Return to Transcripts main page
CNN This Morning
4 Killed In Georgia High School Attack; Trump & Harris Set To Take Debate Stage Next Week; DOJ: Russia Funded Tennessee-Based Media Company. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired September 05, 2024 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:42]
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Thursday, September 5th.
Right now on CNN THIS MORNING:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF JUD SMITH, BARROW COUNTY, GEORGIA: My heart hurts for our community, but I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Another American community shattered by a school shooting.
What we're learning about the 14-year-old suspect who killed two classmates and two teachers in Georgia.
Plus, this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Billionaires and big corporations must pay their fair share in taxes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Kamala Harris laying out her vision for what many voters say is their top issue, the economy, just five days before she meets Donald Trump on the debate stage.
And Kamala Harris picks up another high profile Republican ally, Liz Cheney, the latest to declare she's voting for the Democrat in the November election.
(MUSIC)
HUNT: All right, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington. A live look at New York City on this Thursday morning.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.
We begin in Georgia where another community is in mourning after a school shooting in an all too familiar sight, students at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, were sent fleeing from their classrooms Wednesday. Second period had just started when the gunshots rang out.
The suspect, one of their very own classmates who surrendered when confronted by police. But it wasn't before four people were killed. Two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both just 14- years-old, and two teachers, Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie.
One student spoke out about how the shooter almost entered her classroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LYELA SAYARATH, APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: The moment that it happened, he was at the door and they -- I knew they were looking for him already, but he was at the door and they almost let him in until they backed up, and then he turned away and that's when you hear the first rounds of fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Police say the suspect is 14-year-old Colt Gray, who will be charged as an adult for the murders. He was questioned just last year by law enforcement in connection with online threats about a possible school shooting. No charges were filed at the time.
As this investigation unfolds, local officials say teachers and staff at the school prevented an even larger tragedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS HOSEY, DIRECTOR, GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: The heroes that we need to remember is our faculty and staff here this school. They acted admirably. They were heroes in the actions that they took. The protocols at this school and this system activated today prevented this from being a much larger tragedy than what we had here today. So I want to recognize them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right. Joining us now to talk more about this as Dan Oates. He's the former police chief in Aurora, Colorado.
Dan, good morning to you. Thank you very much for being with us this morning.
Let's start with what we are starting to learn about this suspect specifically, that we know that he was questioned last year over an online threat. No charges were filed there.
But when you learn about that, what goes through your mind in terms of how law enforcement handled it then and what it should have meant ahead of this awful tragedy?
DAN OATES, FORMER POLICE CHIEF OF AURORA, COLORADO: You know, Kasie, in my experience, it's not uncommon to have. I was a chief in a couple of largest cities. It's not uncommon to have a complaint like that come your way once or twice a week. We live in an era where everything is amplified by social media, and any kind of threat, any kind of unusual or aberrant email or text exchange between students becomes an investigation for police to track down who are who originated it because it's amplified among parents and students, et cetera.
So I don't -- I'm not surprised that there was contact with this particular student a year earlier. There's a lot of times that that happens in policing and one of the challenges is to run down that threat immediately. And I can they give any number of instances with my detectives were in a kitchen with parents and 14-year-old at 2:00 in the morning because we finally figured out the origin of some kind of activity like that.
[05:05:11]
And thankfully, almost all the time there is -- there is an explanation that is about the recklessness of teenagers that has nothing to do with actual violence. So, yes, he had had contact with the police a year earlier, apparently, and, you know, we'll learn more about that, but that is not uncommon today with police departments and sheriffs departments to run down threats like that.
HUNT: A really difficult reality.
Dan, the age of this shooter 14-years-old. I mean, so young, it would have been a year ago that they were running this down. So perhaps he was around 13 at that time. What does it say to you that someone at that the age -- are we seeing these school shooters of people who do these things get younger? And why do you think that is?
OATES: Well, we have a very open society where people have, you know, youngsters of that age have access through the -- through the internet to sort of unlimited amounts of information about every element of our society, including weapons and guns. And they are exposed to in our arts and culture, a lot of violence, et cetera. And the aura and culture around guns and it's just something we all have to deal with.
HUNT: So what's next here in terms of the investigation, especially as it relates to -- I mean, one of the things that's really come up recently is the role that parents play or don't play when something like this happens. Obviously, Ethan Crumbley's parents were held accountable.
What are -- what questions are law enforcement asking and what's next?
OATES: Sure. There are so many layers to this. One of the first is he's apparently based on what I've read and heard going to be charged as an adult under Georgia law. I don't know the nuances of that but assuming he is treated like an adult, the likely defense that will be offered as some skill be some sort of insanity defense. I am sure the evidence -- the physical and circumstantial evidence against him will be overwhelming.
