Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Manhunt Underway For Kentucky Interstate Shooting Suspect; Trump And Harris Deadlocked In New National Poll Ahead Of Debate; Harris Getting Support From Unlikely Group, The Evangelicals; Thousands Under Evacuation As California Line Fire Explodes In Size; Israeli Workers Killed. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired September 08, 2024 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:04]

DEBBIE HINES, TRIAL ATTORNEY: And if you break down those numbers, what that means is every seven hours someone is killed by the police in this country. And the only way we can really deal with that issue right now in some meaningful way is to pass the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, which would eliminate qualified immunity.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: And you get real personal in this, you know, op-ed that you wrote in the "Baltimore Sun," that you, you know, you wrote that you really can empathize with the fear that Sonya Massey in Illinois may have had before police shot and killed her in her own home. In your case, you called police after finding your mom peacefully passed away in her home in 2006 and you say your sadness was misinterpreted, and you ended up fearing for your own life.

HINES: Exactly. I called the police because I never encountered that situation before, and I didn't know what to do and I was just so by a hospice organization to call the police. OK. And so I called the police and when they got there, they told me that they would have to take my mother to the morgue as opposed to what I thought would be the funeral home. I didn't understand it. I watch "Law and Order," and I'm thinking she doesn't need to be in a morgue. I didn't kill or anything.

But at the end of the day, I started crying uncontrollably. I couldn't stop crying. And what the police officer said, and I am very still traumatized today every time someone gets killed because I remember his stern voice saying to me, if I didn't stop, meaning crying, he would have to arrest me. And so, yes, every time I hear about a Sonya Massey, a Breonna Taylor, Botham Jean, someone that gets killed in their own home or in the home of a loved one at their pad, it relates me back to the racial trauma that I experienced each and every time from what I went through in they experience of police officers in my mom's home, the home that I grew up in, that she lived in for over 40 years.

That's one of the reasons why. So, yes, despite whatever credentials I have, I still have reason as a black woman to fear the police and fear for my life in certain instances involving the police.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Your experience as a former Baltimore prosecutor at that.

All right, Debbie Hines, thank you so much.

HINES: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

This breaking news right now in Kentucky where police are in a desperate manhunt after a shooting spree on an interstate. They are looking for this man, Joseph Couch. Police say he is armed and dangerous. This afternoon, investigators say they found his car and the suspected weapon he used, an AR-15. Authority say Couch shot into cars as they passed by on Interstate 75 in rural Laurel County.

Five people were wounded in the attack. One of the drivers told CNN about the harrowing experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA DINOTO, EYEWITNESS: We just heard this deafening, loud sound and it sounded like a rock went through my back window and our ears were ringing and we just looked at each other, and we were like, was that a gunshot? And then we're like, that can't be a gunshot, you know, because we're driving down the highway. And there was a white truck that was next to us in the right-hand lane and all of a sudden, he slowed down and he pulled off to the shoulder.

And we thought maybe it was his tire had blown out or something, but it was much louder than a tire blowing out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Gloria Pazmino is tracking the latest developments in this case.

Gloria, what are you learning?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, we're starting to hear from some of the victims and you can just imagine how chaotic this scene was. You're driving along a highway. You're moving at fast speed and all of a sudden, you hear gunshots. And my colleague Jillian Sykes actually just spoke with one of the survivors of this incident who was injured by the gunfire.

Her name is Rebecca Puryear, and she's a 28-year-old woman who was driving her car along with her husband and her 4-year-old son. And what you're seeing there is the picture of her car with the window shattered after a bullet pierced through it and injured her in the arm. Rebecca is going to be recovering. She was already released from the hospital, but she's one of the five people that were injured during this shooting last night.

Now, as you said, the manhunt for this suspect continues and police have identified Joseph Couch. They believe that he is the suspect behind this incident, and they are asking people in this community, in the city of London, to remain vigilant. They believe that they have them cordoned to an area where are they are currently searching, but they're open to the possibility that he may be elsewhere by now.

