All right. Juliette Kayyem, Michael Fanone, thank you.

Well, within the past hour, President Biden ordered flags lowered to half-staff. This is a live look at the White House. What President Biden is saying about this tragedy, up next on CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:15:30]

BROWN: Turning back to our breaking news tonight, the deadly shooting in Monterey Park, California that claimed at least 10 lives. President Biden has just ordered flags at the White House lowered to half-staff in honor of the victims. CNN's Arlette Saenz in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where the President and First Lady are spending the weekend.

Arlette, the president has been briefed on the massacre. What else are you learning?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, President Biden is offering his condolences to those impacted by this mass shooting in Monterey Park, California. And he's also acknowledged the impact that this has had on the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community.

As you noted, President Biden, moments ago, just ordered that flags at the White House and other federal government buildings be lowered to half-staff and he is also pledging full federal support for the community.

The president said in a statement this evening, quote, "Jill and I are thinking of those killed and injured in last night's deadly mass shooting in Monterey Park. While there is still much we don't know about the motive in this senseless attack, we do know that many families are grieving tonight. We're praying that their loved one will recover from their wounds. Even as we continue searching for answers about this attack, we know how deeply this attack has impacted the AAPI community. Monterey Park is home to one of the largest AAPI communities in America, many of whom are celebrating the Lunar New Year along with loved ones and friends this weekend."

Now, Congresswoman Judy Chu, in that press conference, said that she has heard from the White House, as well as Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, and President Biden has continued to receive updates throughout the day, and he said he directed his Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall to ensure that the local community has the full federal support they need as this investigation is being conducted.

[21:20:16]

Now, one important thing in that statement from President Biden is that he notes that there is no motive that has been identified to tie to this shooting. That is something that law enforcement officials have been working on throughout the day.

But President Biden this evening trying to make clear in his statements, that they are offering full support to this community searching for answers and grieving these very, very deep losses. Pamela.

BROWN: Yes. The rest of the country is. Arlette Saenz, thank you very much.

And now to the story concerning the president. That was breaking news just 24 hours ago, Justice Department officials uncovered yet another batch of classified material at his personal home in Wilmington, Delaware.

The FBI searched the property for nearly 13 hours Friday and found six additional items marked classified. They dated back to Biden's time both in the Senate and as vice president. CNN's Jessica Schneider joins us now.

So, Jessica, there was no search warrant or subpoena necessary here, because it was done with the consent of the president's attorneys. But how is the White House explaining this?

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, at this point, they're trying to be as transparent as possible, obviously, moving forward here. So the White House is getting this message out that they, in their words, have been fully cooperative in the past few weeks with federal officials.

So the President's personal attorney stressed in a statement that they did provide that prompt access to Biden's Wilmington home. And it's really clear here that Biden's attorneys, they have been communicating with the team for the U.S. attorney who has so far been handling this investigation. That's John Lausch out of Chicago, and he's handling this all before it's handed over to the special counsel that the Attorney General appointed, Robert Hur.

But crucially, Pamela, as you mentioned, this search was not conducted with a search warrant or a subpoena. And that does mark a stark contrast to the search that was conducted in August at Mar-a-Lago. That was undertaken after months of the back and forth with DOJ officials and Trump's team.

That was after a subpoena and then ultimately a search warrant was issued all because Trump and his team were not handing over what turned out to be National Defense Information, classified information. And, of course, that's why possible obstruction has been raised as a possible offense in this case. Then you contrast that with Biden's team approach here. They've been making clear that they've been working with federal authorities on this since November, when some of this classified material was first discovered. That was at the Penn Biden center where President Biden did have that office after his term ended as vice president.

And then notably, in that statement that the president's team issued on January 14th, they said that once attorneys did find classified material at Biden's Wilmington home, around January 11th, they did immediately contact DOJ officials. They stopped any of their own subsequent searches. And that's when the FBI moved in on Friday.

But really to be sure here, the fact that classified material keeps turning up has really complicated things for the White House. It makes clear as well, that this special counsel investigation has only gotten more involved.

And, Pamela, because of that, I think the big question remains tonight, is this the only search that will happen, the one that lasted for 13 hours on Friday or potentially will other locations frequented by President Biden, you know, including his Rehoboth Beach home? Will those be searched? So those are the big questions as we close out the weekend, Pam.

