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Notre Dame To Reopen With High-Profile Guests, Tight Security; Syrian Rebels Moving Closer To Capital Of Damascus; Archbishop Of Paris Bangs Doors Of Notre Dame To Mark Re-Opening; Police Pore Over Clues In Manhunt For Suspected CEO Shooter. Police Pore Over Clues In Manhunt For Suspected CEO Shooter; Source: Syrian President Assad Nowhere To Be Found In Damascus; Trump: U.S. "Should Have Nothing To Do With" Conflict In Syria; Amateur Sleuths On Social Media Investigate Killing Of CEO. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired December 07, 2024 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:03]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, thanks for joining me. I'm Alisyn Camerota in today for Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with the grand reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. This long-awaited ceremony is underway right now in Paris. World leaders and dignitaries are arriving, including President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Both arrived there just moments ago.

Last hour, the two leaders met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. Today's grand opening comes more than five years after the iconic cathedral was ravaged by fire. That blaze brought Notre Dame within minutes of collapsing.

We have a team of correspondents covering today's developments. Alayna Treene is in Washington, D.C. Nic Robertson is in London for us. But let's begin with CNN's Melissa Bell outside of Notre Dame Cathedral.

So, Melissa, it's miraculous. I mean, it truly is Notre Dame rising from the ashes from five years ago. And it's a ceremony that many people, French people, thought would never happen. So what's it like there?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the weather is sadly atrocious, Alisyn. In fact, we've just watched President-elect Donald Trump being accompanied by someone holding an umbrella over him as he made his way into the cathedral.

Clearly, this is not what the organizers had counted on. It's been windy, blustery, and now it's raining really hard. But that ceremony just about to get underway with those 50 heads of state. A really moving moment, of course, not just for France and with everything this cathedral means for Parisians, but it was when it burned down five years ago that I really got a sense of what it means to the whole world. Over the course of that night in April 2019, when the flames were coming out of the top of the cathedral, now, of course, entirely restored. President Macron carried out his final construction site visit last Friday. I had the opportunity to go inside. The interior is extraordinary.

What you're about to see as these leaders take their seats, President- elect Donald Trump, but also President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, with whom he and President Macron held a trilateral meeting for about half an hour at the Elysee Palace, all of those dignitaries are now sitting down.

What we expect to have happen next is the Archbishop of Paris to knock on the doors of Notre Dame. The choir will answer him. He will eventually make his way in, awaken, as they call it, the organ of Notre Dame, which has been carefully restored along with the rest, damaged also by that fire five years ago as the ceremony gets underway.

This is not a religious mass, by the way. That first mass will take place tomorrow, Alisyn. This is just a ceremony of reopening. And an important reminder, I think, by the presence of all these foreign dignitaries, of what this cathedral means to the world.

CAMEROTA: OK, Melissa, thank you for all of that.

Let's go to Alayna Treene in Washington. So, Alayna, it's a little unorthodox to see a president-elect at an event like this rather than President Biden. So tell us how this happens.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: That's right. And I will say that First Lady Jill Biden is there, and we saw her moments ago taking photos with the French president. But a lot of the attention is on his meeting with the President-elect Donald Trump, and Donald Trump's, you know, first return, really, to the world stage ever since getting elected.

I was told that Donald Trump received the invitation a little over a week ago and very eagerly accepted and told his team immediately upon receiving it that he wanted to go. Part of it, of course, is because Donald Trump does love these historic sites.

I was told he's had this long-held fascination with the Notre Dame Cathedral, and particularly ever since that fire had really caused severe damage to it. But the other part of this is his team recognized that this was going to be a very good opportunity for Donald Trump to, one, rub shoulders with a lot of these foreign leaders, some of whom he has known from his previous time in the White House, others who he'll likely be meeting for the first time.

But also, they knew that he would get the type of pageantry and warm welcome that we saw unfold earlier today when Donald Trump arrived at the Elysee Palace and was greeted very warmly by Macron. And so I think what's really interesting, as well, though, is what we're seeing now kind of unfold and what we're starting to learn about that meeting between Donald Trump and Macron, but also when Zelenskyy then joined them.

We did see Zelenskyy say that it was a good and productive meeting. But the key question that I know is on a lot of these leaders' minds is, how is Donald Trump going to approach the war between Russia and Ukraine? Is he going to withdraw funding? Is he going to try and push for a very quick end to the war, which he has promised to do throughout his time on the campaign trail? But what does that mean and what that could look like?

