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Erin Burnett Outfront
New On OutFront: Shooter's Friend Shares Chilling Messages Received; Police: Shooter Had AR-15, Type Used In 96 Mass Shootings In 10 Years; Questions Grow As Grand Jury Won't Hear Trump Case Again This Week; Ukrainians Reeling After Deadly Russian Strike; Dominion Wants Carlson, Hannity, Other Fox Hosts To Testify; New Video: Smoke, Fire Engulfing Inside Migrant Center. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired March 28, 2023 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:31]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next, breaking news. New messages into OUTFRONT from the Nashville shooter to a friend just moments before the rampage, including why the shooter was reaching out to her specifically. That friend is my guest.
Plus, his 12-year-old daughter was put on notice by police for anti- war drawings, and now, he has been sentenced to a Russian penal colony for calling the war an occupation. Tonight, though, he is on the run, and his lawyer is speaking to OUTFRONT.
And Tucker, Hannity, Ingraham all could be taking the witness stand as Fox News starts to cozy up with Trump again.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news -- there are new messages, direct text messages just into OUTFRONT, messages sent by the Nashville shooter to a childhood friend moments before the attack. One of these new messages reads and I, quote, I wanted to tell you first, because you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen and known all my life. My family doesn't know what I'm about to do.
Now, in a moment, I'm going to speak to the woman who received this message, and she's sharing more messages with us because this comes as Nashville police are releasing disturbing new details about the shooter who killed six people, including three 9-year-olds at that private elementary school in Nashville.
And they admit, though, but they still do not know why the killer opened fire in the first place. What we do know is that Audrey Hale was able to legally purchased a total of seven different firearms and was under doctor's care for an emotional disorder.
It also comes as we're seeing the heart stopping bodycam footage of officers racing through the school and eventually confronting the shooter. Now, we want to warn you that the video is disturbing and what you're about to see here begins his officers start to search classrooms for the shooter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE OFFICER: Hold the door.
POLICE OFFICER: Next.
Open it. I got it. I got it. Let's go.
POLICE OFFICER: Now let's go. Let's go.
POLICE OFFICER: Let's move right. Cover! Cover left, cover left!
POLICE OFFICER: Take this. Take this with him. Take this. No, that's locked. Take this door. Take this door. Take it.
POLICE OFFICER: It's upstairs. It sounds like it's upstairs.
POLICE OFFICER: Go, go, go!
(GUN SHOTS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: It's hard to watch that.
According to police, officers engaged the shooter 11 minutes after receiving the first call for help.
The shooter was roaming the halls of the school. You see there. The six victims were not killed in the same place. We understand.
One of them, Katherine Koonce, the head of the school, was found in the hallway outside her office. Police say it's very possible she may have been running towards the shooter.
Earlier, we spoke to a close friend of Katherine, Melissa Trevathan, and we asked her if this is something her friend would have done.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISSA TREVATHAN, FRIEND OF SHOOTING VICTIM KATHERINE KOONCE: There is no doubt that Katherine would protect -- would do anything to protect the kids, the teachers, the people around her. She was so committed to -- just to relationship and people and would do anything.
And so, I do not doubt Catherine was a person that never did back down from any kind of risk, and whether it was just -- just an adventure in itself, or in a situation like this, I think that so many of us could just imagine that she stepped right in front of any kids or people, if it -- if she could save them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[19:05:09] BURNETT: It's a devastating loss. And tonight, they're still no answers as to why this happened manifesto but unclear on motive. There's so little that we know.
And I want to start with our coverage with Carlos Suarez, OUTFRONT live in Nashville.
And, Carlos, what more are you learning tonight about why and how this happened?
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, according to police, the parents of the shooter thought that the 28-year-old only owned a single gun, just one. Tonight, we know that the shooter owned seven guns, according to the police chief out here, all seven were purchased legally, nearly all of them were hidden at home.
A warning, the video you're about to see is intense. And some might find it difficult to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLICE OFFICER: Let's go!
SUAREZ (voice-over): Body camera video from two Nashville police officers showing them rushing into the Covenant School on Monday.
POLICE OFFICER: On me, on me. I don't know where he is. Let's go, police!
SUAREZ: Going room to room.
POLICE OFFICER: It's upstairs. It sounds like it's upstairs.
