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Interview With Michelle Salzman, (R) Florida State Representative; Alex Baldwin Formally Charged In "Rust" Shooting; Humpback Whale Washes Ashore In Long Island; New Criminal Probe Opened At Dallas Zoo After Two Monkeys Vanish. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired January 31, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

ALISYN CAMEROTA CNN HOST: In Florida a group of Republican lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would allow Floridians to carry a concealed gun without a license. Current Florida law requires a concealed carry permit which you can only get after completing an instructional firearm safety course and additional background checks. This bill would eliminate those requirements entirely allowing anyone who is legally allowed to own a firearm to carry it without a permit.

State Representative Michelle Salzman is one of the Florida lawmakers who cosponsored this bill. Representative, thanks so much for being here. So, tell us what evidence or research you have that this will make people safer.

MICHELLE SALZMAN, (R) FLORIDA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I'm not sure that we filed this bill to make Floridians safer. I think we filed this bill to provide Floridians with the opportunity to exercise their God- given right, their Second Amendment right to carry a firearm.

CAMEROTA: I mean, as you know gun violence -- the country is awash in gun violence. So, people are looking for ways to make citizens safer. And one of the things that I'm perplexed about with this bill is the lack of the training aspect that was a criterion for getting this permit. Why lose that component? Why wouldn't you want the most trained people possible to be able to carry a gun?

SALZMAN: So this bill does not eliminate the permit -- the conceal carry permit license. This bill does not eliminate the ability for Floridians to go out and receive that training or get that permit. As a matter of fact that permit is a great tool for Floridians to travel across state or as well as to eliminate the wait for them to actually have to pick up their firearm if they have that conceal carry permit. Their background check is a lot quicker.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

SALZMAN: The process to pick up the weapon is a lot quicker. So, it's not eliminating the training. It's just not mandating Floridians --

CAMEROTA: But the training is not necessary.

SALZMAN: Yes, that's correct. I would say -- CAMEROTA: Just personally, don't you want the most trained people to

have the guns?

SALZMAN: I personally am a previous armorer in the United States Army. So I am very familiar with weapons as well as training for weapons and the importance of weapon safety.

[15:35:00]

But I think that your conversation where you try to mix in mental health and the crisis of violence with handguns or guns in general it's not fair. You know Florida has doubled their efforts each year for the past several years each year doubling what we did the last year in mental health funding. And we have been really working hard in that whole arena trying to find ways to solve the problem for the mental health crisis that we have not just in Florida but across the nation.

CAMEROTA: Sure. So, I mean after Parkland -- after Parkland I think that Florida made great strides in terms of you know the connection between mental health and guns. So why isn't that fair? I mean one of the -- let me get to my question about the permit because I think that that ties it in.

Basically, in the past six months the state rejected 3,100 applications for these concealed carry permits from people who wanted one of these permits but were denied -- but were deemed, I should say, ineligible because of either mental illness or domestic violence or substance abuse or because they did not demonstrate competency with a firearm. So was the state wrong to deny those applications?

SALZMAN: Absolutely not. But this bill does not affect laws relating to the purchase of a firearm and will not allow anyone prohibited from possessing a firearm to carry concealed. Those people that are doing -- those people that are carrying -- the criminals out there are going to carry whether or not they have this concealed permit. So, this permit doesn't -- eliminating that permit process doesn't mean that you have to apply to buy the handgun. You still have to go fill out the paperwork and get the background check. So, we're not willy-nilly it. You have to do that piece.

CAMEROTA: I get it except that it was the piece of the concealed carry permit that flagged and prevented those 3,106 permits for a reason. So in other words they were flagged for some reason.

SALZMAN: It prevents them from getting the conceal carry permit but it has nothing to do with whether or not they were qualified to buy the firearm. If somebody wants to go shoot somebody they're not going to worry if they have a concealed carry permit.