[16:05:01]

This happened last night and they had to stop the search in the evening hours because of the dark and how, just how difficult this area is. A lot of trees, a lot of shrub, not a whole lot of light in there for you to be searching at night.

I want you to listen to the Laurel County Sheriff's Office describing some of the injuries that this suspect allegedly caused last night during the shooting. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GILBERT ACCIARDO, PAO, LAUREL COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: There were some severe injuries. There was an individual that was shot in the face. There was another individual that was shot in the arm of a very severe injury. Those were the most severe lady shot across the chest. They were very significant, very severe injuries. I don't want to lessen that. We didn't have a fatality. But we certainly had some very serious injuries that will affect these people for the rest of their life, I'm sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: It's incredible to hear just how lucky everyone got last night. We know that an AR-15 was recovered. Police believe that was the weapon that this man used in this shooting. They also recovered his vehicle along with a gun case that was inside the vehicle. They believed that he is armed and dangerous.

We also learned in the last hour, Fred, that the family of this suspect is cooperating. They live elsewhere outside this county. But the sheriff's office did say that they are cooperating. He said they have a big task ahead of them in the next several hours. They're working against the clock. They don't want the sun to go down once again without this person being caught, and they're out there working every possible angle.

They're using canines, drones, a helicopter. Again, over a very wooded area, a difficult to search area. But trying to keep the community at calm so that they know that this search is ongoing -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much.

An explosive wildfire is intensifying in Southern California this weekend, forcing residents to evacuate. Officials say the Line Fire is threatening tens of thousands of buildings and homes in parts of the San Bernardino County area.

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for the county. Authorities say smoke and gusty winds will worsen and make conditions very difficult for first responders.

Meteorologist Elisa Rafah is tracking the latest from the CNN Extreme Weather Center.

So how unusual is that for this to be happening at this time of year?

ELISA RAFAH, AMS METEOROLOGIST: The heat is so unusual, and what the heat does is it dries out those fuels and we've had temperatures well into the triple digits, 10 to 20 degrees above normal for Southern California. We hit a temperature of 112 degrees the other day in L.A. for only third time in its history since the 1800s.

You can see the warnings are still in effect from Los Angeles down to San Diego. 25 million people under these excessive heat alerts here. You've got temperatures still up around 100 degrees through Sunday and Monday in L.A., again way above the average of the upper 70s. So some triple-digit heat in Palm Springs, in Phoenix, and Las Vegas. Temperatures are out 100 degrees or hotter.

On top of this, we also have some very dry air. You've got that relative humidity down to 5 percent to 15 percent, and winds are gusting up to 40 miles per hour, so, again, that just makes these fire conditions more erratic and harder to control.

There are two fires that we've been watching. The Davis Fire up in -- near Reno, where it's got to 1500 acres that are burning, zero percent containment. And then the much bigger Line Fire that's near Los Angeles, that's got 17,000 acres. Again, very hard to contain.

We'll find these winds continuing to kick as we go into tomorrow. Again, winds, gusts rather 20 to 30 miles per hour. So something to watch. A little bit of a low in the morning on Tuesday but then the winds do come back again Tuesday afternoon, something firefighters will have to contend with.

Remember this also brings smoke, too, so with the extreme heat that already gives you poor air quality because the heat traps our pollution, which for a place like L.A. they really struggle with. Now you add that wildfire smoke can really do some damage when it comes to that air quality. So if you have lung or heart disease, if you're sensitive to things like that, you really want to keep that in mind for some of the smoke conditions.

We will find temperatures starting to ease back on the West Coast, some cooler temperatures coming in later in the week as some of that heat starts to spread to the east.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. Elisa Rafah, thanks so much.

All right. Still ahead this hour, new details on Vice President Kamala Harris' post-debate campaign plan, plus a warning from the mother of the Apalachee school shooting suspect before he allegedly opened fire killing four people. And it's only the NFL's season opening week but the Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner, well, that was just announced.

[16:10:07]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right. Ahead of Tuesday's big presidential debate showdown, polls show a neck-and-neck race. A just released "New York Times"-Sienna College poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump in a near deadlock nationally with 58 days until the election.