BROWN: They sure are. Jessica Schneider, thank you so much for laying it all out for us.

So let's discuss further, Shan Wu is a former federal prosecutor. And Joshua Skule is a former FBI Executive Assistant Director for Intelligence. So, Joshua, yet, another batch of classified documents. How concerning is this?

JOSHUA SKULE, FORMER FBI EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR INTELLIGENCE: So Pam, I think this is very concerning for a couple of reasons. One, it's a long period of time for which they found classified information stretching back to when President Biden was in the Senate. Two, how long was it unsecured? Three, who had access to it? And fourth, where else is there information?

BROWN: But just to follow up on that, and those are very important questions. And I know investigators are looking at that.

When it comes to the fact that it dated back to his time as a Senate, could it also be possible that it was classified then but it is no longer considered classified information? And how would that factor into the investigation?

SKULE: I think it could be determined that it's no longer classified. That would be up to the DNI and the threat assessment that's ongoing. The damage assessment.

I think what this really shows on both administrations is a cavalier attitude towards classified information and protecting that information, though.

BROWN: And on that note, Shan, you know, the president's attorneys made it clear that they were proactive, that they offered to the FBI, to DOJ to come into the home and to search it, but the reality is, especially given that there's a special counsel investigation, the FBI would be the ones to go in the home and do a search and collect information.

The investigators wouldn't just rely on the attorneys with no security clearance, right? So if that consent hadn't been given or the offer hadn't been given, I mean, the FBI would have either, you know, worked something out or had to get a search warrant, right?

[21:25:25]

SHAN WU, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Or they could have, as you alluded to earlier, gotten the grand jury subpoena for the documents. And sometimes, if I'm defending a client, we actually want the subpoena because it gives a certain amount of process protection for the documents being turned over, rather than just saying, I'm the attorney, I did a search, you know, here's the stuff.

So Biden's attorneys are really doing the right thing, they're being very careful, because you would want the FBI to come in and collect the information and the documents, so that there's no chain of custody issues.

And also, it's really important to point out that these may date back for perhaps decades. You don't know exactly where to look, you don't know who was handling them originally. And in some ways, that really undermines the sort of crisis, urgency nature of it, because no one's been searching for them. No one's been asking for them, but also because you don't know who was around them, who put them there.

You, as the attorneys, don't want to be doing that questioning because there's an act of criminal investigation now. So they're doing exactly the right thing. You want to really try and push this towards the FBI to do for them to question people, to the question of other searches. They probably need to talk to some people first to get an idea of where else you could search because otherwise, you're just looking for a needle in the haystack.

BROWN: And no doubt, Biden's lawyers, Josh, would know -- they know that intent is key here when it comes to legal exposure. How much is the fact that his team offered the FBI to come in and to do the search that the team was proactive from the beginning, from what they had said, in terms of reaching out to DOJ, telling them about the findings, actually, the archives initially, that's who it was reached out to initially, then later DOJ in early November.

How much does that work in Biden's favor as investigators tried to figure out the intent here?

SKULE: I think you can contrast the two investigations, with the former president, there was a subpoena served. And then, of course, there was the information of potential obstruction, which then resulted in a search warrant. With President Biden, there was cooperation, and there's been an ongoing cooperation. So, really, to your point him, it goes to intent. However, there's now the fifth time that there's been classified information who's had access to that information. What was the intent of it? Was it merely a mistake over multiple times? Or did somebody else was the current president using that information when he shouldn't have been?

BROWN: Right. And just for viewers at home, Joshua, you know, you were the head of the Intelligence Division at the FBI. You know, we don't know what was in these documents. But what is your biggest concern? And there's also a lot of discussion about over classification, right, that, oh, you know, documents are often over classified, they shouldn't be top secret, and so forth, and so on. How do you assess it?

SKULE: So there is an ongoing effort and has been for years on the classification system within the government. Our documents over reclassified. And I think folks will look to that and try and determine whether that was the case with these documents, or even the documents that were found at the former president's Mar-a-Lago.

I don't know that that's necessarily germane. The fact that they're -- they are classified, and they are not stored appropriately is really the key here.

And then my concern, what type of sources and methods could have been compromised as a result of this? And that is why they go through the damage assessment.

