Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Gunman Kills Five Co-Workers at Bank in Louisville, Eight Injured; Trump Files Appeal to Block Pence Testimony in Jan. 6th Probe; Nashville Council Votes to Reinstate Expelled Lawmaker State Rep. Justin Jones (D-TN). Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired April 11, 2023 - 07:00   ET

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

PAUL BECKETT, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: As Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union, and they came, Evan was born and grew up in New Jersey.

[07:00:07]

His parents now live in Philadelphia. And it was their heritage and Evan's heritage that really attracted him to Russia. He speaks excellent Russian as a result, and he wanted to tell Russia's story to the world. And then, unfortunately, he has become the story of how appallingly Russia treats journalists.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: What do we know about his condition?

BECKETT: Very little. It's a completely opaque process. We've had lawyers in to see him a couple of times, have been hired by The Wall Street Journal. The Russian government, despite assurances that they would provide this, have not provided him any access to any U.S. embassy staff in Moscow which, as you noted earlier, as a flagrant violation of international law.

So, everything we know about Evan and media reports we're getting from our lawyers as he's in decent health, he is a very optimistic, very curious young reporter. So, you know, so far so good under the circumstances. I'll just emphasize the circumstances are, he's in solitary confinement in a Russian security services prison with no access to any American government official.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: And in Russia, defying international law with their actions. Paul Beckett, thank you. We are all standing with all of you. Thanks very much very much.

BECKETT: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

HARLOW: Of course. CNN This Morning continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 25-year-old gunman opened fire inside the bank killing five people and injuring at least eight others.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police revealing the shooter was an employee at the bank and live streamed the attack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got call from my wife panicking, that she was locked in the vault, that there was an active shooter in the building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This should not continue to happen.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The Tennessee two is down to one.

STATE REP. JUSTIN JONES (D-TN): Today, we're setting a resounding message that democracy will not be killed in the comfort of silence.

BERMAN: Officials in Nashville voted to reinstate Justin Jones, one of the two lawmakers expelled from the statehouse last week.

JONES: My message to the young people here in America is that if your voice does not matter, they would not be trying so hard to silence it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The DOJ asked an appeals court freeze the judge's order, which will make Mifepristone unavailable nationwide this Friday.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We are ready to fight. This is going to be a long fight. We understand this. We stand by FDA's approval.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got to continue to roll up our sleeves and be activated and use every tool at our disposal to protect these fundamental rights.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: U.S. officials scrambling to find responsible for leaking highly sensitive documents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Pentagon has already taken some steps to tighten the flow of such sensitive information.

JOHN KIRBY, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: We don't know who's behind this. We don't know what the motive is. We don't know what else might be out there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday was you know was, as you know, Easter. Our first guest tonight also rose from the dead, Jeremy Renner is here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I look up. First thing I ever thought about my first conscious thought was like, holy hell, my calendar is freed up for the rest of the year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If there was any question as to who the toughest avenger was, that's settled now, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Scarlet's daddy (ph).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone, glad Jeremy Renner is okay. We'll get to that in a moment. But we're fairly new show five months in, and how many of these shootings have lee covered?

COLLINS: Too many.

LEMON: Just way too many. And the folks in Louisville and around the country, everyone is paying attention, but just dealing with this rash of gun violence that happens. We're going to be following all of that, because this morning, we're learning more about the gunman who killed those five co-workers at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky. He was recently notified that he was going to be fired. Watch.

So, this is eyewitness video that you're looking at, a police rushing to the scene as gunfire was ringing out there. A law enforcement source tells CNN that the shooter wrote a note to his parents and a friend indicating that he was going to open fire in the bank. But it is unclear if they saw it before that mass shooting.

The bank manager says that the shooter attacked his co-workers during a morning meeting in a conference room. Police say that he live streamed his bloody rampage on social media before police officers killed him in a shootout. And we're told a rookie officer who was shot in the head and is in critical condition now, he graduated from Police Academy less than two weeks ago.

As it is usually in these situations, the community is heartbroken. They're mourning the victims. This is a church service for Josh Barrick, a father of two. He was a senior vice president at the bank and a volunteer basketball coach for young children at the church.