[16:15:02]

A new CNN Poll of Polls out today also shows a similar tight race with no clear leader less than two months before voters head to the polls.

I'm joined now by CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein.

Ron, great to see you. These polls seem to show that the needle isn't moving much at this point. So what should the Harris campaign take away from that?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: we are in an incredibly close race in an incredibly small number of states, right? I mean, the two things that have happened is that, you know, over the course of really this century, the number of swing states at the two sides are truly competing for has dwindled to six or seven, and yet those states are divided vertically, exactly in half.

That "New York Times" poll, Sienna poll, it's a very good poll. First poll in a while to show Trump ahead. We'll have to see if it's confirmed by other polls. The CNN and CBS battleground state polls that came out, CBS today, CNN a couple of days ago, they would extrapolate up more toward a narrow Harris lead.

But, Fred, the thing that I take from all of these polls is the consistent finding that Harris is basically replicating the share of the vote among whites that Biden got when he won in 2020. And she's still -- even though she's improved on where Biden was when he left the race, she's still underperforming among non-whites, both black and Latino voters. And that may be the critical battlefield between now and the finish line.

WHITFIELD: And then something we're also just learning is that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who just suspended his independent presidential campaign will also be in Philly now, which is where the debate will be. He is going to be in the spin room as a surrogate for Trump. What do you make of that development?

BROWNSTEIN: I think Kennedy is very much of a mixed blessing for him. Obviously, Donald Trump enjoys having the Kennedy name, an aura and the, you know, his support by the time that Kennedy got out of the race. That dwindled toward the most alienated voters, more whom probably will end up with Trump than with Harris.

But Donald Trump is explicitly saying he is going to give Kennedy a large role in federal public health policy, putting him on a commission, may be leading a commission to look at, you know, what he calls chronic childhood disease, which is code for his opposition to vaccine mandates, which are in essentially every school in the country. Pew polling shows 70 percent of Americans support vaccine mandates in schools. I'm guessing that number is even higher among suburban moms.

So, you know, Democrats haven't really talked about it much, but you do wonder whether associating so closely with Kennedy could compound Trump's troubles with white-collar women in the suburbs. So I think would look very hesitantly at the idea of him having policy -- effect over policy that could affect vaccinations on challenges like measles and mumps.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. All right, and then regardless of the outcome of the debate, already the Harris-Walz campaign has a plan about what states to hit and why they're planning a 10-state battleground blitz, they're dubbing now the new way forward tour. The tour starts on Thursday, runs through Sunday, back to both North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and this says a lot about these states, too. But you just mentioned, you know, Harris really needs to appeal to a larger electorate audience. Will this help?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Well, you know, the biggest takeaway for me from that "New York Times" poll today that people are talking about is that roughly 30 percent of all voters said they need to know more about Harris. That rose to about 40 percent of both black and Latino voters. And 50 percent roughly of voters under 30.

You know, because of the unusual circumstances by which she was, you know, nominated, I think you have to go all the way back to Wendell Willkie in 1940, the business executives that Republicans kind of plucked out of nowhere to be their nominee against Franklin Roosevelt. That may be the last time that there was a nominee at this point in the process about whom voters had less firmly formed opinions.

The initial impressions of Harris have been good, her favorability is high, but as you see, a lot of people feel that they have -- they need to know more about her. And so in many ways, her task at the debate is less to make a case against Trump than to make a case for herself, and to show voters both what she would do and that she has the energy and competence to handle the job of president. I think that poll really sets up a very specific mission for her at the debate this week.

WHITFIELD: All right, so much on the line. Ron Brownstein, thank you so much.

And tune in to CNN for complete coverage and exclusive analysis before and after the debate. The ABC News Presidential Debate will be simulcast Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

[16:20:01]

All right. Two months before voters head to the polls and pick a president, and Vice President Harris is getting support from some members of a group long tied to the Republican Party.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher has the details on why some evangelical Christians are supporting Harris.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) LARISSA MILLER, POST-EVANGELICAL COLLECTIVE CHURCH MEMBER: It was just like an exhale, like I can breathe here. I can -- I can be myself here. I'm accepted.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a feeling Larissa Miller, a lesbian who was raised as a devout conservative evangelical, wasn't sure she'd ever have.

