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Serbian Mass Shooting Suspect in Custody; Russia Warns U.S. on an Open-Armed Conflict after Drone Attacks in the Kremlin; Jury Convicts Four Proud Boys Members Guilty After the January 6th Capitol Attack. U.K. Gears Up for King Charles' Coronation; Gunman behind Slain British-Israeli Mother and Two Daughters was Killed; White House Announces Measures for A.I. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 05, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, A suspect is in custody in a deadly mass shooting in Serbia, the second shooting there from today. We'll go live to the scene for an update.

Russia warning the U.S. that two countries could be on the verge of an open-armed conflict. The details and the latest on the apparent drone attack on the Kremlin.

And a jury convicts four members of the far-right Proud Boys in connection with the January 6 insurrection. We'll look at the charges they faced, and the evidence that secured the conviction.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: And we begin with breaking news, out of Serbia, police have arrested the suspect in the country's second mass shooting in as many days. Officials say he killed eight people and wounded 13 others in several villages southeast of Belgrade, Thursday night. Police then launched a massive manhunt, involving hundreds of officers and Special Forces.

Our Scott McLean is standing by one of the villages where the attack took place. So, Scott, an arrest in this latest horrific mass shooting, what is the latest there?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there's a huge sense of relief in this village, this is one of three places where the shootings actually took place, according to authorities. This is just outside of the village of Sepsin, and you can see -- I mean this is a very rural area; it's a very wide-open area, this shooter frankly could've been anywhere. The manhunt was absolutely massive, involving some 600 officers spread

across the very wide SWAT. We saw them 20 miles away from here on the highway, combing it hours and hours ago. We're now eight hours -- more than eight hours from where the shooting took place last night. We spoke to one man in the village just now, who said that at the time, he was actually arrested by police, who mistakenly thought that perhaps he could've been the shooter, after he came out of his house, after he got into an emergency notification on his phone.

He actually asked me, once we got the news that arrest had been made, whether it was safe to come out, because he hadn't quite gotten it yet, and only then did he emerge from his house.

What's interesting here is that the arrest, Kim, was actually made in a larger city called Kragujevac, that's -- which is more than an hour away here in Central Serbia. The shooting, as I said, took place in very rural areas. We went to the site of what we think is the initial shooting. And it is -- I mean it's in the middle of nowhere. It's between two villages, it's a soccer pitch there. It has apparently, a barbecue area where young people would gather at night. And it seems to be what happened last night when the suspect, according to authorities, fired with an automatic weapon.

There would be a lot of questions on how he would have got that weapon, and obviously why he fired, because though there are guns, plenty of them flying around in this country illegally left over from the conflict in the 1990s, you cannot buy an automatic weapon here in Serbia legally. And even getting a semi-automatic weapon you have to jump through a whole lot of hoops and background checks in order to get one. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and it could get even tougher, I mean comparing to here in the U.S. a very different reaction to the shootings we have seen there. Even after the first mass shooting there was an immediate action, on stricter gun control. And you imagine this latest incident would add to the urgency.

MCLEAN: Yeah, it's hard to imagine that it wouldn't, Kim. Because we've already seen yesterday, the Serbian government proposing laws that include things like a review of all of the gun licenses that exist in the country over the next three months, a moratorium for two years, issuing new gun licenses, so that they can try to strengthen the system that they have in place already to try to prevent this from happening in the first place.

Serbia is a country that has a relatively high-rate of private gun ownership. But it's a small country. And it's not one that sees mass shootings like this. And the school shooting that we saw, take place on Wednesday morning, carried out allegedly by a 13-year old boy, seem to really shock this nation to its core. There's been plenty of discussion about social media, about violent video games, and of course about guns.

[03:05:01]

We don't have many details about the 21-year-old suspect in this case who's being identified only as Uros B., but surely, there would be many of the same questions about why a young person could do anything like this, Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, great reporting there on the scene in Serbia. Scott McLean, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

We're learning new details about Wednesday's mass shooting here in Atlanta, Georgia. A 24-year-old U.S. Coast Guard veteran, Dion Patterson, has been charged with one count of murder, and four counts of aggravated assault.

