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CNN International: Texas Community Mourns Eight People Killed in Shooting; Eight People Killed After Car Plows Into Crowd in Texas; Russia Strikes Ukraine's Capital; U.S. Expects Surge of Migrants as Title 42 Expires; Ethnic Violence Rocks India's Manipur State. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired May 08, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Bianca Nobilo.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Max Foster joining you live from London. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw people running. I saw customers looking to me and looking to my manager, looking to us because they were terrified and scared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not the Texas miracle that Greg Abbot likes to follow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're living in a Texas nightmare.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These people think that it is safer for them to be here, already in U.S. territory, behind that barbed wire. The border is not open. It has not been opened, and it will not be open subsequent to May 11th.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ukraine is doing everything it can to prevent Russia from bringing home a victory ahead of May the 9th.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Live from London, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo.

FOSTER: It is Monday, May 8th, 9:00 a.m. here in London, 3:00a.m. in Allen, Texas. Where residents are still processing the mall shooting that left eight people dead and seven wounded on Saturday. At the site of the attack people have been mourning the victims by placing flowers on a makeshift memorial. And at a vigil on Sunday, the mayor offered prayers, and condolences to everyone affected.

NOBILO: We now know the name of one of the eight people killed in the attack and be, I killed from the attack. This is Christian LaCour. His sister says that he was a sweet, caring young man who was loved greatly by his family. We're also learning that Christian was a security guard at the mall where the shooting happened.

The attack on Saturday sent dozens of shoppers running for their lives. Some of them have been speaking out about the terror they experienced.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was just kind of full of adrenaline. I mean, it was the most terrifying moment of my life. I immediately reached out to both of my parents, told them that I was OK. But I had other things to take care of. I mean, I had to make sure that the store was OK and that the team was OK, that the customers in there were OK. But then after I handled that, the fear really said in. And I just kind of sat in the floor in like a ball and it was just like, I just had to accept. I just had to accept, in the moment and be like, well, this is my life now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I parked above 50 feet from the front door of H&M. And it was a guy on the phone and he was begging for help. And he didn't speak a lot of English. I took the phone from him, I told the operator, I started counting the bodies on the ground. I said one, two, three, five, six, seven bodies. I then saw a little boy about 4 or 5. I'm assuming it's a boy. It might have been a girl. I couldn't tell the sex. Fall out from under one of the victims. I went around the planter and grabbed him and took him away from all the bodies.

I asked him, do you speak English, because he looked (INAUDIBLE). He said he did. He just kept saying my mother is hurt over and over and over. I told him everything is fine. Help was on the way. I checked him for no wounds but he was caked with blood from head to toe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Authorities have been searching the home of the gunman, to piece together details about the shooting. They're also trying to determine if the attacker had links to right wing extremism. CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The parking lot of the outlet mall, here in Alan Texas, where a gunman killed eight people Saturday afternoon is still cordoned off. Hundreds of cars still in the parking lot, as investigators continue to work through the scene.

We have learned from various witnesses who were there at the time of the shooting, that the gunman, from the moment he started firing, and to the moment where he was shot and killed by an Allen police officer, that the gunman had moved several hundred yards around a building inside of that parking lot area.

Several witnesses described the gunman moving deliberately and shooting at victims as he was continuing to move through the parking lot.

We have now identified, according to a senior law enforcement source, the suspect us 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia. He lives in Dallas. We were in the neighborhood where his parents lived, and we were told that up until several months ago, he was a living there. We tried to speak with Garcia's family, but they refused to answer the door when we knocked on it.

[04:05:00]

But we did speak with about a half dozen neighbors, who described Garcia as someone who kept himself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I never really saw anything that was suspicious or out of, you know, I don't talk to the guy. I mean, he would get in and park his car and then just walked in like anybody else. So, nothing, you know, that hit the red flag.

I think he was a real loner. A lot of times he would walk up and down the block and always with those Converse. You now, he liked those, I guess those were his favorite ones, the Converse. So, I think, you know, that he just like to walk up and down the block with his little hoodie and just, you know, just didn't really say anything.

LAVANDERA: A senior law enforcement official also says that they have discovered that Mauricio Garcia has connections to right wing extremism. On his body they found an insignia with the letters that say "RWDS" which stands for right "wing death squad." That senior law enforcement official also said that there has been a long list of social media posts with white supremacists and right-wing extremism themes as well.

