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20+ Million Under Severe Storm Threat As System Moves East; Lawyers Meet With WSJ Reporter Detained In Russia; Investigators Seize Suicide Note, More Guns From School Shooter's Home; Rocket Fire Exchanged After Violent Clash At Jerusalem Holy Site. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired April 05, 2023 - 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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[14:30:50]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Right now, there is a desperate search for survivors underway in Missouri. This, after a tornado touched down overnight, killing five people, injuring several others.

You can just see the devastation here. Some of the destruction that was left behind in the town of Glen Allen. This is south of St. Louis.

This same system spawned at least 10 tornado reports across the Midwest, including seven in Illinois, where storms damaged several buildings in the town of Kelowna.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: And that is where we find CNN's Adrienne Broaddus.

First, let's go to meteorologist, Jennifer Gray, who is tracking the dangerous conditions.

Jennifer, we have seen images like this from large swaths of the country now for the past week or so. Where is the system headed next?

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The system is tracking to the east, so it is going to head across the Ohio Valley, Mississippi River Valley, and then eventually make its way to the eastern seaboard.

But as it travels to the east, it should start losing a lot of its intensity. We still have tornado watches in effect. We have some severe thunderstorm warnings.

We don't have any tornado warnings at the moment, which is good news. And a new severe thunderstorm watch has just been issued for portions of Ohio. So we're still monitoring these very closely.

Because at any time, any of these storms could become severe. We could see another tornado warning. So of course, definitely something to monitor.

Here is a live look. In Cincinnati, you can see some dark clouds hanging over but no rain as we speak. We are looking at some lingering showers across Little Rock and on into Memphis. We do have a severe thunderstorm warning just to the north of Memphis.

We had 10 tornado reports yesterday with 45 wind reports and 170 hail reports. The hail was enormous yesterday. Here's a look at some golf ball size hail. We had tennis and baseball-sized hail reported yesterday with these storms. So definitely producing some damage.

Here is a look at people cleaning up. And that's going to be continuing throughout the next couple of days. This is in Missouri, where we had some damage.

The main threats today will be a few tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds. And you can see that area shaded in orange. But anywhere that's highlighted could see severe weather throughout the afternoon and early evening hours.

Here are the storms as we go forward in time. And you can see just marching their way to the east. They do make it to the northeast, really dying out, though, as they do so.

So the good news is this storm system will start dying out in the coming hours.

So we do have four to six inches of rain, possibly across eastern portions of Texas. So a lot of rainfall with the system as well -- guys?

HILL: Absolutely.

So, Adrienne, give us a sense of the damage that you're seeing where you are. Just how significant is it? What are people dealing with right now?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know what, the power of this storm is illustrated behind us. Just over my shoulder, you can see where the cash register once was.

At least one employee was here. We were saying two employees were here. But I just spoke with the owner about 30 seconds ago, and he says his 43-year-old employee was here as well as a customer.

They took shelter in the bathroom, which is still standing. You can see the wall was knocked over, the roof lifted, and it jumped over the power lines onto and neighboring building.

We are going to walk around and I will show you where that roof landed. The owner of this gas station is actually speaking with some insurance folks right now. We'll tell you more about our conversation with him.

But straight ahead, you see where the roof landed on top of this tire shop. I spoke with the owner of the tire shop a short time ago. He says, it's a miracle. He wasn't here and his employees were not here.

Listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MILO VELOZ, BUSINESS DESTROYED IN TORNADO: I just couldn't -- I mean, honestly, I just started crying. I mean, I don't know what else I could have done, you know? I mean, it's like -- I might see my mom and dad, their stuff. And it's just like I don't -- just looking at just shaking my head.

I just bought all that a year ago. That R.V. is not even six months old. I just seen a big roof sitting on top of my shop. And my shop collapsed and my heart just -- just dropped. I mean, that's definitely not something you want to see.

You know, I just bought it. That was what we did. We were getting ready to stay in it for a house because we don't have another place to go. So we were going to start staying in the R.V. once the weather broke. I can put water in it and stuff like that, you know?

[14:35:04]

And I just took the tarp off of it two days ago. The roof smashed my -- the shop roof so bad that it actually went into the concrete. That's how hard it fell down. And I have a steel beaten shot roof on there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS: That was Milo. He says he will have to demolish his business because it's destroyed.

He and his wife were planning to live in that black and Gray R.V. because, three weeks ago, he says, a fire destroyed the home they lived in and killed their three dogs. Now this.

But he finds comfort knowing his life wasn't lost and no other lives. In this area were lost because of that EF-2 tornado -- Bianna, Erica?