Here's CNN's Ryan Young with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In a police investigation into the midtown shooting, it happened Wednesday, it still has a lot of people asking questions, especially those who live in midtown, who, for a while we're trapped inside their homes, as they were trying to figure out whether or not a shooter is on the run.

It did take eight hours for police to catch up with Dion Patterson. That's even with the help of his mother. What we have learned is after the shooting occurred, inside the medical facility behind me, Patterson apparently carjacked someone and took that card to Cobb County, which is about 11 miles outside the city. At that point, police were able to catch up with him when someone called 911 to say someone was hiding near a pool.

Besides that, you talk about the victims who were some of them who were still inside the hospital. You have two people who are in critical condition, one in stable condition. Doctors do believe that they will be able to have one of the patients released in the near future. Take a listen to the doctor talk about how the patients are doing.

DR. ROBERT JANSEN, GRADY HEALTH SYSTEM'S CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Physically, they all have ways to go. I think psychologically, we have to also remember that, the impact on them, and their families. You know you can't underestimate how dramatic this is, and they have a long way to go.

YOUNG: And sadly, as you see this picture here, the family of Amy St. Pierre has released this picture. She was an employee of the CDC. So many people are heartbroken about her loss. She was someone who was coming to the doctor's office for a visit, when she was shot. There are so many questions about exactly what happened here, and how the mom of the suspect is now cooperating with police.

But there is so much about mental health and the kind of care that this man could have received when he was in his hardest times.

Reporting in Atlanta, Ryan Young, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Police have made an arrest in a series of deadly stabbings, near the University of California Davis. A 21-year-old former student was taken into custody Thursday. Carlos Dominguez is accused of three stabbings that left two people dead. A woman was severely injured in the most recent attack on Monday. U.C. Davis said that Dominguez was a 3rd year student, up until last week when he was separated from the University for academic reasons.

The Manhattan District Attorney is investigating the death of a subway rider. Jordan Neely died on Monday, after being allegedly put in a chokehold by a fellow passenger. Now, we're going to show you the video of the incident. We just want to warn you, some images may be disturbing obviously there.

So, before Neely was allegedly choked, witnesses say he was yelling at fellow passengers claiming he was hungry and thirsty. Neely was a well-known Michael Jackson impersonator, but fell on hard times in recent years. A friend said he'd been struggling since the murder of his mother in 2007. She said he'd been living on the streets.

The official autopsy results in the Memphis police-beating death of Tyre Nichols shows he died of blunt force trauma to the head. His death has been ruled a homicide. The medical examiner's report shows Nichols rupturing in his brain and cuts are bruising all over his body.

Nichols' death sparked national protests after police body camera video and surveillance footage showed five Memphis Police officers repeatedly punching and kicking him after a traffic stop on January 7th. Five former officers pleaded not guilty to several charges, including second degree murder. The District Attorney says, former Memphis Officer Preston Hemphill will not face criminal charges, but he was charged with a department policy violations.

Well, now to a stark prediction from Russia's deputy foreign minister says the U.S. and Russia are on the verge of an open armed conflict. It comes as Moscow is blaming Washington for directing the drone attack on the Kremlin, early Wednesday. The White House calls that claim ridiculous. Russia has vowed to retaliate against Ukraine, but on Thursday, Ukraine shot down its own malfunctioning drone over Kyiv. The Air Force says there were no casualties.

Now, the attack on the Kremlin isn't the only drone strike inside Russian territory, in recent days, Moscow blames Ukraine, but it's not entirely clear who's been the wave of attacks

CNN's Matthew Chance reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "60 Minutes," the Kremlin version, with breaking news of three more attempted drone strikes on Russian soil.

[03:10:03] The anchor, a Kremlin mouthpiece, tells her millions of viewers how two attacks on oil facilities were unsuccessful. But another targeting a village near the Ukrainian border, she admits, got through. Increasingly, Russia's war in Ukraine is coming home.

Just hours before, it was the Kremlin itself in the line of fire, a Ukrainian assassination attempt on President Putin, said officials, denied by Ukraine. Now, the Kremlin says it's the United States that's the blame.

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN PRESS SECRETARY (through translator): We know very well that decisions about such actions, about such terrorist attacks, are not made in Kyiv, but in Washington. And Kyiv does what it is told to do.

JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: There's a word that comes to mind that I am obviously not a, not appropriate --

CHANCE (voice-over): But U.S. officials are pushing back.

KIRBY: Mr. Peskov is lying. I mean, as I was, it's a Ludacris claim. The United States had nothing to do with this. We don't even know exactly what happened here, but I can assure United States had no role in it whatsoever.

CHANCE (voice-over): But Ukraine is bracing itself for a further Russian response. Earlier, Russian drones, with messages for Moscow and for the Kremlin, scrawled on them were intercepted.

All this as Ukraine's President is on an unannounced European tour briefly stopping in The Hague in the Netherlands to condemn his Russian counterpart.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Of course, we all want to see different Vladimir here in The Hague, the one who deserves to be sentenced for these criminal actions.

CHANCE (voice-over): Back in the capital of the Russian Federation, Muscovites seem unfazed, at least publicly, by the extraordinary events unfolding in their city.

The drone strike on the Kremlin was going to happen sooner or later, says this man, Nikita.

We live in an awesome country, says Anastasia, the best protected in the world.

Even more shocking then that someone was able to penetrate those defenses and attack.

Matthew Chance, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And we go live now to London and CNN's Nada Bashir. So Nada, let's drill in these comments from the Kremlin, accusing the U.S. of, basically ordering an assassination of President Putin with those two drones.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, absolutely Kim. We heard from Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister cited by state media, essentially saying that while these actions they claim were executed by Kyiv, where those drone strikes they alleged were directed at potentially assassinating President Putin, these plans have been devised in Washington, D.C. by the U.S. government. That is the claim coming from the Kremlin. They say the U.S. has long been directly engaged with Ukraine in this war, in Ukraine.

So, of course, these are strong comments coming from the Kremlin. This is something we have of course heard before. And as you saw there in Matthew's report and the U.S. and Ukraine vehemently denying those allegations. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that anything coming from the Kremlin should be taken, quote, with a large shaker of salt.

Of course, we are repeatedly hearing those denials from the U.S. government about the said of course, there is a stark warning coming from the Kremlin. They say the U.S. and Russia are verging closer towards an open armed conflict.

But they also say that they are working to ensure that that point isn't reached. There's still communication and dialogue between the two parties, even at a higher level. So, words of caution are coming from the Kremlin.

Of course we have heard from the U.S. intelligence official, warning that Russia is in fact, potentially, scaling back its immediate ambitions when it comes to the situation on the ground. And what we have seen in recent days, the doubling down of that aerial bombardment of Kyiv. When it comes to those longer terms ambitions by President Putin, and the Russian armed forces, they are facing significant challenges on the ground.

The current U.S. intelligence assessment is that they are facing significant shortfalls, when it comes to manpower and ammunition, looking towards gaining territory. In fact, that has actually stalled in comparison to the past three months, and they gained less territory in April than was anticipated.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right, thank you so much, Nada Bashir in London.

All right, still ahead. A major win for the U.S. Justice Department in a high profile capital riot case. Guilty verdicts, for leaders of far- right militia group, the Proud Boys.

Plus, such a surprising report from "The New York Times" about an insider witness, cooperating with the Feds and the Trump Mar-a-Lago documents investigation, and more on all of that, coming up. Stay with us.

[03:15:10]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BRUNHUBER: Sentencing is expected in late July for the members of a far-right militia group convicted in the role in the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots. CNN's Katelyn Polantz has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SR. CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: A jury has found four leaders of the right-wing group, the Proud Boys, guilty of seditious conspiracy on Thursday. That jury had heard evidence over months that the Justice Department painstakingly collected videos, audios, photos, and even text between members of the Proud Boys.

[03:19:53]

And on Thursday, we're able to come to the conclusion that four leaders, including Enrique Tarrio, a man who has led the group, but was not even on the scene of the capital insurrection on January 6th, that he too is guilty of seditious conspiracy.

Some of the evidence the jury was able to look at included messages that Tarrio had written online, things like in November of 2021, he said if Biden steals this election, the Proud Boys will be political prisoners, we won't go quietly I promise.

And then later on January 6th, he wrote in a chat to other Proud Boys, make no mistake, we did this.