MILLER: That belief system essentially says that you cannot be gay and be Christian at the same time, I knew that I had to figure it out because I was just dying inside, and you start feeling like there's not an answer, there's no hope for you.

GALLAGHER: Her church today Watershed in Charlotte is full of Christians, former evangelicals like Miller seeking a place where their spirituality can co-exist with their sexuality or even just progressive politics.

TOMMY GARVIN, WORSHIPER: If this the message resonating with groups of people today who are marginalized, who are oppressed, to me that's where we find God.

GALLAGHER: Watershed is one of about 75 churches that belong to the post-evangelical collective.

MATT O'NEILL, PASTOR, WATERSHED: We would say that Jesus was incredibly political. But when you show up here, the goal isn't to have a political conversation. This is a spiritual conversation.

GALLAGHER: But preaching a radical reimagining of Christianity and biblical doctrine often with a focus on inclusivity and social justice tends to attract worshippers who align more with the Democratic Party.

In Nashville, it's setting up inside an elementary school auditorium, where Pastor Josh Scott and the Grace Point Church community gathered to examine their own spiritual evolution.

JOSH SCOTT, PASTOR, GRACE POINTE: In the beginning, we would definitely have fallen in that evangelical orbit, but now we have firmly moved away from that.

GALLAGHER: Why?

SCOTT: Because our values have grown and expanded and have become more inclusive, and it seems like evangelicalism's values have done the opposite.

GALLAGHER (voice-over): Across the city, in a crowded sanctuary at Spero Dei, Reverend David Moses Perez preaches a modern and liberal message, the opposite of what many in his congregation grew up hearing.

DAVID MOSES PEREZ, MINISTER, SPERO DEI: They did not want to let go of their faith, to practice being Christian, but they couldn't be in this rigid box of American evangelicalism that was going to define them doctrinally, politically, theologically. GALLAGHER: Shedding their evangelical upbringing and the conservative

politics often attached to it.

SCOTT: For a lot of people, their shift really kicked into high gear in 2015, 2016 with the rise of Trump.

GALLAGHER: White evangelicals are a powerful voting bloc that generally supports Republicans. More than 75 percent of them voted for Donald Trump in the past two elections and there's no indication their support has greatly shifted. But polling also shows that their numbers are shrinking, from 23 percent in 2006 to just 13 percent last year.

SCOTT: When we think about evangelicalism, the first thought is not good news, but it is the Republican Party platform.

GALLAGHER: But conservative evangelical activists say that's not a fair assessment. For years, the Faith and Freedom Coalition has worked to mobilize that white evangelical vote. And founder Ralph Reed says that political support is simply about values.

RALPH REED, FOUNDER, FAITH & FREEDOM COALITION: We want to make sure, for example, that they know where Kamala Harris and Donald Trump stand on abortion, on the border, on Israel, on Iran, appointing judges, on religious freedom.

GALLAGHER: Recently, the smaller progressive evangelical wing has actively campaigned even cut ads for Kamala Harris. But post- evangelical leadership insist they're not aiming to be the liberal version of their former church.

O'NEILL: It's really important that you make room for other folks who are showing up and they're being curious, so the tension is not to become the rigid, judgmental reverse side of what you just left.

GALLAGHER: If you had someone who plans to vote for former president Trump in your church, they would still be OK?

SCOTT: Yes. They may be uncomfortable with how we talk about some things, right? Because we're going to talk about issues of justice and we're going to point out issues that are dehumanizing.

MILLER: I hope that the word Christian can kind of be disentangled from evangelical and right-wing, and some of those other terms. I don't know if evangelical will necessarily change or be something different, but I do hope that we can reclaim the word Christian.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Dianne Gallagher, thank you so much. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:29:14]

WHITFIELD: An explosive wildfire is intensifying in Southern California this weekend, forcing residents to evacuate. Officials say the Line Fire is threatening tens of thousands of buildings and homes in parts of San Bernardino County. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for that county. Authorities say smoke and gusty winds will worsen conditions for first responders.