Those are all the big questions I know that are on a lot of people's minds, and they were kind of preparing for in the lead-up to this. And so, you know, look, I'm eager to hear more of what was said during that meeting and how these relationships look moving forward.

CAMEROTA: Yes, absolutely, we all are.

[13:05:00]

Let's bring in Nic Robertson. Nic, you know, we're seeing this split screen of all of this pageantry, as well as tension and violence in Syria. And at the same time, the U.S. believes that the Assad regime in Syria could fall within days. The rebels are advancing there. So I understand you have new reporting.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, we know that the rebels are right now on the outskirts of Damascus, and the Army troops in defense of the city and the countryside around there have been leaving their positions, evacuating their positions, and pulling back. And the latest information that we have coming from sources familiar with the situation in Damascus is that Assad is currently not in his usual places in Damascus.

Now, the rebels do not know where precisely he is. They continue to search for him. But this would be the first indication we've had so far that Assad has perhaps decided to get out of the way of this rapidly advancing mass of different rebel forces that are coalescing around the capital.

We heard from that exclusive interview that our colleague Jomana did with the rebel leader Juhani earlier in the week that their focus now was going to be on the Assad regime and on Damascus. And this is what is now going into effect.

And indeed, it does appear as if the timeline that U.S. officials understand at the moment, the reality on the ground this evening in Damascus, almost begins to look as the game is pretty much up right now for Bashar al-Assad.

Again, not in his normal places in Damascus. We don't know where he is. We do know, however, that rebels are trying to ascertain where he is, and we know that they're getting incredibly close to the absolute seat of his power right at the center of Damascus.

CAMEROTA: Nic, please come back to us with any more information as soon as you get it.

Thanks to Nic, Alayna, and Melissa.

All right, joining me now to talk about all of these developments is Kim Dozier. She's a CNN Global Affairs Analyst. OK, Kim, let's start in -- at Notre Dame. So what do you make of the significance between President-elect Trump, President Macron, who's obviously struggling in his own right, and President Zelenskyy?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, this is an opportunity for Macron to pull Trump into a big bear hug after that firm handshake, and sit him down with Zelenskyy and lay out, you know, to tell a story. And the story, the way European officials I've spoken to see it, is that Russia is a bully, and it's been bullying Europe in multiple different ways.

So allowing Russia any quarter in Ukraine, for instance, to keep Ukrainian territory it's seized in negotiations that Trump wants to launch, that could be dangerous for all of Europe. And it also gives Macron a chance to cast Trump as the hero, the guy who could stand up to the bully for all of Europe. And one last point, he will be stressing how much Europe has been stepping up to pay for its own defense since Trump was last in the White House.

CAMEROTA: So right now we're watching these pictures of the First Lady Jill Biden there, who has come without the President. And I think President-elect Donald Trump has come without Melania. So here's the picture of First Lady Jill Biden with Macron and his wife.

But there was another bit of body language in a meeting that I wanted to ask you about, and that was with the three men together, so Macron and President-elect Trump, and Zelenskyy at the presidential palace in Paris earlier. And President Trump didn't, in other shots, didn't seem terribly enthusiastic about being there with Zelenskyy.

And so, you know, it's hard to know what came out of the meeting and if Zelenskyy will be able to convince President Trump to continue the U.S. support for aid -- with aid for Ukraine.

DOZIER: Yes. Well, the question is, did Trump really know that this was coming or was he sort of strong-armed into it by Macron? I know CNN correspondents like Alayna Treene had said that Trump officials were saying they didn't have any specific meeting on the books.

But I also have to point out that if you watch Trump arriving with his limo at the Elysee, he was also pretty grim-faced. So I don't know how much we should read into that, especially since Zelenskyy made a point back in September before the election to visit Trump at Trump Tower, and they had a grip-and-grin, very cheerful talk with reporters where Zelenskyy said Russia can't be allowed to win, and Trump agreed with that, though not saying how.

CAMEROTA: I think we might have just seen President-elect Trump's plus-one arriving.

[13:10:04]

Elon Musk is now, we're told, at Notre Dame. I believe we might have video of him arriving. So there -- and there he is. Any thoughts on his appearance there?

DOZIER: Yes. If you're Marco Rubio, you've got to be wondering how much power you're going to have as Secretary of State with Elon Musk always at Trump's elbow and in his ear. But one of the things it does message is that Trump is going to be leading with things like crypto and technology and also those tariffs he's threatened. That's what's got Europe really worried.