[07:05:00]

COLLINS: And joining us now is the Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and the Interim Police Chief Jacqueline Gwinn-Villaroel. Thank you so much both for being here. I can't even imagine what the last 24 hours have been like for both of you.

Mayor can I just -- can I start with you and just everyone wants to know how the community is doing, how's everyone doing that you've spoken to?

MAYOR CRAIG GREENBERG (D-LOUISVILLE, KY): Our city is heartbroken, heartbroken for the loss of friends and loved ones. We're thankful, thankful for the officers that responded bravely and so quickly and addressed this situation in a professional and brave manner. We're thankful to the doctors and nurses of the University of Louisville Hospital who have saved lives and continue to save lives and are working to save the life of Officer Wilt, too, you just mentioned, was one of the heroic responders yesterday.

But we're also tired. We're tired of acts of violence, of evil acts of gun violence. And so in the hours and days ahead, we're going to come together and support each other and love each other and give each other strength for healing, but also for taking action to continue to do everything possible, to reduce the amount of gun violence that's plaguing our city, that's plaguing our country.

COLLINS: And, Chief, I know you had just said yesterday. You just sworn in Officer Wilt not that long ago after he graduated from the Police Academy. I think it was 11 or 12 days ago. What do we know about how he's doing this morning?

INTERIM POLICE CHIEF JACQUELYN GWINN-VILLAROEL: Yes. We have some positive news that was provided to us on yesterday evening that officer what was still in critical condition, but he's stable. But he's looking better. And so we're hopeful and we'll continue to pray. And we just thank you know everybody for all of the thoughts that have been sent our way as we deal with this tragedy that took place on yesterday, and so --and for all of the other victims that lost their lives senselessly and those are injured. So, we just really appreciate the community for really just reaching out and pouring out to us as we navigate these uncertain waters.

COLLINS: Absolutely. And we're praying for him too here at CNN. I want you to know that.

When it comes to the investigation, yesterday, you said you only wanted to use the shooter's name once, Chief. Do we know anything else about how he obtained the gun that was used in yesterday's shooting?

GWINN-VILLAROEL: So, we're doing, of course, a thorough investigation at this time. And so from our understanding, and, again, we'll have a little bit more details later on, but he recently purchased that weapon that was used on yesterday. And so -- but, again, we'll have some better and more thorough details provided to the community and to everyone because you need to know. We want to make sure that we provide detailed and accurate information as we navigate this, again, this tragedy on yesterday.

COLLINS: We know a SWAT team went to his house. Has a search warrant been executed anywhere else that you can speak about this morning?

GWINN-VILLAROEL: There was a search warrant and that was taking place on yesterday at his home. That's what I'm able to reveal right now at this time. And so we're hoping that items that were recovered, that we will reveal why this happened, it shouldn't have happened, but why this happened on yesterday, and so all of that information will be available.

COLLINS: Okay. And we'll wait to hear more from that. I know you want it to be as accurate as possible. So, I totally understand that.

What about the note? Because we were told that he had left a note basically declaring his intentions with this bank. Do we know who found that or if they found it before the shooting happened or anything on that, Chief?

GWINN-VILLAROEL: Again, we're still in the preliminary stages of everything, but making sure that we're connecting everything appropriately. We will actually reveal that information. But I want to make sure that I don't misspeak because the public and the families, they need to make sure that I get it right and that we as department make sure that we get it right, and so that accurate information will be forthcoming.

COLLINS: Yes. And we appreciate that as well. Obviously, we want it to be all accurate information that's out there.

Mayor, when we look at this, it wasn't just this shooting at the bank yesterday, there was another one that was only a short distance away from where this bank happened. You yourself and the survivor of a workplace shooting that happened just last year, you have this uniquely American -- you've had this disturbing experience. What can you say to the other survivors about your own experience with this?

GREENBERG: Take time with loved ones. Accept the support and love that others are giving you. I encourage I -- actually, yesterday, the local CEO of the bank is a friend of mine. I've heard conflicting reports earlier in the morning about whether he had survived or not now.