And so, the prosecutors were able to argue successfully to this jury that there was an interest in violence and an agreement in violence among this group.

This is a major win for the Justice Department. This had been one of the cases they put a great deal of effort into it. The trial alone was quite a substantial effort from the Justice Department. One thing they were not able to do however is gain a conviction of Dominic Pezzola on seditious conspiracy. He was the fifth defendant on trial in this case. He was convicted of other charges related to his actions on the ground on January 6th.

He wasn't part of the leadership of the group of the Proud Boys, but had grabbed a riot shield. And prosecutors successfully argued that he led the crowd around the back of the building of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, broken a window with that rioting shield and gotten inside.

And so, it was such a monumental moment in the January 6th convictions -- in the January 6th cases, that Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke on Thursday, saying that the Justice Department is doing everything in its power to defend American democracy and noted that there have been hundreds of convictions so far, around 600 out of 1000 more cases that have been charged.

Katelyn Polantz, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: "The New York Times" reports the U.S. Justice Department has an insider witness in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation. The Times cites people familiar with the matter who say the person worked at Donald Trump's Florida estate has now cooperating with investigators. According to The Times, the unidentified person handed over a picture of the room where some of the materials were stored. That comes the day after exclusive CNN reporting that prosecutors have been asking questions in recent weeks about handling a surveillance video at Mar-a-Lago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN GOODMAN, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL AT THE U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT: So just have enough evidence to compel somebody to want to cooperate. But I think we already have seen just amount of evidence that the Department of Justice has. And the fact that they have somebody like this is one of the -- you know, steps that they did, would like to have before deciding as to whether or not to indict. So it's important in that respect, but reporting alone, I think, is just part of a mountain of evidence already, that there quite very long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Defense attorneys want a change of venue in the hush money trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump. On Thursday, his defense team filed a motion to move the trial from a New York state court to a federal court. They say that's because charges against him are related to his duties as President.

Prosecutors say Trump falsified his business records to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claims that she had an affair with him. Trump denies that. The alleged crime happened in the run up to the 2016 Presidential election.

And the jury in the battery and defamation suit against former President is set to hear closing arguments on Monday.

But as CNN's Kara Scannell reports, Trump himself could wind up forcing those plans to change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: After calling 11 witnesses, E. Jean Carroll rested her battery and defamation case against Former President Donald Trump, but Trump's attorneys rested their case outside the presence of the jury. But in an unexpected twist, the judge said he will give trump until 5 PM on Sunday to change his mind about testifying. The judge cautioned that he might not allow it, but he was providing the window for Trump to possibly reopen his case, since Trump publicly stated while on a trip to Ireland, but he's returning to the U.S. over a false accusation.

The judge said, he has a right to testify, which has been waived, but if he has second thoughts, I will at least considerate. Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said he spoke with Trump Thursday morning. And he had no intention of testifying. He indicated a change in strategy was unlikely.

Trump's lawyers did not call any witness in his defense, choosing to try to make the case through cross-examination of Carroll's witnesses. Earlier Thursday, the jury watched the video deposition Trump gave in October. During the 30-minutes of testimony, Trump agreed he made the allegedly defamatory statements that he didn't know Caroll, that she wasn't his type, and that she made up the story. He said he stood by the comments.

The jury also heard from another friend of Caroll's who said Caroll told her about the alleged rape at the time. On cross-examination, Trump's attorneys presented a friend with text messages and emails she sent, speaking negatively of Trump, an effort to suggest that the testimony was politically motivated.

[03:24:56}

Caroll's lawyers also called a marketing professor who testified that it would cost as much as $2.7 million to repair Caroll's reputation from the damage caused. Barring last minute changes, closing arguments will take place on Monday, the jury could get the case as soon as Tuesday.

Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

All right, still to come. The United Kingdom gears up for the first coronation of a British Monarch in 70 years. We're live at Westminster Abbey where preparations for the service are underway. Please, stay with us.

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[03:30:00]

BRUNHUBER: Well, the people of Britain, Commonwealth, and beyond are gearing up for the coronation of King Charles III. The ancient ceremony will take place tomorrow at London's Westminster Abbey, and feature all the pomp and pageantry would expect. This will be the first crowning of a British monarch in 70 years.