CAMEROTA: Yes, understood but still they were flagged for some reason. So, it's either mental health or it's because again they did not demonstrate competency with a firearm. So, wherever you can flag them it seems like we don't want someone who's not competent out there with a firearm. But let me just tell you -- don't take my word for it. Let's talk about the sheriff from Orange County. Here's what he says. So, he's in law enforcement, the current sheriff.

He says: Allowing people to carry guns openly or without a permit is a recipe for disaster. We already have too many violent encounters because of simple disagreements. Throwing more guns into the mix will only increase shootings and death by gun fire.

So, what do you say about that sheriff?

SALZMAN: I say that our Hernando County sheriff said our constitution protects gun ownership rights and the ability to carry a firearm. Violent career criminals are not applying for a state permit to carry a gun. Removing the permitting process will assist our law-abiding citizens with the protections they need to defend themselves and their families from those criminals who intend to do them harm.

So we have -- you have one sheriff that says one thing and another sheriff that says another. And let's not forget that the actual person that filed the bill is a retired chief investigator with the Baker County Sheriff's Office a former deputy with the U.S. Marshal and of course we're all certified gun owners.

So I would say that we could easily find ways to refute what one person says versus another. But at the end of the day this is about our constitutional rights and we took a lot of those away with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas bill. We did a lot of great things with that legislation but making the purchase age from 18 to 21 was a bad move.

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Well. I mean obviously that's -- I hear you but obviously that's not how the students feel. And in fact I talked to one of them today who said they find it insulting and hurtful that just two weeks before the five-year anniversary that you are talking about this. Do those feelings matter?

SALZMAN: I would say the timing is bad but the timing wasn't intentional. I can assure you that had nothing to do with it. We take mental health in Florida very seriously and we certainly respect and love on all of those families that had that horrible experience. So that was not an intentional smite. We certainly do embrace those children and their families and feel very bad but one does not equal the other. The Second Amendment does not equal mental health and does not equal you know the safety that those children should feel in school.

CAMEROTA: Florida state representative Michelle Salzman, thank you your time and your perspective.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: We're just getting this into CNN. The New Mexico district attorney just formally filed charges against Alec Baldwin over the deadly "Rust" film shooting. Details next.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLACKWELL: Just into CNN a district attorney in New Mexico has just

formally filed involuntary manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin and on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for their involvement in the fatal shooting on the "Rust" movie set.

CAMEROTA: CNN's Josh Campbell has been following this story since the beginning. So, Josh, what have you learned?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, we've been waiting on these charges to come in. The district attorney's office telling us a short time ago that actor Alec Baldwin has now been formally charged, along with the armorer who was on the set of this movie "Rust" at the of the fatal shooting back in 2021 that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

[15:45:02]

Now these charges include involuntary manslaughter. I'll break those down for you. Because prosecutors here could have opted for a lesser charge, a misdemeanor charge. A petty misdemeanor in New Mexico negligence use of a firearm. But here authorities determined that in their view that there was a felony charge that was warranted, involuntary manslaughter.

I spoke with the district attorney earlier this month there in Santa Fe and she said that at the end of the day this didn't come down to one particular piece of evidence but in her words the totality of the circumstances. She described that the investigation uncovered incident after incident of this set having unsafe practices and the district attorney saying that had Alec Baldwin, the set's armorer and the set's assistant director done their job in ensuring a safe set none of this wouldn't have happened.

Now for their part, we've heard from attorneys from Alec Baldwin as well as Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the sets armorer. Attorneys say their respective clients are innocent. Now as far as what happens next here, is important to note, that these are very serious charges. Under the state of New Mexico, involuntary manslaughter is one is convicted that could carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison. But in this particular case there is what is called a firearm enhancement. A crime involving a gun which means that if convicted both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed could face up to five years in prison.

So again very serious charges here. Those documents are now being transmitted and uploaded into the state's court record system. We should have those shortly. But again, the news just in after Alec Baldwin has now been criminally charged.

BLACKWELL: All right, thank you Josh Campbell.