[07:10:02]

And as I was leaving the hospital yesterday, I turned a corner and ran into him and saw him there alive. And I exchanged hugs and we exchanged -- let him know that we now share something unfortunate and common to have both survived a horrible workplace shooting.

I encouraged him to see a therapist. I encourage everyone that was involved and survived, even if they were physically unharmed, it's still impactful. And to talk to others, talk to professionals, to focus on yourself, your physical and mental well-being in the days and weeks ahead to recover and to be able to move on.

And I think that's important because these acts of violence impact so many people. Those who were killed those who were injured, those who were there and survived, also impacted as well as their families and loved ones.

And so we are praying and here to support everyone impacted yesterday by the tragic acts of gun violence and every day. That's what our community stands for and that's what we'll continue to do.

COLLINS: And I know Tommy Elliot, he was a friend of yours too. What do you want people to know about him this morning?

GREENBERG: Tommy was a great man. He was a great friend. He is the definition of loyalty. He was the definition of friendship. He was a close friend of Governor Beshear's, myself and so many around the city, and he will be missed.

As I know, will the other four victims who were employees at Old National Bank, I did not know them personally, like I knew Tommy, but the stories that I've heard about them, they were wonderful people as well. And whether it was the victims yesterday here or whether it's the victim just a few blocks west of here that was also killed in a targeted act of gun violence or that are killed anywhere in Louisville, our country, we must work together to end this plague of gun violence on our country, enough.

COLLINS: Mayor Greenberg, Police Chief Gwinn-Villaroel, I know you two just -- it's been an intense 24 hours. We're really grateful for your time this morning. Chief, we will look forward to your update on the latest on the investigation later. Thank you very much.

GWINN-VILLAROEL: Thank you.

GREENBERG: Thank you.

HARLOW: The word enough says it all. Kaitlan, thank you for that.

The Gun Violence Archives says there have been more -- at least 160 -- 146 rather mass shooting so far in the United States this year. It's only April, right? We're only four months in. More than 200 people have been killed and hundreds more injured by guns in this country again this year, and this means that more Americans are experiencing gun-related violence as a victim, family or victim -- family of victim or witness. The new survey by Kaiser Family Foundation shows one in five adults, so that's 20 percent of American adults, say they have been threatened with a gun at some point in their life.

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now. They're so much stunning, but let's start with the headlines out of this survey.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This gives you a real sort of snapshot into the psyche of the United States right now when it comes to guns and some of the numbers you just mentioned there, but about 50,000 people die of gun violence every year, about half suicides, half homicides and the numbers have been going up. They went up considerably over the past few years. That's one of the concerns.

But just in terms of the daily worry, how much people worry about this on a regular basis, how many people have been affected by this directly, that's what the survey really tried to get at. And as you mentioned, if you look at adults specifically, the experience with gun-related incidents, 17 percent have witnessed -- about one in five have witnessed someone gets shot. Close to the same number, a little bit higher, have had family members who have been killed by a gun, again, either homicide or suicide, 21 percent have been threatened with a gun.

When you look at these numbers, I mean, they're pretty staggering. And keep in mind as you as you sort of think about this, that gun violence is now the leading cause of death among children and teens that surpassed car accidents over the last couple of years.

And then if you ask this question, how often do people fear this? How big a deal is it in their sort of daily lives? What you come to find is that the numbers again have been increasing, but 40 percent worry about this sometimes, 10 percent worry about it almost every day and 8 percent worry about it every day. They're thinking about this more and more. So, the numbers have been increasing overall and America's perceptions of that have followed suit as well.

LEMON: It's interesting the number of teens who -- just the percentage just skyrocketed just since 20 --

[07:15:02] HARLOW: The leading cause of death for kids and teenagers, more than car accidents. That's insanity.

LEMON: Yes. Another thing that struck me is that 41 percent of adults who live in a household with a gun, Sanjay, and that's about three quarters of them said that the gun is stored in a way that bucks really common safety practices. Talk about that.