BROWN: Right. And that's a key question. We were asking that question with Donald Trump. And, obviously, he had a lot more classified information around 300 compared to the approximately 30 that Joe Biden had, but it is a fair question and an important one because of the national security implications.

Joshua Skule, Shan Wu, thank you very much.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday night. How family and friends pay tribute and said goodbye to Lisa Marie Presley, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:30:53]

BROWN: And we continue to follow the breaking news tonight on this Sunday. Just minutes ago, and Southern California police confirmed that the man who killed himself during traffic stops, during the traffic stop is the same man accused of opening fire at a dance hall in Monterey Park. Ten people were killed and another 10 wounded at the Lunar New Year celebration.

Police say the 72-year-old gunman then went to another gathering nearby Alhambra. He was carrying a nine millimeter semi-automatic weapon and two people at the party disarmed him. It was that seized gun that allowed law enforcement to identify the suspect.

Meantime, family, friends and music fans gathered on the front lawn of Graceland today to bid a farewell, a final farewell to Lisa Marie Presley. Graceland, of course, the home of her father, Elvis Presley. The rock and roll legend's only daughter died January 12 at the age of 54 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Lisa Marie was also a singer and songwriter herself and her service included performances from musicians like Alanis Morissette. The Smashing Pumpkin's, Billy Corgan, and Guns and Roses' front man, Axl Rose.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: CNN's Nadia Romero is in Memphis tonight. Nadia?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, people inside the public memorial told me that it was just a beautiful ceremony away for them all to come from all across the country to pay their final respects for Lisa Marie Presley. They were able to get these funeral agendas. One woman told me this is history. She's going to hold on to this forever. On the outside, a portrait of her, inside some facts about Lisa Marie and then the order of events for the public memorial.

Take a look behind me. This is the famed stonewall outside of Graceland. And you can see people came over the past couple of days and weeks to put down these flowers here. You can also see that people wrote their names, messages.

[21:35:04]

And then on the ground here, take a look at this. It's RIP Lisa Marie from a family that came from California and Texas. I mean, that just goes to show the impact of Lisa Marie Presley and the Presley family.

So if you look on the other side of this stonewall, you can still see people who are making their way, leaving the public memorial. People have come in and out all throughout the morning and the afternoon, just to be here, just to be a part of this moment.

And I want you to hear from two women, one from Washington State, one from Colorado. They say they've been friends for so long because Elvis brought them together, and they would not have missed this for the world. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY SANDAHL, CAME FROM DENVER TO ATTEND MEMORIAL: Elvis fans are the best people in the world. They really are. And his daughter has been through so much in her lifetime.

CAROL NORMAN, CAME FROM WASHINGTON TO ATTEND MEMORIAL: The ending of something, and she told us to be happy, so I was happy the whole time I was there. Now, it's just kind of catching up with me what this really is. It's the end of an era. It's very touching. (END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: One woman we spoke with says she came some 60 times to Graceland because Elvis just touched her heart from the time she was a little girl up until now. We spoke with people who drove in from Tampa, 13-hour drive and other couple who said they came in from Cleveland, Ohio.

I mean, all around the country, just to be a part of this moment. Now, we still know, Pamela, that we are waiting for the results of the autopsy. We know that she went to the hospital under cardiac arrest, but that autopsy had been deferred. And people say they want to know exactly what happened to Lisa Marie Presley. But at this moment, they want to celebrate her life. Pamela.

BROWN: All right. Nadia Romero, thank you.

And ahead, we're back live at the scene of the mass shooting in California. A lawmaker who represents Monterey Park and was once the city's mayor, joins us next on what comes next for this community grieving tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:40:48]

BROWN: Well, today should have been a celebration of Monterey Park for the Lunar New Year, instead, the community is grappling with becoming the latest victims of a national crisis of gun violence.

Meantime, China too is wrestling with a crisis China reporting 12,000 COVID-related deaths during the week leading up to the Lunar New Year holiday. This, as restrictions are lifted and millions travel for the nationwide celebration.