So for law enforcement to overcome that defense, they're going to have to prove in front of a jury that he understood the consequences of his actions, that he knew right from wrong. In the Aurora theater shooting, that was essentially the only defense that was available to the defendant. And that's exactly what the litigation became in front of a jury.
In order to prove that, the investigators are going to have to delve into everything about this young person's life, his social media profile, everything he said or did with anyone in the last year, to work towards proving that. And I'm sure the investigation is being as thorough as it can into all of those things, then there are the issues of access to the weapon. We had the example several years ago in Michigan where two parents were held accountable under Michigan law for the reckless disregard that led to their 15-year-old getting access to an AR-style weapon.
So there are those kinds of issues around culpability for the origins of the weapon, then of course, there's the issue of actual conspirator liability, whether or not anyone else actually aided and abetted him in committing this act. So there are layers upon layers here in the investigation. There's an awful lot to get done and we are way, way too early to have a lot of insight right now. So --
HUNT: All right. Dan Oates for us this morning, Dan, I'm very grateful for your time. Thanks very much for joining us.
All right. Coming --
OATES: Thank you.
HUNT: Of course.
Coming up next here on CNN THIS MORNING: it's the state that will likely decide the presidential race. Donald Trump holding a town hall in Pennsylvania. The case he's making to voters there.
Plus, Liz Cheney voting Democrat, becoming the latest Republicans declare she's switching sides.
And Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts joins us to discuss Israel's next move after the execution of those six hostages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I'm telling you that if we relieve the pressure, if wed get out of the Philadelphi corridor, we're not going to get the hostages back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:13:51] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have an election coming up and actually, you know, they keep saying 60, but it starts in Delaware and North Carolina and other places a lot sooner than that. So, we're going to be -- I think were going to be very well set up to do a great job. And do we love Pennsylvania? Do we love --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Speaking of soon, the first ballots go out tomorrow in North Carolina. That is one of the Sun Belt states that is in the swing state category, gearing up for the final sprint to Election Day, Trump was in battleground Pennsylvania for a town hall with Fox News's Sean Hannity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This is a woman who is dangerous. I don't think too smart but let's see, but she loses her train of thought a lot. She goes -- that's why she doesn't want to do interviews. Can you imagine her doing an interview like this?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: And, of course, Trump and Harris face off on the debate stage this coming Tuesday.
Joining me now, national political reporter for "The Hill", Julia Manchester, and political reporter for "The 19th", Grace Panetta.
Welcome to both of you.
Julia, of course, we heard Trump there continuing his sort of personal attacks against Kamala Harris.
[05:15:07]
This comes as we're learning both sides have agreed to the debate rules which will include muted microphones, which the Harris team has been scrambling to try to change there at the 11th hour. The fact that he's in Pennsylvania also relevant.
Where do things stand here just five days before this debate?
JULIA MANCHESTER, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE HILL: Look, five days before this debate, we know that this race, particularly in Pennsylvania, a must win battleground state, is very, very close. Our "Hill" decision desk HQ average shows Harris and Trump, 0.1 percent apart in that state. So it's really must-win for either of these candidates.
It's interesting to hear Trump in last night's town hall attacking Harris on fracking and some of her moves on a number of policy issues. So it'll be interesting to see if Trump attacks her on that. Yesterday, we also saw Harris in New Hampshire releasing more details
from her own economic plan, which is also crucial ahead of this debate, we know that Trump has positioned himself as slipped pro- business candidate. So she is very much trying to prepare for I think a number of attacks she's going to face next week.
Now, the big question will be, does Trump in next weeks debate focus on policy and Harris on that? Or does he delve into these personal attacks like we just saw there?
HUNT: Right. Well, so speaking of fracking, Grace, Trump actually did address that in his town hall yesterday. This was how he framed that, probably a preview of what were going to see next Tuesday. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: She wants no fracking in Pennsylvania. She wants no fracking. And she said it 100 times.
That your biggest business and you get a big majority of your income from fracking, and you have somebody that's not going to allow fracking. She's not going to allow it. You can't take the chance. You have no choice.
You've got a vote for me. You've got to vote for me, even -- even if you don't like me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: So, of course, Grace, Harris's team has said that this position that she wants held has evolved. But how does this issue in particular play in Pennsylvania?
He also said in this town hall that the country will end up in a depression like 1929 if she becomes president. Again, no evidence there.
GRACE PANETTA, POLITICAL REPORTER, THE 19TH: Yeah, I think what we're going to see in this debate is a really clear sort of articulation from the Harris side of what her economic policies are going to be. I think this coal kind of fracking question illuminates both the challenges and opportunities for Harris going into the debate. I think the big opportunity she has here on the economy.
Latest polls including the CNN battleground poll released on Tuesday, shows that just kind of close the gap, the big gap that Biden had with Trump and how voters would trust more on the economy. And that's kind of why we see her moving to release more for economic plans. Of course, the vulnerability is her past positions she took in the 2020 primary when running for president, which Trump and his allies are going to look to hit her on, even though the show, those involved.