GOLODRYGA: My goodness, what Milo and his family have had to endure the past few weeks. I mean, again, at the end of the day, they're fortunate that they are alive.

But their story is one that has been shared by thousands of people. And we've been covering these tornadoes daily.

HILL: So important to highlight it.

Adrienne, really appreciate it. Thank you.

Jennifer, thank you as well.

GOLODRYGA: Israeli police storm one of Islam's holiest site, sparking retaliatory rocket fire from Gaza. From Israel, ahead.

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[14:40:40]

GOLODRYGA: Well, today marks one week since "Wall Street Journal" reporter, Evan Gershkovich, was taken into custody in Russia, accused of espionage.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, urging him to immediately release Gershkovich.

Blinken says he has no doubt that Evan is being wrongfully detained. And he expects the formal process to declare just that to be completed soon.

That designation would trigger new U.S. government resources to work towards his release.

Joining me now is Pjotr Sauer. He is a friend of Gershkovich.

So, Pjotr, it's good to talk to you finally. You and I have been messaging each other offline for the past week.

I just want to get your thoughts to what we do know about Evan's condition, which is somewhat hopeful. We know that his lawyers visited him in for the first time yesterday.

And that a Russian prison monitor visited him in his quarantine cell at Lefortovo Prison on Monday. And according to this monitor, Evan has not complained about conditions there.

The food appears to comply with standard norms there. He's had chicken. He's had soup. He's had Cream of Wheat. Daily walks are allowed.

But I think, most importantly, it is reported that his spirits are high, that he was even joking, and that he was reading a book, a famous novel by Vasily Grossman (ph).

What was your reaction when you heard those details about your best friend?

PJOTR SAUER, FRIEND OF REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH, WHO WAS ARRESTED IN RUSSIA: Hi, Bianna. And thanks for having me. And thanks for, you know, spending attention on this very important story.

You know, the news was such a big relief to me and to his family and his friends because, four or five days, we did not hear anything about Evan. I lost text with him exactly, a week ago in the morning. And then, if you hours later, he was arrested.

Yes, the news that he was physically fine and, more importantly, also mentally in a good state, that sounds like Evan. You know, he's a very strong character.

So you know, that was good news. At the same time, you know, in the first place, you should not be in jail. So that's where we are at the moment.

GOLODRYGA: And it looks like it, any day now, the U.S. State Department will declare him wrongfully detained.

The "Wall Street Journal," Evan's employer, has an in-depth piece about Lefortovo Prison, a notorious prison in Moscow where famous dissidents and political prisoners, high-level prisoners, including Americans.

You have Trevor Reed spent time there. Paul Whelan spent time there. And this is how they describe it. It's described "as a sterile facility engineered to keep inmates from ever seeing one another, and isolation that makes Lefortovo hard to endure."

I want to play sound from one of the most famous dissidents, former prisoners there, Natan Sharansky, who was held there, the Jewish refugee who now is in Israel. He was held there in the 1970s.

Here's what he said about the prison.

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NATAN SHARANSKY, FORMER SOVIET JEWISH DISSIDENT: I had this experience ten years ago. And the Lefortovo Prison means that maybe it's not the most stuff prisons there were old differently, the most sense of it.

It's KGB prison. And they'll make sure that you know nothing about what's happening in the world and the world will know nothing until they want to know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: I'm curious, Pjotr, do you think Evan's work in Russia and his familiarity with that prison will somehow mentally make him better prepared for what's to come in the days and weeks he may be forced to spend their versus previous inmates?

SAUER: That's a good question. It's something I've been wondering a lot these last few days.

Even will have covered Lefortovo a dozen times during his career. So, yes, I was -- I was wondering the same. I think, knowing the system and knowing the prison, and the fact that it's meant to try to isolate you and break you mentally, I think that will have prepared like the tiny bit better.

But of course, I don't think anyone can be ready for the -- for the conditions they are about to face in the Lefortovo.

Pjotr, I mentioned that you and I have spent time talking. And I have spent time talking with his other friends and colleagues.

And what stood out to me, aside from what appears to be a wonderful sense of humor, and his passion for journalism, is his passion for Russia itself. He is the son of Soviet immigrants who came to the United States, the

way I came with my parents. And he had a newfound love for the country and his time there, for the culture, for the people, for the language.

[14:45:07]

Can you talk to us about that as we look at images of the two of you from better days there.

SAUER: Yes. Evan, since I met him five years ago -- we met at "The Moscow Times," it's English language newspaper. It was our first job. I could really feel that he had a profound interest and understanding in -- in Russia.

He grew up in the states. You know, he was an American kid. But because of his background, as you mentioned, because of parents, he always had this at the back of his mind that, you know, Russia, what is it? I'd like to understand it better, I want to report there.