Now, the flowers for the coronation have arrived at Westminster Abbey and they are seasonal and have been donated from across the United Kingdom. Organizers say Charles and Camilla requested only sustainable flowers be used. More than 120 floral varieties will be on display.

Alright, joining me now is Anna Stewart, who is at Westminster Abbey. So, Anna, it would all be taking place where you are and so as the hour gets closer, what's the mood and what's the latest on the final preparation?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: There's quite a buzz here, Kim. And this time tomorrow, the doors of Westminster Abbey that you see behind me, will be open. And the congregation will start to arrive. Today though, much quieter in many ways than in the last few days we

had. In the last week, there's been so many rehearsals, even King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey with other members of the Royal Family for a full rehearsal.

In the dead of night, we've actually had thousands of members of the military arriving on trains to practice their arrival into London to practice. The biggest procession route will have from the military, actually since the last coronation 70 years ago. So there's a lot going on for tomorrow.

The rehearsals now pretty much done. So in many ways, today feels like the calm before the storm. And storm is actually the right word to use, because I can tell you that the weather will be incredibly British, lots of rain forecast for the weekend.

Today, the King and Queen will be hosting heads of state and dignitaries at Buckingham Palace and then I expect they will turn in for an early night. And we probably won't see them again, until they leave Buckingham Palace tomorrow. Now, you might hear them here if you're in London before them, or in the U.K in fact, on trains and tubes, this message will start playing out tomorrow.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KING CHARLES III: My wife and I wish you and your families a wonderful coronation weekend.

QUEEN CAMILLA: Wherever you're traveling, we hope you have a safe and pleasant journey.

KING CHARLES III: And remember, please mind the gap.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

STEWART: Mind the gap. Actually, I think the Royal Family are very aware of the gap between them and the public. Tomorrow, that ceremony is about as exclusive and elite as really as you can get the coronation of the king. Yesterday, Prince William and his wife, the Princess of Wales traveled on the Tube into London to pour a pint at a pub, that was the theme, trying to engage the public as much as possible, I think, around the ceremony tomorrow.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So Anna there are so many points of interest, so many plotlines, what are you looking forward to, what will you be watching or keeping an eye on?

STEWART: There's so much. Tomorrow with the ceremony, there are incredibly special moments. There are moments we wanted to see like the anointing of the king.

But you know, aside from the mystery and the sacred rituals you will see, and the incredible royal carriages heading down, the procession of the soldiers, some of the moments I'm most looking forward to is actually what goes on beyond the square mile, what happens across the U.K and the Commonwealth, all the celebrations we're expecting. I actually planned to stop at one of the street parties here in London, where there will be all sorts going on. I believe I am attending a parade, Kim, of 150 King Charles Cavalier Spaniels, that's on stage over the weekend.

BRUNHUBER: All right, be sure to look for that. Anna Stewart in London, thanks so much. I appreciate it.

All right. So for more on the coronation, I am joined by Sally Bedell- Smith, and she's the author of "Elizabeth the Queen." Thank you so much for being here with us. Alright, I just want to start with, you know, how different or similar will this coronation be to others in the country's long history?

SALLY BEDELL-SMITH, CNN CONTRIBUITOR: Well, I think it will probably be most comparable to the coronation in 1937 of his grandfather and grandmother. Because, that was actually a King and Queen coronation as opposed to his mother in 1953, which was a Queen. And the Duke of Edinburgh was a participant but not in the way that a King and Queen are.

And it's going to be traditional in many respects. King Charles is somebody who reveres tradition. But he also understands that this is the 21st Century, so the core of the coronation, which will have all the traditional rituals and regalia, and the vestments and the oaths, and the anointing, and the crowning. That will all be intact. But I think around that, you'll see all sorts of signs that this is 2023, so there will be women, for example, who will be participating in some of the rituals.

[03:35:07]

There will be the inclusion of leaders of other faiths. This has been a theme of the King for almost his entire life, to promote harmony between different faiths. He's very emphatically the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. But both at the beginning of the ceremony and at the end of the ceremony, there will be a significant presence of other faith leaders. And there will be also innovations like having one of the gospels read by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was a practicing Hindu.