Exactly how all of that plays into the motivation for carrying out his attack here at this outlet mall in Allen, that part is not exactly clear. But that is some of the initial details that we are hearing from investigators.

This as we have now gone more than 24 hours since the shooting happened that officials and law enforcement officers have not briefed reporters on the latest on this investigation.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Allen, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Texas Governor Greg Abbott attended a vigil for those killed in the shooting in Allen on Sunday. He also spoke to Fox News about rising gun violence in the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREG ABBOTT (R) TEXAS GOVERNOR: We need to recognize a reality of what we have seen across the United States over the past year or two. And that is an increased number of shootings in both red states and blue states. People want a quick solution, the long-term solution here is to address the mental health issue. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: But one Texas Democrat is putting the blame for gun violence, squarely on the Republican Party and the NRA. Here's what Texas state Senator Roland Gutierrez told CNN on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE SEN. ROLAND GUTIERREZ (D-TX): I just don't understand these Republicans that want to just pray and do absolutely nothing. Our country and our state is burning down because we have these guns in the hands of people that shouldn't have them. It's a chaos that is wholly created by the Republican party and the NRA. We can stop it and we can stop it now. But we don't have anybody with the political will to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: Further South in Brownsville Texas, police are still trying to find out whether a deadly car crash that killed eight people was intentional or not. So far, they said that suspect in custody has not been cooperating.

FOSTER: Video, taken from the scene, shows the speeding vehicle approaching a street corner where about 25 migrants were waiting for a bus. CNN's Rosa Flores has more from Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now this happened in Brownsville, Texas, which is across the border from Matamoros, Mexico. According to the director of the shelter where all of this unfolded, he says that this happened across the street from his shelter on Sunday morning at about 8:30 in the morning. He says that between 20-25 migrants from Venezuela were sitting on the curb waiting for a bus, and then the rest was captured on surveillance video. According to this director, he says that he eases watched this video and what he saw unfold was the following.

He said that there was a 2007 Range Rover vehicle that was driving at a very high speed. The driver ran a red light then hit the curb about 30 feet from where the migrants were, and then that that vehicle went out of control.

Now, according to this director, he says that he talked to some of the witnesses and that, according to some of the witnesses, that this act was intentional.

But I asked director, if based on his witnessing of the video, watching this video, if to him it actually looked like an intentional act? And he said no. He reiterated that what this video showed was that there was a vehicle that was driving at a very high rate of speed that ran a red light, hit a curb, and then drove out of control.

About the driver of this vehicle, according to Brownsville police, they have not identified this individual. This individual is not cooperating. This individual is under arrest and they are being held on charges of reckless driving.

Now I'm here in El Paso, Texas, because we're covering the migrant surge that is happening leading up to the lifting of Title 42. And if you could see, there are barricades here in front of me on this street.

[04:10:00]

Because what you see behind me is a church shelter. And so, there's a lot of concern by city officials here in the city of El Paso and in other border cities for their own public safety and the public safety of their residents. That's why the city of El Paso issued a statement on Sunday saying that the incident in Brownsville reinforces their decision to close out the street here at the shelter in El Paso.

Rosa Flores, CNN, El Paso.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBILO: Russia has launched a new wave of attacks across Ukraine just one day before Moscow holds its annual Victory Day parade to mark defeat of Nazi Germany.

FOSTER: In the south, Ukraine says Russia fired 80 missiles, reported here in Odessa. While to the north, a Ukrainian official says forces intercepted and destroy 35 drones in the skies over Kyiv. Falling debris caused damage in two districts in the capital, and five people were injured.

CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us here in London. International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in eastern Ukraine. What's the latest on the strikes, Nic, and the presence of Russian forces in Bakhmut as well. Some question about that on the weekend?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, certainly the eastern front continues to be very active where we are standing here. We can hear the sounds of artillery quite clearly in the distance here. So, the east is very active. And of course, particularly in Bakhmut, Ukrainian officials of military are concerned about the potential of a Russian push at the last minute to try to take control of it completely before those Victory Day parade in Moscow on the ninth of May, tomorrow.

So, there is if you will, perhaps a little more tension along the front lines in the east about Russia's intent. But of course, all of that will be valuable information for the Ukrainians so that they can sort of determine if the Russians make a big last-minute push for Bakhmut. How strong is it? Where are their strengths, where are their weaknesses?