Trump has said he's going to impose 10 percent to 20 percent tariffs on all imports into the United States. That could be pretty devastating for members of the European Union. And so surely they will be having quiet asides, and Macron will possibly be having some direct conversation asking him what his intentions are and what they could do to keep it from happening. What is he trying to negotiate for?

Also, as you know, President Macron is dealing with a crisis in his own country. The French government is, you know, in collapse. There's an economic crisis. So what do we think President-elect Trump's presence and support for Macron will do in that uncertain moment?

DOZIER: Yes, Macron has just lost yet another prime minister. He has always tried to play the statesman card to win support back home at tough times like this. It's had mixed to no success because he is facing this right and left-wing cooperation within this country.

And so for him, this is a way to put a stamp of, you know, his legacy, that at least one thing he can do on his way out the door, since he can't by law run for re-election, is he can try to set Paris up for good relations with the incoming Trump administration and at least try to save some of his signature foreign policy achievements, like the aid that he has rushed and the support he has rushed to Ukraine over his time in office.

CAMEROTA: Kim, while I have you, I have to ask you about the stunning developments today in Syria. The idea that the rebel army is on the outskirts or making headway into Damascus, what do -- how do you see what's happening?

DOZIER: Yes. Listening to what Nic was just saying, I had to think back to -- this reminds me of Kabul when everything fell apart. There have been rumors that Assad has actually left the country with his family. That's been spreading on Arab social media. None of it verified.

But what happens is, if the troops then don't immediately see Assad speaking live, proving that, oh, no, he is still in the country, what happens is the front lines begin to dissolve. And people start thinking of, I got to save my own family and try to get to safety before an advancing insurgent mob runs over Damascus.

I've got to get the heck out of here. And they stopped taking orders. That's a lot of what we saw happening when the resistance of the official troops dissolved in Kabul. And I think that's what we're beginning to see right now in Syria. People are trying to melt away. And it's everyone for themselves. Get out of the country.

CAMEROTA: Yes, absolutely fascinating. And obviously, we're monitoring it by the minute.

Kim Dozier, thank you very much.

All right, we're going to take a very, very quick break. But as we go, I want you to hear the bells ringing at Notre Dame.

(BELL RINGING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:19:09]

CAMEROTA: Now, well this is actually moments ago, but look at this. This is the Archbishop of Paris banging on the doors of the cathedral with his staff to mark the ceremonial reopening. So let's listen in.

(SINGING)

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(SINGING)

[13:21:02]

CAMEROTA: OK. Let me bring in Melissa Bell right now to help us understand what's happening. Melissa, are they doing this ritual -- does the Archbishop knock three times and tell us about this ritual we're watching?

BELL: That's right. Yes, this was the beginning -- this was always going to be the beginning of the ceremony. You saw him with his staff knock at the door. Inside, the choir was replying three times and then the doors opened to allow him in, for this very moving moment, the very first time that the world has really been inside Notre Dame

We saw this lice construction site visit last week when Emmanuel Macron came to thank the many thousands of workers who've been involved in the restoration. But this is the official opening now. The Archbishop of Paris being received inside the cathedral after knocking three times.

The next step is that he will awaken, as they say, the organ. So it is the largest musical instrument in Paris. So far, you're hearing the choir who've welcomed the Archbishop of Paris inside the cathedral. Next, we expect to hear the organ brought back to life after its careful restoration after that fire five years ago.

It caused some damage to it, too. It will be brought back to life. The idea of this ceremony, very much, Alisyn, is one of the main architects of the ceremony was telling me earlier today, is to bring the cathedral back to life.

And that is done, of course, with the voice of the choir. It is going to be done with the words of the Archbishop, but also with the sound of the organ once it starts. None of this, by the way, because it's not officially consecrated, is part of any religious ceremony. That first mass will only take place on Sunday. But as for part of this official reopening, very moving pictures there and words and solemnity as Notre Dame Cathedral sings and worships and lives once again.

CAMEROTA: Melissa, it's so stirring. I mean, I wasn't quite expecting to have goosebumps like this. I don't know if it's the weather there that's affecting me or the stirring song. But is it now open to the public officially?

BELL: Officially open to the public from tomorrow. Of course, the places for that first mass will be very difficult to get. But what we understand from officials here in Paris is that they're going to be holding three masses a day every single day for the next six months.

So great do they believe the appetite of the faithful will be to come back into Notre Dame to pray. And I can say that from standing here and again, the weather conditions are terrible tonight in Paris. There are thousands of people lining the banks of the Seine River just beyond the camera there opposite me, Alisyn.