GUPTA: Yes. I'm going to show you some of these numbers, and I'm going to preface by saying this. It's been hard to collect this sort of data in many places. You can't even ask about guns in the household. You can't ask if a gun is present. You can't ask how the gun is stored. So, it's hard to get this sort of data.

This was based on a survey, again, by the Kaiser Family Foundation. They found that the way the guns were stored, 36 percent are stored loaded. That's not how they should be stored. 44 percent stored unlocked and 52 percent stored in the same location as ammunition. That's one of the big concerns here is that, you know more houses have guns than before. The numbers have been going up. And how they are stored potentially being sources of danger again, especially for young people, that has gone up as well.

So, that's one of the concerns here as we try and figure out solutions with regard to guns, simply addressing how they are stored, doing it as safely as possible is one of the things that survey focused on.

COLLINS: Yes. And it's like the number one thing you learn when it comes to guns. But, Sanjay, as Poppy was just noting there, the fact that it is the leading killer of children here in America, what does this survey revealed to you? What stood out about just broadly what is happening to children here in the United States?

GUPTA: Yes. You know, one of the things, Kaitlan, that stood out and sort of in this report, I'm going to show you some of the numbers, but about 20 percent, about one in five parents nowadays, they have considered moving their kids out of their current school because of the concerns about gun violence. Where exactly they would move, that's a little less clear. But that's how big a problem this is, how big a concern.

When you talk to parents specifically about this, 38 percent said they worry about it sometimes, 13 percent almost every day and 12 percent worry about this every day. If you have children younger than 18 in your house right now, about a quarter of you think about this almost all the time, which is, again, staggering. This wasn't something that, you know, really registered as much certainly a decade ago, even a few years ago, but these numbers have been increasing. And not just the numbers of people who are dying by gun violence, close to 50,000 year, but the toll now on the American psyche. We haven't really gotten a glimpse of that in the past.

LEMON: Yes. And the question now that parents are asking, the sleepovers or going over to other people's homes, is their gun in the house. That didn't happen when I was a kid. No one ever asked if there was a gun in the house. We just say, hey, can I go sleep at such and such as house where sleepover, yes or no, you know? Yes.

COLLINS: All right. Sanjay, thank you so much.

GUPTA: You got it. Thank you.

LEMON: So, we'll move on now and talk about former President Trump, right, has filed a long shot appeal to stop the judge's order for former Vice President Mike Pence to testify before the grand jury in the January 6th investigation. According to a source familiar with the case, Trump argues his conversations with Pence are protected by executive privilege. It is important to note that Trump has already lost several attempts to block other top officials from testifying.

CNN's Senior Crime and Justice Reporter is Katelyn Polantz and she is live in Washington with more. Katelyn, good morning. Another appeal to keep someone quiet. Any chance that this one works?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: I don't think so, although you never know with the courts. But at this point in time, this is the fourth time that Donald Trump has tried to close off some level of testimony from one of the witnesses in the January 6th criminal investigation that's being conducted out of Washington by the special counsel's office.

This isn't just any witness, though. This is Mike Pence, his former vice president. And so Pence is being subpoenaed to the grand jury. We know that there's already been one judge that said you have to go in and testify. Donald Trump is not going to be able to protect his presidential communications directly with Mike Pence from the criminal investigation.

And that follows several losses that Trump has had both at the trial level and at the appeals court level. He tried to cut off answers from others in the vice president's office, two of his top advisers, White House counsel lawyers, top aides, even cabinet officials. He just keeps losing every time he goes to the appeals court. And so we do have the expectation that this would be very much in line with that.

And also remember Mike Pence said he's already willing to comply with this subpoena. He's already willing to testify under the judge's ruling. So far, he's not appealing anything because he's actually happy with what has happened in this case. Pence is pretty pleased that he earned some protections around the vice presidency that members of Congress also have, even if he has to show up and talk about conversations where Donald Trump may have been acting corruptly.

[07:20:03]

COLLINS: And, Katelyn, if Pence does go forward and ends up testifying to them, obviously, it would be incredibly significant. But we've seen so many other former top White House aides who have had to go before the grand jury because they've lost similar appeals to the one that was just filed.