CNN's Mark Stewart is in Hong Kong with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Lunar New Year is underway. And despite a mask mandate here in Hong Kong, people are celebrating. Take a look at the iconic Victoria Harbour. People are lined -- anxious to take a picture in front of the different plastic figurines. This is the year of the rabbit. There are families here, there are tourists here, all anxious to take pictures. And in many cases just a few selfies. This is a big shift from last year at this time when much of Asia had a lot of restrictions, even lockdowns. In mainland China, things have opened up. And as such, we have seen busy airports, busy train stations.

During this roughly month long period, it's estimated there may be as many as two billion individual trips out of this broader population of 1.4 billion people. While some health officials are expressing concern, the Chinese government feels that COVID has peaked in many places. As far as the year of the rabbit, it's a symbol of peace and prosperity. A wish that many people here in Hong Kong hope to share with the rest of the world.

Mark Stewart, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Thanks to Mark.

Well, today marks the 50th anniversary of Roe versus Wade. But the milestone falls flat for abortion rights advocates after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision last summer. Here's Vice President Kamala Harris in Florida earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Republicans in Congress are now calling for a nationwide abortion ban. Some even from the moment of conception. The right of every woman in every state in this country to make decisions about her own body is on the line. And I've said it before and I will say it again, how dare they.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Vice President Harris also spoke about last night's mass shooting that claimed 10 lives in her home state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A time of a cultural celebration. And yet another community has been torn apart by senseless gun violence. All of us in this room and in our country understand this violence must stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: A standoff with the gunman in that Monterey Park shooting has ended, and tonight, police say the gunman took his own life. A lawmaker who represents Monterey Park and was once the city's mayor joins us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:45:41]

BROWN: Well, nearly three weeks after his frightening collapse on the field, Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, was back in the stadium today to cheer on his teammates. That's him that you saw there in the golf cart with his parents and brother arriving before kickoff.

It is the first time the Bills and Bengals played each other since Hamlin's collapse.

CNN's Coy Wire is outside the Bills stadium in Buffalo. Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Pamela, this was supposed to be the penultimate game before a rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs from last season's playoffs and a continuation of this Hollywood script of a story tomorrow. Damar Hamlin making his first appearance in front of fans since suffering cardiac arrest on the field when these two teams played each other 20 days ago.

Hamlin in the box with his family during the game, showing heart hands on the Jumbotron, which have become a symbol of spreading love. But when it came to the game, the Bills looked emotionally exhausted, spiritually spent. The psychological rollercoaster over the last few weeks seemingly siphoning their internal tank and that manifested in the physical defense, missing tackles, leaving receivers wide open.

The Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow plowing through the snow, and the Bills offense couldn't get clicking. Josh Allen trying to throw their way into a comeback in the snow just was not happening. Hats off to Cincinnati playing an incredible game winning 27 to 10. Here's Bill's star quarterback, Josh Allen, after their inspiring season came to an end.

JOSH ALLEN, BILLS QUARTERBACK: I'm proud of our guys how we handled situations throughout the year. You know, we could have made a lot of excuses throughout the year on what was going on -- going on, but guys continue to fight. No, we wanted to win this one. We want to win them all. Those guys played better today.

ZAC TAYLOR, BENGALS HEAD COACH: We're built for this. I know it doesn't matter what anybody thinks about us. We don't care whose favorite, who's not. We're built for this and we're excited to go on the road again soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: I saw one young fan, crying his eyes out at the end of the game and he said that, I just love this team so much, and it's no wonder why. Even though the Bengals advanced the face the Chiefs in the AFC title game and the Bill's season is over, they've impacted so many lives this season. Mourning with then rallying for Buffalo after a senseless racist mass shooting took the lives of 10 people over the summer, morning with then instilling hope in this community after a tragic winter storm took the lives of dozens around Christmas time, and then nearly losing their teammate and friend on the field.

[21:50:06]

It's really unfathomable that they'd finished the regular season with a 13 and three record and it's inspirational beyond measure. The Bills and their fans have so much of which they can be proud. Pamela, back to you.

BROWN: They really do. Thank you, Coy.

Well, you're watching the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday. And you saw it play out live on CNN, police searching for a van that police say is tied to Saturday night's mass shooting in California. An update for you, just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, the mountains around North Carolina may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you talk cryptocurrency, so you might be shocked to hear that digging for virtual currency is creating headaches deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains.