Despite the cold, despite the wind, despite the rain to watch on these big screens, the ceremony going on inside. And we saw just as the Archbishop went in, the lights illuminate the facade of Notre Dame. So a very beautiful ceremony, a very moving one. And certainly one very appreciated by many thousands who are putting up with the weather just to be here and to hear it and to see it, to be part of it, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Melissa, thank you very much for helping us, giving us all this context and being our eyes on the ground there. We really appreciate it.

And we have much more ahead for you. Stay with us.

(SINGING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:29:04]

CAMEROTA: Police in New York digging through what they call a, quote, "huge amount of evidence" in their ongoing manhunt for the suspected gunman in the murder of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. Authorities now believe the gunman left New York by bus after fatally shooting the CEO, Brian Thompson, outside of a hotel in Midtown on Wednesday.

Let's bring in former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. He led the search for the Tsarnaev brothers after the Boston Marathon bombing. So, Ed, great to see you. Investigators think that he's left the city. So now where do they look?

ED DAVIS, FORMER BOSTON POLICE COMMISSIONER: Well, Alisyn, they'll be concentrating on the places that those bus routes headed out to. Apparently he was uptown at the bus terminal within an hour of the shooting. So they'll look at every departure from that terminal into the afternoon and also be checking cameras to see if there are any more sightings of him to try to narrow down the time when he exited that on a bus.

But the problem is there are so many buses leaving there that, right now, word is that there's 80 or so police departments outside the city that are being contacted and asked to go through video at arriving cities.

So it's -- it's a -- it's a very complicated, exponentially more complicated task than it was the first few hours.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: It sounds like, though, they have a lot of evidence. They have the photos of the suspect. They have, I think, fingerprints. They possibly have some DNA from a water bottle that they found.

So for -- for all of that to work, does he have to have -- have committed a crime before?

DAVIS: No. Actually, with familial DNA, there can be tests done if they get a good sample that might identify a relative of his. And they can -- they can work down to him from the relative. So it's not necessary that his fingerprint or a DNA sample be on file.

But it does speak to sort of a strange dichotomy here of a very well- planned event that also left an embarrassment of resources, of evidence, as we used to say.

So it's -- it's really kind of confusing here. He clearly thought through this crime, but it doesn't appear as though he was experienced in criminal activity, in my estimation.

CAMEROTA: That is interesting.

DAVIS: It is interesting.

CAMEROTA: If we can look at that video, the surveillance video again, because I find it pretty chilling to see the suspects face.

I want to know what you think. He looks young to me. He's smiling broadly in this photo taken right before the CEO is gunned down. What do you see in these surveillance shots?

DAVIS: Well, I see somebody that's interacting with someone else and sort of being forced to disclose that -- that photograph, if he wanted to stay at that particular place.

So he must have made an assessment that the off chance that the police would see that outweighed his inability to get housing at that location.

But it is kind of chilling to see somebody who has this plan in their mind but is acting like a normal human being just a few hours before.

CAMEROTA: Yes. As I'm sure --

(CROSSTALK) CAMEROTA: -- you know, Ed, there are some reactions online depicting this suspect as basically a victim of some kind, enacting vigilante justice against --

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: -- this greedy health care system.

Do you think that that attitude is thwarting police efforts somehow? Maybe the public aren't cooperating as much?

DAVIS: I don't believe so. I think those are sort of extremist comments. And in this day and age online, you can find anything out there.

I doubt that someone who had hard evidence of who this might be wouldn't -- wouldn't at least give him up, considering the violence of the attack, a family left without a father, all of the things that play into the victimization that occurs here.

Clearly, there are big business issues in the United States that people are very upset about. But I don't think in -- the core issue of holding him accountable and bringing him to justice, I think is still uppermost in people's minds.

CAMEROTA: And so, Ed, from your experience, what do you think about the motive that has been circulated about, you know, this is they found the "deny and delay" words on the, I guess, shell casings.

Do you think that this is somebody who felt wronged?

DAVIS: I think you have to draw that conclusion from what you're seeing there. He took the time to write those words on -- on the shell casings. That -- that takes a deliberate action. And it also leaves a message.

So is it someone that was individually aggrieved, someone whose family members suffered as a result of a decision that this company made, or is it a broader sort of activist person that is rebelling against capitalism and things like that. Both of those things are real possibilities here.

CAMEROTA: Commissioner Ed Davis, thank you. We really appreciate your expertise.

DAVIS: Thank you.