And many in the composition of the congregation which is significantly smaller, just really what the capacity of Westminster Abbey will hold, it's going to be around 23,000 people. And both for his mother and his grandparents, it was around 8,000, and they had huge stands along the side. So we will see a lot of people who might not ordinarily have been present in previous coronations.

For example, hundreds and hundreds of peers of the realm, and Pierce is wearing scarlet robes and Herman capes, and then putting on a core nets. That we are not going to see. We will see representatives of his charities and also people who have been recognition for their service to the United Kingdom and around the world.

BRUNHUBER: Let me just jump in. Because, all this pageantry -- I mean, it might be a bit smaller but all that pageantry won't come cheap. I mean, the U.K government hasn't said how much it will cost but it could be up to, you know, U.S. $125 million, according to some estimates, which doesn't sit well with many Britains especially now, you know, you have high inflation, the high cost of energy and so on. So, how big will the backlash be, do you think, once the glow wears off?

BEDELL-SMITH: Well, I mean, that remains to be seen. But I think one should emphasize that this is not like a Royal Wedding or anything like that. This is a profound ceremony of church and state. It occurs -- the last time it occurred was 70 years ago. And the time before that was 86 years ago.

And I think it is an important -- it's important and significant as a marker, if you will, of what the constitutional monarchy, -- excuse me, what the constitutional monarchy is about. And it's a reminder and it's also an education that I've been struck by how much the Royal Family has put out to emphasize a meaning of the various rituals and, you know, all that were going to see why they mean something, why they represent a thousand-year tradition, and why it is an expression of continuity, as well as unity.

BRUNHUBER: We'll see whether all of that resonates as the world will be watching. Sally Bedell-Smith, thank you so much for being with us.

BEDELL-SMITH: You're welcome.

BRUNHUBER: And of course, CNN will bring a special live coverage of the Coronation of King Charles III, tomorrow starting at 10 in the morning in London, 1pm in Abu Dhabi, 5am Eastern Time. And we'll be everywhere from Buckingham Palace, to the Westminster Abbey, and all along the mile with the crowds, and see it all here with CNN.

Still ahead this hour, witnesses report some of the heaviest fighting in Sudan since the conflict erupted last month, leaving reported ceasefires in tatters.

Plus, Israel's response to the killing of a British-Israeli woman and her two daughters. More details ahead. Please stay with us.

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[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: New violent clashes erupted, Friday morning in Sudan's capital. Witnesses report fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the vicinity of the Presidential Palace. Clashes were also reported, north of Khartoum and warplanes were seen flying over the city. That's despite the RSF saying it would extend the ceasefire for 72-hours, starting this morning local time. And it's also comes after the rival Sudanese Armed Forces announced that it agreed to a seven-day ceasefire with a paramilitary group, while there was no response from the group, at that time.

Now, previous ceasefires haven't stopped the fighting, as you can see, by columns of dark smoke, over the capital of Khartoum on Thursday. Witnesses report the most violent fighting since the start of the clash last month, which has led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians.

Israel says it killed the gunman responsible for the deaths of a British-Israeli mother, and two of her daughters last month. A senior operative for the militant group Hamas, who helped the two gunmen was also killed.

Our Hadas Gold is in Jerusalem with details.

[03:44:50]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Israeli authorities saying that their forces killed the suspected gunman, in that attack that killed the British-Israeli mother and her two daughters last month in a town in the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities saying that more than 200 of their forces carried out a raid in the old city in the cusp of Nablus, in the West Bank, in a morning time raid, normally these raids happened in the middle of the night or the early morning hours, this one happened after most people were likely awake.

And, Israeli security forces saying that when they surrounded a house or an apartment where they believe these gunman were hiding that they engaged in an exchange of fire, and that the two suspected gunman, who they believed carried out the attack were killed, as was a third Palestinian man whose Israeli forces say were helping to hide the men.

Now, the militant group Hamas, who has claimed responsibility for that attack on the British-Israeli mother and her two daughters, said that all three of them were their operatives and, described them, they said as heroes of the Jordan Valley.