CNN's Chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: This is a sound of Green Mountain Farm. Certified by Quiet Parks International, is one of the most peaceful spots in North Carolina. Thanks to their rare local enforcement, the laws against noise pollution.

Meanwhile, about 90 minutes away, beautiful Cherokee County sounds like this. It is stack, upon stack of computer servers and the fans needed to cool them. This is what's known as a crypto mine and it makes the sound of people in San Francisco trying to make virtual money.

[21:55:12]

How do you describe that noise?

MIKE LUGIEWICZ, MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: So we're probably sitting it up by 65 decibels right now. When it's at about 75, 80 decibels, I'd say a jet engine. A jet engine that never leaves.

WEIR: Sixteen months after the mine fired up without warning, Mike Lugiewicz put his house up for sale in frustration.

THOMAS LASH, MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: There'd be turkeys out in the field and deer by the hundreds.

WEIR: Yes.

LASH: You don't have that anymore.

WEIR: While Tom Lash misses the wildlife --

PHYLLIS CANTREL, MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: You don't sleep at night.

WEIR: -- Phyllis Cantrel says she feels trapped.

CANTREL: You can actually lay your head on the pillow and hear and hum up through the walls.

WEIR: Have you thought about moving?

CANTREL: We're 73 years old. Where are we going to go?

WEIR: Imagine a game where the dice have a billion sides and the first person to roll a 10 wins. That is essentially crypto mining. And to play that game these days, you need computers thousands of computers running 24/7, 365. And after China outlawed cryptocurrency and cryptomining, more and more mines like this began popping up in Appalachia, places where the power is cheap. And the regulations are either non-existent or uninformed.

But in this deep red Republican pocket.

BOB MURRAY, MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: They got noise 24/7. Noise that sounds that do nothing that helps these people. What are you guys going to do to help?

WEIR: The mine has upended local politics.

JUDY STINES, MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: I like to be behind the scenes and I like to serve pot. And I knew that we needed to win an election.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Forget the noise.

WEIR: Outrage over the mine helped flip the balance of power in November's county election.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: U.S. Senator Thom Tillis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do. Right away. Thank you.

WEIR: With the new Board of Commissioners now asking for federal help in ending American crypto mining.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To introduce in champion legislation through the U.S. Congress to ban and/or regulate crypto mining operations in the United States of America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: [inaudible]

WEIR: When asked over LinkedIn for reaction, Chandler Song, one of the mine's co-owners wrote. Oh, boy, they wanted it so bad a year ago.

As for the proposed ban, it is unconstitutional to say the least. Song and his crypto mining co-founder made Forbes 30 under 30 list a few years ago. And recently claimed quarterly revenues of more than $20 million.

But when asked follow up questions, Song went silent. His mine in Murphy has not, so far. But the county attorney is looking for a legal way to shut it down. A cautionary reminder that the next time you hear a place as peaceful as Green Mountain far --

LYNELL MORRIS, MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENT: You're fighting real bad with their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's torture.

MORRIS: Come on.

WEIR: Chances are someone got loud and fought for it.

Bill Weir, CNN, Murphy, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: I'm Pamela Brown in Washington and you are live in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Sunday night.

In Southern California tonight, police are confirming that the man who killed himself during a traffic stop is the same man suspected of opening fire at a dance hall in Monterey Park. Ten people were killed and another 10 wounded at the Lunar New Year celebration.

And police say the 72-year-old gunman then went on to another gathering in nearby Alhambra. He was carrying a nine millimeter semi- automatic weapon and two people there disarmed him. Police calling them heroes tonight. It was that seized gun that allowed law enforcement to identify the suspect and ultimately make that traffic stop.

So let's begin this hour with Natasha Chen in Monterey Park. Natasha.

CHEN: Pamela, this community is reeling from this stunning act of violence. Almost 24 hours ago at a dance hall that was a couple of blocks away from where we're standing. Now, at the very least, there is this type of sigh of relief that at least the shooter in this situation is no longer a threat.

But at the same time, there are a lot more waves of pain that are about to wash over because the coroner has just begun removing remains of people who died inside this business this afternoon and they're in the process of identifying who these people are.

These are people's loved ones, people's spouses, people's close friends. And over time, this community is going to start learning who has been lost and who is still trying to recover in the hospital.