[13:34:17]

CAMEROTA: We're continuing to follow breaking news out of Syria. The future of Bashar Al Assad's regime is in question as rebels move towards the capital city of Damascus. Where is Assad? We have brand new reporting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CAMEROTA: Here's a great moment that we want to share with you. This is just from moments ago at Notre Dame. This is the ceremonial reopening.

And we just watched all of these firefighters marching into the cathedral. These are the very firefighters who, five and a half years ago, risked their lives extinguishing this massive blaze that almost destroyed this entire magnificent cathedral.

And so you can hear the crowd expressing their appreciation for all of these firefighters in this moment.

But just a very moving moment for, I'm sure these guys who, you know, don't often bask in the spotlight, these firefighters. And the crowd is so grateful to them.

[13:40:02]

Yes. We'll bring you back to Notre Dame as events there allow.

Meanwhile, we are following breaking international news because sources tell CNN that Syrian President Bashar Al Assad is nowhere to be found in the capital of Damascus as rebel forces move closer and closer to the city.

Earlier today. Assad's government issued a statement saying that Assad had not left Damascus. Video appears to show regime forces leaving the neighborhood close to the presidential palace, though.

The rebels say that they are now at the gates of the city. Video also shows a statue of President Bashar al-Assad's father being toppled on the outskirts of the city.

A short time ago, officials told CNN that the White House increasingly believes the Assad regime could fall within days.

Let's bring in retired General Wesley Clark. He's the former NATO supreme allied commander.

General, great to see you.

It's just remarkable to see, after all of this, you know decades long, more than a decade-long fight in Syria for -- it seems now to have been happening so quickly that the rebels are at the city gates. What do you see?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, (RET.), FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER: I see the results of years of preparation in this. First of all, I see President Erdogan's ambitions in the region, and that's for the -- the northwest part of Syria.

And I see patient diligent work by -- by others who are -- who have set the grounds for this. It's the way things happen in international affairs. Everything seems discontinuous when it actually happens, but it follows long preparation. Now, we don't know whether Assad actually is going to be forced out or

not. He's been surprisingly resilient in the past. And although Russia has said it won't intervene, it has been using its aircraft and attempting to bomb these columns.

I don't think the bombing is going to be adequate. But there's been fighting in the Damascus area before. And so it's really indeterminate at this point.

There's lots of people in motion. And some of my friends in the region say, you have to understand that Turkey's real ambition is Kurdistan.

And so the work and the presence of the U.S. troops there is another complicating factor in this.

And the fact that these we have our -- our Kurdish allies, the YPG, up there in northeast Syria and they're also on the move. So lots of moving parts here.

CAMEROTA: I want to talk about Russia's role that you just brought up. So Russia -- the Assad regime had had a lot of help from Russia since the civil war began. But now is Russia unable to help them as much? Why are they backing off?

CLARK: Well, I think Russia can help. I think it's a matter of -- there's a lot of distraction going on for Russia right now. They're -- they're pushing really hard in Ukraine.

They're contending with the demonstrations in Georgia. And Georgia could become another Maidan situation, an overthrow of the parliamentary election.

You know, Romania has just thrown out its recent presidential election results. It's going to have to have a new election because of Russian interference.

So Russia is juggling a lot of issues as well as this. But you should never count out President Putin and his ability to muster a force and intervene. And so I think that's very possible.

As far as we know, the Russians have not decided to evacuate their bases in Tartarus and Latakia. And should they do so, that really would mark a strategic defeat for Russia.

As it is right now, it's just maneuvering on the battlefield. They could well wait it out and see.

One key is, where is Assad? If he's actually out of Damascus, if he's in a safe place, if he's got communications, this government is still alive. To get rid of this government, you've got to get Assad.

CAMEROTA: But if he's out of Damascus, doesn't that also lower the incentive of his troops?

CLARK: That's exactly right. But it depends on whether he's still executing command and control through, you know, his radio and electronic means. And we don't have the ability, technically, to see this.

The United States does, obviously, so does Russia, so does Israel. So a lot of people are watching this to see what happens.

And then the question is, if he's overthrown, what happens in Syria? I think one of the good things, from the United States perspective, is that Hezbollah has been weakened. Iran is relatively weak.

But there's going to be a long series of settling out. And so the first winner will be Turkey.

[13:45:06]

CAMEROTA: President-Elect Trump said today that the U.S. should stay out of the fight in Syria. Does that change this whole equation?

CLARK: Well, I think the United States is in the fight, in one way or another, because we've got troops in Syria and we have allies there. And because ISIS is still a threat.