CNN national correspondent Camila Bernal is joining me now from San Bernardino County, California.

So, Camila, the terrain there is a huge challenge for firefighters. What else are they up against?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They're up against so many factors that firefighters say are challenging. You first mentioned the terrain and it's what you see here behind me. It's steep, it's mountainous, and just 30 seconds ago, we had helicopters coming in this area because you see this part of the burnt mountain.

[16:30:05]

But behind it, there is an area that had been untouched by the fire. And we started seeing flames. So, you're seeing the drop.

We believe the fire is over the hill. And so, again, just multiple helicopters coming around and doing those water drops to try to contain the flames.

Then, you also have the temperatures, triple-digit temperatures. And then, a thunderstorm that's expected in this area. So, yes, the water from that storm could be beneficial, but you're also talking about lightening that can start more fires and the wind in that storm that can push the fire in all sorts of directions.

So, firefighters not even knowing exactly where to send their crews. Right now, what they're trying to do is keep it away from the homes. There's about 3,000 people and homes that have been evacuated from this area. This is mountain communities that are somewhat secluded, but officials saying that, so far, they've been able to keep the fire from the homes.

So, they're trying to contain it and to maintain it in that way where no homes are lost. The problem is that the fire is unpredictable, so you have zero percent containment. And that's since Thursday.

Since this fire started, they have not been able to make any progress and official saying that that's because of the terrain. Because of the weather. Because of the fact that this area has not seen a fire in a long time. And so, everything around here is very dry and ready to essentially burn up in flames.

So, so many challenges that these firefighters are having to deal with, and they are just working around the clock -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Camila Bernal, keep us posted. Thank you so much.

All right. Still ahead, new details of a warning from the mother of the Apalachee school shooting suspect just before he allegedly opened fire, killing two students and two teachers. We'll have the latest next.

[16:31:50]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, new details in the Georgia High School shooting. The family of the 14-year-old suspect confirms to CNN the boy's mother called to warn a school counselor, just before her son allegedly went on a shooting rampage that killed two of his classmates and two teachers.

Marcee Gray broke her silence yesterday, telling "The Washington Post" that she is so sorry for what she calls the absolutely horrific shooting.

CNN's Rafael Romo has been in Winder, Georgia, following the developing story. Rafael, the teen suspect's mother says her son sent an alarming text on the morning of that shooting.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Fred. It's a new and dramatic development. We have learned that Marcee Gray, the mother of the 14-year-old accused of the shooting, called the school counselor roughly 30 minutes before the shooting and described a, quote, "unspecified emergency." This was first reported by "The Washington Post," as you said, and later confirmed by CNN with Annie Brown, the teenager's aunt.

The emergency turned out to be an alarming and apologetic text from Marcee Gray's son, Colt Gray. The text simply said, quote, "I'm sorry, Mom."

CNN confirmed earlier today with Charles Polhamus, Colt Gray's maternal grandfather. It was after receiving that text that the mother placed the call to the school, before beginning a 200-mile drive from Fitzgerald, Georgia, to here in Winder. But by the time she arrived, the tragic shooting had already happened.

As you can imagine, a community very, very sad -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Hey, and, Rafael, the Atlanta Falcons, I mean, they showed their support for the Apalachee High School during the team's warm-up. Tell us more about that.

ROMO: Yes, that's right. It was a very beautiful thing. And this happened ahead of their season opening home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Atlanta Falcons' players wore Apalachee Wildcats' tee-shirts during pre-game warm-ups.

Also, a moment of silence was observed before the "National Anthem" at Mercedes Benz Stadium to honor those affected by the deadly shooting, roughly 50 miles from downtown Atlanta.

And, Fredricka, let me tell you. Throughout the weekend, we have witnessed how thousands of people have arrived here at Apalachee High School in Winder to pay their respects, bring flowers and show support to the families of the deceased and the school itself -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, how touching. All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much.

All right, here to discuss further is Monica Johnson the 988 Lifeline director. And, folks at home, you'll recall that 988 is the suicide and crisis lifeline. Monica, great you could be with us.