CAMEROTA: A dramatic image on long island. This is where a massive humpback whale has washed ashore and it's not the first time this has s happened in the last two months. We'll discuss what's happening next.

[15:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Right now New York marine officials are investigating why a 41-foot whale washed ashore on the Long Island beach.

CAMEROTA: The male humpback whale was found Monday on Lido Beach in Nassau County. It's the eighth whale to wash up in the tri-state area in just the last two months. CNN national correspondent Jason Carroll is there. So, Jason why do authorities think this is happening?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well that's the question. And that's what biologists right now are trying to determine. If you look behind me you can see there are a number of biologists out there right now. We're told there are 29 of them. They performing what's called a necropsy. They're examining some of the tissue. Right now you can see they're pulling what's left of the whale over to the side there as they continue their examination.

The whale is eventually -- humpback whale is going to be buried right here at the site. And the reason why there's been so much alarm here among -- especially among environmentalist who love these majestic creatures so very much is because since December there has been some ten humpback whales that have beached themselves. And the question is why?

This particular one we're learning about, about 40 years old. Weighs about 2,900 pounds and had been seen in the area before. And so, again the question becomes why this time? Well there are environmentalists who say that it might have some sort of connection between offshore wind farming that's been going out here and the humpback whales. We put that question to those who are out here from the federal government to get their perspective on what's going on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREA GOMEZ, COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST, NOAA FISHERIES: Yes, but again NOAA is a science-based agency. And so, we really go by the facts and the evidence. And right now there is no evidence to suggest there is offshore wind activity that is linked to any of these whale deaths.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: And so again, right now a necropsy is being performed. If you take a look at what's going on, you can see the backhoe is up here. And you see those mounds over there, Alisyn and Victor, that is actually where the whale is going to be buried. That is supposed to be some time later this evening once all this is wrapped up. But again, the big question as to why. Why so many of these whales are doing it in such a short order of time. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: All right Jason Carroll for us there on Lido Beach thank you.

CAMEROTA: OK, now to this. An escaped leopard, a dead vulture and a set of missing monkeys. What's going on at the Dallas Zoo? BLACKWELL: There is another investigation happening at the park after officials say two monkeys are missing. Police say the animal's enclosures were intentionally compromised. All Zookeepers believe they were stolen. Now this latest incident follows a string of suspicious activity this month involving other animal happen habitats. CNN's Rosa Flores is following this one for us. So, police just released video, also a photo of a person of interest. Get us up to date.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know police are releasing this photo. They are not calling this individual a suspect. But they do say that they're interested in speaking to this individual in relation to the disappearance of these last two monkeys.

Now those monkeys are emperor tamarin monkeys and they disappeared yesterday. And police believe that there enclosure was tampered with and they're investigating this.

But this is not the only case. There's been four suspicious events since mid-January including that of a clouded leopard. Now this leopard is interesting because it is considered a vulnerable animal. Because there's only 10,000 of them left in Southeast Asia.

Here is the story behind this leopard. This leopard went missing and they shut down the zoo to try to find this leopard.

[15:55:00]

Well, they found the leopard close to the leopard's habitat. The leopard's name is Nova. But then police discovered that Nova's enclosure was also tampered with. The enclosure was cut and police are investigating. Nova was examined and according to the zoo there was no sign of injury.

Well that same day also in the monkey enclosure there was also tampering with that enclosure. Now those monkeys were smart. They didn't leave their little enclosure. So, they were found very quickly.

And then finally there's a fourth case of the death of a 35-year-old endangered vulture named Pin. Now pin died. And again same kind of thing. The enclosure was cut. Police think it's intentional. Cause and manner of death have not been determined on this vulture. But again, Alisyn and Victor, police are investigating. This is a criminal investigation into trying to find out what happened at the Dallas Zoo.

CAMEROTA: So mysterious. Rosa Flores thank you.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Jake Tapper speaks exclusively with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as tensions continue to escalate between Israelis and Palestinians. Hear some of that conversation after this short break.