So I think, you know, I -- I agree that we should stay out of the fight if possible. But it's not clear that it's going to be possible. We've still got to protect our own troops in the region. And -- and that's very important.

And -- and Turkey can't control the whole country. The Ottoman Empire is not quite back yet. Even though President Erdogan has ambitions to be a regional force for stability.

I think there's enough chaos in the region. And there -- Israel is watching this very closely. Israel can't allow the chaos in the region to affect its security in its northern border, either in Lebanon or next to Syria.

So we're several days, maybe weeks, hopefully not months, from sorting this out.

And remember, you've got people moving and trying to get out of the way of the fight. So Syria has been, in the last 10 years, a tremendous generator of migration forces and displaced people and human anguish.

And this just adds to it. It's just such a tragic situation to see.

CAMEROTA: Yes. General Wesley Clark, thank you very much for all of that context. Really helpful.

CLARK: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Coming up, amateur sleuths scouring the Internet trying to find the UnitedHealthcare CEO's killer. Why police say that is complicating their investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:51:26] CAMEROTA: Back to our top story, the search for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Four days into this manhunt, authorities are working to narrow down the suspect's location and identity.

The FBI, offering a $50,000 reward for information on the suspect. And you can always give them info anonymously by calling their tip line.

Officials say they're processing a tremendous amount of evidence, including fingerprints, DNA, camera footage, and a backpack they believe belonged to the killer.

Amateur sleuths, meanwhile, are attempting to piece together the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson. Countless theories have spread on social media, some less than helpful.

CNN's Randi Kaye explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RILEY WALZ, ENGINEER & AMATEUR SLEUTH: I checked the docks around the hotel where the shooting happened.

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Riley Walz is an engineer and an amateur sleuth. After the police said the killer had escaped on a Citi Bike, he did some digging, and lit up the internet when he posted online that he thought he identified the bike that the assassin used.

WALZ: That was the only bike that left the area around the hotel and headed northbound.

KAYE: Walz shared the results of his sleuthing on social media and with the New York Police Department.

On X, he posted that the bike left the dock near the scene at 6:44 a.m. He also posted his data, writing, "Can't believe my little data- nerd experiment actually amounted to something in the real world."

Turns out Walz had it wrong. Police later confirmed the assassin escaped on an e-bike, not a Citi Bike.

Then came the backlash.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So apparently, some little snitch street journalists tracked the assassin's Citi Bike and posted it on the internet.

WALZ: Lots of people online are calling me some kind of snitch, even though I ended up -- the information I gave wasn't even correct.

KAYE: Amateur sleuthing is a way of crowdsourcing detective work without the professionals. And in the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, like so many others, theories are plentiful online.

In one post in the Subreddit about guns, users speculated about the gun Brian Thompson's assassin fired, writing, "The shape, size and hand position are all consistent with a B&T VP9 pistol."

Other amateur detectives suggested the shooter's bag was a "Peak design everyday backpack 30 L camera bag."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to give you my theory on Brian Thompson's murder based on the information that we have.

KAYE: On TikTok, endless theories on the case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, theory number one is that, OK, so the bullets left behind had like a message on them.

KAYE: Some sleuthers even casting doubt on the NYPD's investigation. This one noting the images of the alleged assassins.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you paid close attention to these pictures, it's two different people that they put out.

DANIEL BRUNNER, RETIRED FBI AGENT: That's the good and the bad of the internet these days.

KAYE: Dan Brunner is a retired FBI agent.

BRUNNER: The swell of what the people think, the swell with the people say they see, that can definitely influence how it's portrayed in the media and send law enforcement entities in the wrong direction.

KAYE: Like after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, when online sleuthers on Reddit and 4chan combed through photos and videos of the aftermath and wrongly identified a bunch of people as the bombers.

Some media published their photos, leaving those innocent people fearing for their lives.

Still, Brunner says internet sleuthing can do a lot of good.

[13:55:02]

BRUNNER: People using the crowdsource resources from using their computers to figure out, look at the clues and maybe find something that law enforcement hasn't considered or isn't looking at.

All these people, we multiply law enforcement's capabilities by millions.

KAYE: That may be true, but some are simply fed up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I want to say right now is that this is not the time for internet sleuths to do their thing. You all can take a break.

KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: OK, if you do know a tip, you can always call the FBI tip line.

Meanwhile, you're looking at live pictures right here inside Notre Dame Cathedral where French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting world leaders for the first service since the fire that devastated this gothic masterpiece five years ago.

We're going to show you more splendor in Paris, live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)