POLANTZ: That's right. And what's so -- I was looking back into the law and the history on this, and this is actually not that unusual of a situation to happen in a criminal investigation. 50 years ago in the Watergate cases, there basically where judges' rulings saying, no, the executive branch, the president can't cut out things from a criminal investigation, can't protect presidential secrecy when there is a grand jury need that outweighs it. That held up through the Clinton years, through the Clinton administration, and, actually, it was very unusual for presidents to even try and claim that they wanted to protect presidential communications like this.

And so what Donald Trump is doing is the unusual thing, what the criminal investigators are doing here is pretty much in line with what they have been able to do historically. And they will be getting answers not just from Mike Pence but from many of the witnesses where Donald Trump is trying to protect from his administration.

COLLINS: Yes. We'll see what the court decides. Katelyn Polantz, thank you.

HARLOW: Tennessee Republicans expelled him, but now, a young black lawmaker is back in his seat, back representing his district after the Nashville Metro Council voted unanimously to reinstate him. State Representative Gloria Johnson, one of the Tennessee three, shall join us live to discuss what comes next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Actually, I happen to be on the elevator with the representative, Bud Hulsey, who filed resolution to expel me. I greeted him and I also asked him did he learn anything from this experience? He said that, you know, it's part of leadership's decision to kind of ask him to file this and, you know, besides that, it was very quiet. But I think, you know, the Republicans are in a point of reflection here in Tennessee, that what they did they thought would happen without any resistance but it has the world watching what's happening here.

The speaker of the House is trying to backtrack now like I did -- I said today, you know, we are calling for his resignation. He is an enemy of democracy and he doesn't deserve to be in that office of speaker of the House any longer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A lot of reflection going on all over the country, but especially there in Tennessee. Democratic Representative Justin Jones speaking last night entering the Tennessee house, that you're looking at now at the chamber, after the Nashville Metro Council voted unanimously to reinstate him on Monday. Jones and his Democratic colleague, Justin Pearson, were expelled last week for violating decorum during a gun reform protests in the chamber. Gloria Johnson narrowly survived the removal vote and walked in the chamber by Jones' side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: (INAUDIBLE) the people back in the people's house, our local democracy back in the people's house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The so-called Tennessee three could be reunited tomorrow when Shelby County commissioners will vote on whether to reinstate Justin Pearson.

So, joining us now, Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson. Thank you, Representative. I appreciate you joining us this morning. As I said to you in the break because of what happened in Tennessee, but also because of what happened in Kentucky as well, it is all connected. We appreciate you joining us.

So, you walk back into the chamber arm in arm with your colleague, Justin Jones. What was that moment like for you?

STATE REP. GLORIA JOHNSON (D-TN): It was just -- it just felt right. It was so good to have him back in the body overwhelmingly supported by not only his district but every district in Davidson County. And I just -- I was -- I didn't know if that would happen that he would be back or that there would be any challenge to it. And it was so nice because both Rep. Pearson and Rep. Jones' voices are so important in our body. And we just need those young, passionate voices that are willing to fight every step for their constituents and put their constituents before lobbyists and corporations.

LEMON: I want to ask you about -- you've been very upfront after the vote last week that you felt race played a role in Jones and Pearson's removal. But there are -- some of your Republican colleagues were saying, the difference was, in their estimation, that it wasn't race, that you argued, your attorney argued to the contrary that you never shouted or pounding the podium or displayed a sign containing a political statement last week, and also that you chose not to participate in a letter that their attorneys had submitted that your attorney didn't take part in that letter that you submitted your own. Do you still believe that it was race? And how do you respond to your colleagues who are saying that?

JOHNSON: You know, I'm I've been sitting in that body for a while. I hear racist statements all the time. And it was just a few weeks ago that one of my colleagues in our criminal justice committee, we were -- we had a bill. They have a bill to bring back the firing squad and the electric chair. And one of my colleagues said, I think we should bring back hanging by a tree. He literally suggested lynching.

I think it's very clear. There have been statements in committee for years. And they've made themselves clear, if you heard the questioning of those two young men compared to my questioning, you definitely heard racially-tinged.