MONICA JOHNSON, DIRECTOR, 988 LIFELINE (via Webex): Thank you, Fredricka. Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Yes, this is a very tender, tragic time for the entire community of Apalachee High School and beyond. I think, you know, even if you didn't live in that area, you are touched by it.

So, we know a community recovery center will open in Barrow County, Georgia, tomorrow to help that community cope. How crucial is a resource like this, especially after a tragedy like that?

JOHNSON: Yes. So, those type of resources are certainly very important. The amount of trauma that those communities experience, that will experience, not just in this moment but for some time to come, is going to be profound.

[16:40:10]

JOHNSON: And so, centers like that are important. And so is the resource that we have, which is 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline. That is available 24-7, 365 days out of the year. For anybody in this country that is experiencing any type of behavioral health crisis. They are -- they are -- they should call and can be connected to a trained crisis counselor across this country.

WHITFIELD: That lifeline, you know, has long been available. But, interestingly enough, today, September Eighth, is actually the inaugural 988 day. A new tradition, you know, to raise awareness of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and mental health support.

So, this year's theme is no judgment, just help. What's the goal behind the creation of this day.

JOHNSON: Yes. So, as you mentioned, the line is a -- it's a little over two years old. And, to date, we've had been -- we've had the privilege to be able to respond to a little over 10 million contacts.

But we still know that not enough people know that this tremendous resource exists. So, what we want to do is, really, with that catchphrase you just used, no judgment, just help, has really reduced the stigma that is often associated with people feeling like they're having thoughts of suicide or any type of behavioral health crisis.

So, rather that's depression, feelings of -- you know, feeling anxious, trauma, concerns around substance use. So, we want people to know that this is -- this is there. That they can trust it. And we really want to just raise awareness. WHITFIELD: And, you know, Monica, I mean, recently, the state of North

Carolina released data. Almost 6,500 teens had reached out in crisis in the past year. So, why is that age group 13 to 17 year olds? Why are they more at risk for mental health issues?

JOHNSON: So, I think there's a variety of factors that play into that. We do see some concerning numbers, when we look at the incident of suicidal -- suicide within that community. We are seeing increased mental health needs for our young people.

And I think that there's just so many things in society he now that our youth are dealing with. What we have to do, as a community and as a collective, is be able to teach our children how to express themselves. How to use words to be able to express feelings that they may not really know how to articulate.

And give them the tools to really cope, when they're experiencing with things like depression, trauma, anxiety, whatever it may be. About thoughts of, you know, wanting to misuse a substance. We have to really spend time with our young people to give them these skills.

WHITFIELD: All great advice. And what an incredible resource that you have available for so many. Monica Johnson, glad you could be with us. Thank you so much.

JOHNSON: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And if you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of suicide, you can call or text 988.

[16:43:40]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. This afternoon, we're getting new details from Israeli authorities about a man they say killed three workers at a key crossing with Jordan. Right now, the three border crossings between the West Bank and Jordan are closed, though they are expected to reopen tomorrow.

CNN's Matthew Chance is live for us in Tel Aviv. Matthew, what more are officials revealing?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you're right. Those border checkpoints, the crossings from Jordan into Israel on the West Bank, they're still closed because the Israeli security forces are still securing the area. Still checking there's not more of a threat.

Because it was at one of those crossings, the Allenby bridge, where a Jordanian truck driver came across the border in a commercial vehicle which was carrying goods into the West Bank. He got out of the truck. He walked towards Israeli workers, sort of in that area, and opened fire, killing three of them before he was, himself, shot dead by a member of the Israeli security forces there on the ground.

Israel has, of course, condemned it. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is saying it was the act of a despicable terrorist that did this. Although, a preliminary investigation by the Jordanians say that even though this person was a Jordanian citizen and a truck driver, they believe he acted alone.

There's been an interesting statement come from a Hamas official, the militant group inside Gaza, of course. They've stopped short of claiming responsibility for this. But they have praised the attack and they've said it is a natural response to the Israeli war in Gaza.