HUNT: So, Julia, I mean, I guess the question is, what are we going to know specific wise specifically about Harris's economic plans? This has been a line of attack from the Trump team, right, that she hasn't been specific enough. We have her out there breaking with Biden on a tax-related issue, the capital gains tax.
But it's clear that one of the things Trump is going to be trying to do in this debate is lump her in with, with Joe Biden. And pressure her on on where they may differ. Are we going to see more of that from her?
MANCHESTER: I think we're potentially going to see more of that, but I think there's going to be push from Republicans, Trump, for her to release even more specifics. I mean, yesterday, yes, she did talk about that capital gains tax, but she also talks -- to talk about targeting small businesses and trying to invest in those -- in small businesses, in particular. But the issue was she didn't talk about, you know, which sectors -- which small businesses in particular.
I heard some Republicans chattering about that. So I think you're going to continue to hear, you know, she's not being specific enough. And once again, from the Trump campaign's perspective, this is all about contrast. They are trying to put him forth as upfront as the pro-business candidate, the former business leader talking about that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we didn't have high inflation.
We know that Harris has also talked about price gouging, lowering prices, making this all about the cost of living. So that's I think what we could expect to see from her going into next week.
HUNT: All right. Julia Manchester, Grace Panetta, thank you both very much for being here this morning. I really appreciate it.
All right. Just five days, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will meet in Philadelphia for that debate that everyone's been waiting before. Do follow CNN for complete coverage, exclusive analysis before and after the debate. The ABC News presidential debate simulcast will be Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
And coming up after the break here on CNN THIS MORNING:
Kamala Harris heading to New Hampshire to pitch for tax plan, where she broke with Biden's agenda.
[05:20:03]
Plus, today, jury selection begins in Hunter Biden's latest trial. That and more in our morning roundup.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HUNT: All right. Twenty-four minutes past the hour. Here's your morning roundup.
The Justice Department alleging a Tennessee-based company received nearly $10 million from Russian operatives trying to influence the 2024 election. CNN has identified the company as Tenet Media. It's linked to right-wing commentators and has millions of subscribers on YouTube and other social media platforms.
[05:25:01] Trump's legal team is asking a federal appeals court for a stay in his hush money case sentencing until the judges can hear the former president's legal argument about getting that case moved to federal court. This comes just days after a federal judge denied moving the case and delaying the September 18 sentencing.
In just a matter of hours, jury selection begins in Hunter Biden's tax evasion trial in Los Angeles. The president's son accused of failing to pay more than $1 million in taxes. And for filing false tax returns, he has pleaded not guilty and could face up to 17 years in prison if convicted.
All right. Time now for weather. Five million people still under a flood watch in southern Texas and Louisiana. And meanwhile, heat alerts still in effect for nearly 55 million people across parts of the western United States.
Let's get straight to our meteorologist, the weatherman, Derek Van Dam.
Derek, good morning to you. What are you looking at this morning?
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. Good morning, Kasie.
I don't know if you saw this video yesterday, but this is coming out of San Antonio. It's two days ago, but its still valid because this is the flash flood threat that has encompass much of the south over the past several days and it continues into the weekend, dramatic, swift water rescue of a gentleman who was stuck within his car. There were six other people saved from the San Antonio fire department just along this road. You can see the swift water moving within that area.
So that was San Antonio. They're out of the flood watch now, but the flood watch really confined to the coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana and parts of Mississippi where the potential here for several inches of rain exists across the southern portions of Louisiana. This is where the weather prediction center has a moderate risk of flash flooding or at least excessive rain that could lead to flash flooding with a slight risk extending towards the Galveston and Houston region.
The potential here for six inches or more localized amounts according to some of the National Weather Service discussions of 10 inches are possible. So were going to watch out for that flood threat across the Deep South.
The other big story, the heat continues across the West, 55 million Americans under heat alerts from L.A., northward into Portland. Check out the temperatures departure from normal. It should be 77 in L.A. It'll top 98 today, perhaps 100 degrees by tomorrow.
Portland, you're a scorcher, 102 this afternoon. If you reach that temperature, it will only be the third time in recorded history where a temperature of 100 degrees or higher in the month of September has been recorded. It's really saying something -- Kasie.
HUNT: Yikes, it really is. All right. Derek Van Dam for us, Derek, thank you very much for that.
VAN DAM: Okay.
HUNT: And still ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING: Kamala Harris rolling out another portion of her economic agenda. We're going to take a closer look at her pitch to voters for her what she calls an opportunity economy.
Plus, we continue to follow the very latest from that school shooting in Georgia, where two students and two teachers lost their lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for our community, but I want to make it very clear that hate we will not prevail in this county.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