Along the southern front, again, much expected possible offensive that the government officials sometimes call a military campaign here, that Russian expectation that's perhaps going to get underway sometime soon. No indication from Ukrainian officials about when or where that may start. But the strikes on Kyiv, significant perhaps in their number -- 35

drones, that was a significant number. Significant for the Ukrainians that they're able to shoot them all down. And some missiles are getting through, in Odessa.

Again, it's Kyiv that seems to have the strongest air defenses. And we've heard Ukrainian officials say that they think that recently Russia has been testing their air defenses to see where their weaknesses could be. But in the east, here we are, very distinctive heavy shelling continuing.

FOSTER: OK, Nic in the east, thank you.

NOBILO: And, Clare, we have Russia's Victory Day coming up tomorrow. The propaganda parallels for Russia are quite strong because this is marking 1945 the Soviet defeat of the Nazis. Seas. And they've been alleging the pretext for their invasion of Ukraine were not the elements of a new kind of fascism in Ukraine. Given that it's so many months on and Russia still hasn't got the decisive victory it promise at the beginning. What's the importance of this in terms of morale and propaganda in the country?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Victory Day, I mean, you just cannot overstate its importance in Russia. It is probably the biggest day of the year. It used to be, by the way, something that Russia marked in conduction with the West because they fought together against Nazi Germany. I was there in 2005 -- that ages me a little bit. But that was when the U.S. president, at the time, George W. Bush, also attended the 60th anniversary. And 2010 Western, troops even marched alongside Russian troops in the parade in Moscow.

So, we see, obviously in play, the complete destruction of Russia's relation with the West -- no foreign leaders there. But I think really significant this year is that there's been some scaling back of the Victory Day. Parades we've seen a lot of regions, the ones closest to Ukraine, either canceling parades or removing some elements, things like fireworks displays, citing security concerns in some cases. Other citing proximity to Ukraine. One in particular region said that they didn't have military units, or equipment so that is potentially telling.

And I think this is just one more way in which this war is really hitting home and hitting where it hurts. Because this is a huge patriotic importance to Russians.

NOBILO: Clare Sebastian, thank you so much.

The stalemate in the U.S. Congress over the debt limit has senior treasury officials worried. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, said that there would be economic chaos and catastrophe if the debt ceiling isn't raised.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[04:15:00] JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: There is no way to protect our financial system and our economy. Other than Congress, doing its job and raising the debt ceiling and enabling us to pay our bills. And we should not get to the point where we need to consider whether the president can go on issuing debt, this would be a constitutional crisis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: It comes ahead of a highly anticipated meeting between the U.S. President Joe Biden and Congressional leaders tomorrow. The U.S. could default as soon as June 1st. That's when it'll run out of money to pay its bills unless Congress raises the debt ceiling as it's done dozens of times before.

Now closing arguments are set to get underway today in the civil battery and defamation trial against Donald, Trump. The former president will not testify in the case brought by E. Jean Carroll. Who's accused Trump of raping her in the mid 1990s.

NOBILO: The judge had given Trump's legal team until 5 p.m. Sunday, to confirm if he was testifying. But Trump's attorney did not make any filing with the court, and the jury will likely begin deliberating on Tuesday.

People across the central U.S. could be waking up to some storm damage this morning. There was over 270 storm reports across the region on Sunday.

FOSTER: And there were reports of heavy rainfall in Illinois and five tornadoes in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. Also, more than 100 reports of damaging winds and hail. Some of them quite large, measuring about two inches or five centimeters in diameter.

NOBILO: The pandemic era deportation rule known as Title 42 ends this week. And migrants are already gathering near the southern border trying to enter the U.S. Details in our report, coming up from the border after the break.

FOSTER: Also ahead, thousands of people are fleeing their homes in the Indian state of Manipur amid ethnic violence. We'll have a live report from the region.

NOBILO: And there's a shortage of air traffic controllers in the U.S. and that could have an impact on your summer vacation, if you're planning to take to the skies. We'll have a report for you coming up.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: U.S. House Republicans are set to vote on a wide-ranging border security package on Thursday, which is also the expiration date for Title 42. That's the U.S. government ruled that allows border offices to quickly expel migrants during the COVID pandemic. FOSTER: But both Republicans and Democrats have been critical of

President Joe Biden's timely communication about the border crisis. But the Homeland Security secretary says the U.S. is prepared to handle any expected migrant surge. As CNN's Gustavo Valdes reports, people are trying or already gathering near the southern border anticipating the end of Title 42.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are about 50 miles from downtown Ciudad Juarez, and this is the point where many migrants are now waiting for the end of Title 42. The end of Title 42 is May 11th. Nonetheless, these people think that it is safer for them to be here already in U.S. territory, behind that barbed wire, than being on the streets of Ciudad Juarez, where they believe they could be victims of crime.