[16:50:01]

CHANCE: In which, of course, there's been intensive campaigns since the October Seventh attacks inside Israel, in which 10s of thousands of Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, have been killed.

But you've got to remember, Fredricka, Israel is already reeling after the killing in captivity, last week by Hamas, of six Israeli hostages that were meant to be part of a -- of a hostage swap negotiation. Thousands of people, 10s of thousands, have poured out onto the streets in towns and cities across Israel, demanding an immediate deal to release the other 101 Israelis, dead and alive, still being held inside the Gaza strip.

This latest the attack, across the border from Gaza -- sorry, across the border from Jordan, which is a normally peaceful area, remember, relatively speaking, has further ratcheted up those tensions. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: And, Matthew, I also want to ask you about this, you know, race to immunize children in Gaza from Polio. How is that effort going?

CHANCE: Well, I think it's going pretty well, if you can understand what the Palestinian health authorities say is happening. They started this immunization process relatively recently. After the first case of Polio was found, I think back in -- back in -- you know, back in early August, of a Palestinian baby. A one-year-old. He'd been paralyzed by the disease. It was the first case in 25 years that they found inside Gaza.

It's just a sign of how crippled the health infant structure is in that country after so many months of Israeli bombardment in response to those October the Seventh attacks. But it seems like the immunization program has made some progress in recent days and weeks.

WHITFIELD: All right, Matthew Chance, thank you so much.

All right, still ahead, breaking news. Miami Dolphins' wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, is speaking out after he was pulled over and handcuffed by police on his way to the stadium. We'll have the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, this breaking news. Miami Dolphins star wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, just addressed the media for the first time after he was pulled over when in his vehicle and then put in handcuffs earlier today.

Video shows officers putting Hill on the ground in handcuffs, just steps away from the Hard Rock Stadium. He was driving there ahead of his team's home opener game against the Jacksonville Jaguars today.

Team officials say Hill was pulled over for a reported traffic incident. Hill talked about it after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

TYREEK HILLO, WIDE RECEIVER, MIAMI DOLPHINS: Right now, I'm still trying to put it all together. So, I'm not going to give you a version that -- I still don't know what happened. You know what I'm saying? But I do want to say -- I do want to be able to use this platform to say, like, what if I wasn't Tyreek Hill, bro? Like, worst-case scenario, you know, because it's crazy.

But I want to be a cop one day. I got a state trooper had all that (ph), you know, so I've got a lot of respect for cops. Man, but, obviously, you know, everybody has bad apples in every situation. You know, so, I want to be able to, you know, use this platform, you know, to figure out to -- figure out a way to, like, flip this and, you know, make it a positive on both ends. On my end and then also Miami- Dade. You know, so, that way, we team together and, you know, do some positive for the community because that's what it's all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Miami-Dade police have now placed the officer involved on administrative duties during an internal investigation.

And, in a statement, the Miami-Dade police director said, I'm quoting now, "We are aware of the recent detainment of Miami Dolphins player, Tyreek Hill, by Miami-Dade Police Department officers. I have requested an immediate review of all details surrounding the incident, and we are also reviewing available body camera footage. We will provide updates as further information becomes available." Again, that coming from Miami Dade police.

Hill was able to suit up for today's game, recording 130 yards receiving and a touchdown. The Dolphins beat the Jaguars 20 to 17.

All right, Typhoon Yagi, Asia's most powerful storm so far this year, tore through Vietnam, China and the Philippines this weekend. Reports say the storm killed dozens of people and disrupted power supplies and telecommunications. It also caused major damage to factories in the region. The typhoon was downgraded to a tropical depression today, but officials say there is -- there remains a risk of flooding and landslides still.

Stellantis is recalling over 1 million Ram pickup trucks, due to issues with the brake system software. According to the car manufacturer, the software malfunction would still allow the brakes to work but could shut down the electronic stability control that helps avoid skidding. Stellantis also said that it is unaware of any related accidents. And if you didn't win the Mega Millions on Friday, well, don't worry because you still have a shot at the $800 million jackpot.

[17:00:03]

WHITFIELD: This is the games seventh largest jackpot in history. The next drawing is set for Tuesday.