Now, the father and husband of Lucy, Maya and Rina Dee, said in a statement, that he and his surviving children are delighted, he said, to hear that the terrorist were limited today. Most of all, he said that it was done in a way that apparently did not endanger the lives of Israeli soldiers, because that was one of the most important things from their families' perspective.

Now, Lucy, Maya, and Rina Dee were killed while they were driving in their car in Hamra in the occupied West Bank a month ago. A gunman pulled up next to them while they were driving, shooting at their car, killing the two daughters immediately and the mother, Lucy, dying a couple days later in the hospital.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu also issuing a statement saying, our message to those who harm us and those who want to harm us is that whether it takes a day, a week or a month, you can be certain that we will settle accounts with you, it doesn't matter where you tried to hide. We will find you.

This has already been some of the deadliest few months in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict for both Israelis and Palestinians. And it is on pace to beat the record from last year which was already the deadliest year for both Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and in Israel since the days of the Second Intifada. This year already on pace to beat that.

Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And we'll be back with more news, right after this. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Vindication for a singer Ed Sheeran, and his hit song, "Thinking Out Loud."

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Sheeran was sued and accused of copying parts of the 1973 Marvin Gaye hit "Let's Get it On," into the song you just heard there. On Thursday in New York, the jury cleared him of infringement. The family of a co- writer of "Let's Get it On" had pleaded that Sheeran's song was similar to Marvin Gaye's. But Sheeran's lawyer argued that the melodies were different and both songs used musical elements; they're common in pop music.

The strike by film and television writers is entering its fourth day on Friday. New analysis from Moody's says, movie theater companies could be hurt the most if the walkout drags on. Cinemas already strained by the pandemic in the popularity of streaming services. Moody's analysis says broadcast and TV networks could be hurt too as viewers left without their favorite TV shows move to streaming. Right now, no negotiations are scheduled, between the Writers Guild of America, and the group that represents management for big studios.

Artificial Intelligence has come a long way in a short time. And that's worried a lot of people. And now, the White House has announced measures to address some of those concerns. Now, those measures include plans for policies to organize how federal agencies get and use A.I. could influence future A.I. products and how people get access to and interact with the technology.

CNN's Tom Foreman looks at the unique challenges posed by A.I.

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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 15-year-old, Arizona girl often in a skiing competition, a desperate phone call home.

JENNIFER DESTEFANO, RECEIVED A.I. SCAM CALL: I hear my daughter's voice. And it says mom, and she's sobbing, as what happened. And she says like, mom, I messed up. And she's like help me mom. Please help me, help me. I'm falling. FOREMAN (voice-over): Jennifer DeStefano says then a man came on

demanding ransom. But the girl had never been taken. DeStefano says it was all a scam. Her daughter's voice was apparently generated by Artificial Intelligence.

DESTEFANO: I never doubted for one second that it was her. That's what the freaky part that really got me to my core.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Fear of runaway smart technology has dominated sci-fi for decades, but now real life concerns about this technology running amok has the White House meeting with Google, Microsoft, Open A.I., and others, and putting $140million into A.I. research.

The move comes as analysts fear A.I. bots could pour unprecedented amounts of false information into upcoming elections. The Republican National Committee has already rolled out this political ad, comprised of doomsday images created by A.I.

UNKNOWN: Border agents were overrun by a surge of 80,000 illegals yesterday evening.

UNKNOWN: Officials close the city of San Francisco this morning.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Again, none of that is real, neither is this. They are just elaborate computer simulations.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're entering an era, in which our enemies can make it look like anyone is saying anything at any point in time.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Concerns about A.I. go beyond politics, to education, crime, and privacy issues. But the technology brings promise, too.

In the hit film "Top Gun: Maverick," actor Val Kilmer was unable to speak as a result of cancer treatment. So, A.I. sampled all recordings and created the voice you heard.

VAN KILMER (in A.I. voice): The Navy needs maverick

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FOREMAN (voice-over): But worries about the downside seem to hover everywhere. One issue in the Hollywood writers' strike, will A.I. take away some of their work?

(on-camera): This whole technology is moving at such a breakneck pace right now. No one can say where it's going to be in even the near future. But one study indicates worldwide, A.I. could affect up to 300 million jobs.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. CNN NEWSROOM with Bianca Nobilo is next.