We have seen this afternoon about 200 people that are waiting here. Many of them are children. And we hear the cry -- the cry for help of many of them who are requesting water or food from us. They say they've been here about five days. And they have limited resources. We've seen some people come and food, water, sodas, but it seems like they are selling. So, only those who still have some money can benefit from this.

We've also seen medical emergencies, like the one on that side. Where we are told there are three women who collapsed. And they are waiting for some kind of assistance. There are -- there's nobody on the U.S. side. Nobody from the border patrol, the National Guard, there are two border parties. But there are no officials here. You see what's happening, they were telling us that they were trying to get these women back into Mexico to see if they can get any medical help on this side. We haven't seen that happening yet.

Gustavo Valdes, CNN Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: At least 55 people have been killed and more than 200 hospitalized amid ethnic violence in the Indian state of Manipur.

NOBILO: Authorities say as many as 23,000 people have fled their homes since violence broke out in the past few days. The Indian army has been deployed, and a five-day mobile internet blackout has been enforced to try and contain this violence. CNN's Vedika Sud is following all the developments for us from New Delhi. Vedika, what are the roots of this violence?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN, REPORTER: That's a very good question, and very complicated one. Let me just try and simplify that for you, Bianca. So, there's two groups, two ethnic communities in Manipur who have clashed. One of them is tribal group. The other is the main group, predominately Hindu, and they are about 50 percent of Manipur's population of 3 million people. And they are seeking tribal rights.

Now, once you seek tribal rights, and if you get them, what happens is, you get benefits, social benefits, you get employment there, reservations made in government jobs for you in educational institutes.

Now the tribal groups, which are a minority, do not want this for the main ethnic group of Manipur, which is known as the Meitei group. They took out a protest -- the tribal groups last week, and they were protesting just about this when it sparked clashes between these two communities. After which homes were torched, cars were torched. There was vandalism. There was arson, and that's led to more than at least 50 deaths.

What's interesting, Bianca, is this number we've got is not from the state government, it's not from the chief minister's office of Manipur. It's from independently going to these hospitals in Imphal and gathering these numbers. Because the state government is not ready to come out with the number of dead yet. So, we've got this from the doctors, who officially confirmed the death toll to us, which stands to 55, more than 200 injured.

[04:25:00]

And what's really worrying is that these doctors have also told CNN that most of the wounds are from gunshots. We do know that authorities did issue a notification last week, where there was a shoot on sight order, only in extreme cases where the situation could not be brought under control. But we don't know who's been shooting in these people, since most of the wounds are gunshots.

For now, the Indian army is patrolling the entire area. There is tension. But the situation seems to be under control, Bianca, is what we're being told. There is aerial surveillance being carried out by the Indian army. And for now, there is a curfew in most of these places, which is being lifted intermittently for people to move about and get their essentials.

But the situation in Manipur still remains very tense. We're waiting to hear from the state government. Like I said, there's been no word from them. This is a state which is ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party which is Indian Prime Minister's Narendra Modi's political party. We're waiting to see how the situation improves over the days, if it does. But for now, most of these people are in camps, in relief camps, both the nontribal and the tribal communities -- Bianca.

NOBILO: Fingers crossed that calm can hold. Vedika Sud great reporting. Thank you so much.

FOSTER: At least 25 -- 27 people are dead after a fire broke out in a gold mine in southern Peru. On Saturday, local officials said on Sunday that a short-circuit sparked the fire. Images on local and social media showed dark plumes of smoke pouring out of the site. The incident is the country's single deadliest mining accident in more than two decades.

NOBILO: Wildfires have forced evacuation of more than 29,000 people from their homes in the Canadian province of Alberta. This is what it looked like in Valley View. Emergency officials say at least 60 new fires have started in the past day.

There are more than 100 active wildfires right now and 31 of them are out of control. More than 150,000 hectares or 375,000 acres have burned so far this year. Scattered showers gave firefighters some assistance on Sunday.

FOSTER: President Biden tells Congress Americans are being gunned down because their lawmakers refused to act. The blunt message from the White House about the gun violence epidemic just ahead.

NOBILO: And the Arab League restores Syria's long suspended membership, even though it says that the crisis in Syria isn't over. We'll explain why the League is making this move now.

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