So when he got the opportunity, he flew, took the chance in Moscow. You know, and he quickly became one of the best reporters around. Everyone noticed how -- just how acute is understanding was of the country.

And I think he felt it was his duty to tell America and to tell the West, you know, what is going on in Russia.

And even -- he even decided to stay when the war started because he wanted to show how the country was impacted by this awful war, and it was changing.

GOLODRYGA: But we are thinking of his parents, especially tonight as Jewish families, including his, sit down to cover Passover and the Seder tonight. They will be doing it without their son and knowing that their son is in prison.

But I know, because of you and your friends, and, of course, we will continue to be covering him until he has finally been released.

So I do want to thank you for your time and your efforts to get your friend out safely.

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GOLODRYGA: Thank you.

SAUER: Thank you.

HILL: Police in Florida saying an arrest could be imminent. This, after three teens were found dead, three friends dead with gunshot wounds, all found in separate locations. We'll have the very latest for you on that investigation.

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[14:51:16] GOLODRYGA: New developments in last week's shooting rampage at a Nashville private Christian elementary school. Investigators have seized new evidence at the home of the shooter, including a suicide note and more guns.

The attack left three 9-year-old children and three adults dead.

HILL: CNN's Isabelle Rosales is live in Nashville for us this hour.

So we're also now hearing about for the very first time from these officers who rushed into the school who stopped the shooter. What are they saying about those moments?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These officers also crediting brave school employees, at least two of them who evacuated from the school but stayed on the grounds actually helping out these officers, pointing them in the right direction, giving them a layout of the school.

And also one of them had keys, opening up different doors so they could go into the school through different points of entry.

These officers describing a chaotic scene. Adrenaline pumping, all senses engaged. They could smell the gunpowder in the air. They could -- they could hear the sounds of the blaring fire alarms.

And then also hearing the sound of a gun firing. They followed that sound up onto the second floor. And that is where they confronted 28- year-old Audrey Hale, shooting Audrey dead 14 minutes after that school rampage began.

I want you to listen to two of those responding officers.

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COMMANDER DAYTON WHEELER, MIDTOWN HILLS PRECINCT: The initial call came out. And immediately my stomach dropped when I realized it was a school, all of us stepped over a victim.

I, to this day, don't know how I did that morally. But training is what kicked in.

SGT. JEFF MATHES, RESPONDENT TO DEADLY SHOOTING AT THE COVENANT SCHOOL There's obviously been loss of sleep. Children hugged more than normal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And we're also hearing from the Nashville police chief, John Drake, who says he's not only proud of his officers but also 911 dispatchers who handled those difficult calls.

And also the school employees who were inside of the building followed active shooter training, pulling kids from the hallways, locking doors. He said that that saved lives. We're also getting new insights from a search warrant that was

conducted on the shooter's home. Officers seizing numerous journals, a memoir, a suicide note, home videos, more guns, ammo, a photo of the Covenant School, yearbooks from that school.

Plus, that judge-signed warrant also gives investigators permission to search through Hale's electronic devices.

They're still working to figure out a motive to this and are still analyzing the writings.

GOLODRYGA: Isabel Rosales, really appreciate the update this afternoon. Thank you.

[14:54:02]

HILL: Well, any minute now, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwan's president are set to speak. China warns of, quote, "serious repercussions." We'll have more on this meeting, ahead.

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HILL: A holy site in Jerusalem is once again a flashpoint in the region. The trouble erupted overnight when Israeli police stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's most revered sites. And that happened, of course, during Ramadan prayers.

GOLODRYGA: They say they went in to break up a large group of people barricaded inside. Hundreds of Palestinian worshippers were arrested.

CNN's Hadas Gold has the latest from Israel.

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HADAS GOLD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Israeli police stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem early Wednesday, where Palestinians worship during the holy month of Ramadan.

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GOLD: Video put out by the Israeli police shows officers entering the mosque by force as fireworks are launched at them.

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GOLD: Videos on social media appeared to show officers striking people with batons. Eyewitnesses telling CNN police also fired stun grenades and rubber bullets.

(CHANTING)

GOLD: The police said in a statement that they went in because hundreds of what they called rioters and mosque desecraters barricaded themselves inside in a violent manner. And quote, "used fireworks, hurled stones and caused damage."

The authorities arrested more than 300 people during the incident.

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GOLD: The Palestinian Red Crescent saying at least two dozen Palestinians were injured. Israeli police say two of their officers were also wounded.

(on camera): The holy sites behind me are known as the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, or Haram Al Sharif, the third holiest sites in Islam. You can actually hear the call to prayer going on right now.

But it's also known as Temple Mount to Jews.