SUAREZ: And up to the second floor, before confronting the shooter. Surveillance video at the school released by police captured 28-year-- old Audrey Hale, shooting through doors at the school, entering and starting the attack.
Today, authorities revealed more about the writings they said Hale left behind.
CHIEF JOHN DRAKE, NASHVILLE POLICE: There's several different writings about other locations. There were locations of -- there was talk about the school, there was a map of the school. A drawing of how potentially she would enter and the assaults that would take place.
SUAREZ: Police said they've interviewed the shooter's parents, who said Hale was being treated for an emotional disorder.
DRAKE: We've determined that Audrey about seven firearms from five different local gun stores here legally. They were legally purchased. Three of those weapons were used yesterday.
SUAREZ: According to investigators, Hale hid the guns at home.
DRAKE: Parents felt that she should not own weapons. They were under the impression that was when she sold the one weapon that she did not own any more.
SUAREZ: As a search for answers continues, so does the morning for the six people killed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that it's always terrible to hear about something like this happening, but when it's just down the street from your house, it's -- it hits another part of you.
SUAREZ: Among the killed was Cynthia Peak, believed to be a substitute teacher. Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian at the school. And 60-year-old Katherine Koonce. She was the head of the school who police believe encountered the shooter in the hallway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No question whatsoever, she gave her life because she was trying to -- protect students, protect faculty.
SUAREZ: The children who were killed were all just 9 years old: William Kinney, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and Holly Scruggs.
Scruggs and the other victims were remembered in a service that was held at the Park City's Presbyterian Church in Dallas were Scruggs father served as associate pastor before coming to the Covenant Presbyterian Church.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're here because their hearts are broken. We're here because we weep with our friends.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SUAREZ (on camera): All right. So, Erin, we are still trying to learn more about the 28-year-old shooter who police say identified as transgender. Now the chief of police was asked about the 11 minutes it took officers to respond to the school from when that first 911 call was made. The chief of police has said that based on what he has seen so far, he is okay with that response time, but that the department, of course, would take a look at things -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much for all of that reporting.
And now, I want to go to Averianna Patton, a former classmate of the shooter. She received a direct message from the shooter on Instagram at 9:57 in the morning of the shooting, just 16 minutes before Nashville police received a call about an active shooter inside the school.
And the message from the shooter that Averianna read and -- received reads in part, and I quote: I wanted to tell you first, because you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen and known all my life. My family doesn't know what I'm about to do.
She continued: One day, this will make more sense. I've left more than enough evidence behind, but something bad is about to happen.
Again, these messages coming just moments before the shooting began. And Averianna is with me right now.
Averianna, I can only imagine the shock that you feel and having received this and in a sense been so close to it.
[19:10:08]
What more can you tell me about these messages that you received from the shooter?
AVERIANNA PATTON, FORMER CLASSMATE OF NASHVILLE SHOOTER AUDREY HALE: I mean, I'm just shocked, like I just would have never imagined that that would -- that would add up, you know? I just -- it's just -- still unbelievable.
BURNETT: I mean, it truly is, and I just -- just looking at them and you know you actually received these from the shooter.
I want to tell you first, because you're the most beautiful person I've ever known -- I've ever seen and known in my life. My family doesn't know what I'm about to do. Something bad is about to happen.
I mean, when you received the messages in that moment, how did it even make you feel to get these messages?
PATTON: I was just like I -- again, I was just like shocked and initially I was, you know, trying to comfort her. But soon as I got it, it was just like, this is strange. Let me send this to my daddy.
I screenshot to him. I was like, do I call somebody? He was like, yes, and I was like, okay, who do I call? Like, how do I deal with something like this?
Like so then he was like, call the suicide prevention. And then that's when I started that process of trying to reach out.
BURNETT: Right. And you did, I know called suicide prevention.
So, you know, there was -- there was also this, one of the messages, when the shooter did not tell you what was about to happen. Obviously, it was, but something bad is about to happen. And then, the message said, Averianna, this one part: one day, this will make more sense.
At this point from what you know, does any of this make any more sense to you?
PATTON: I mean, can it really make sense? Like, I mean, it's just -- I'm just still completely mind-boggled, like none of this makes sense. Like I just wouldn't never imagine this, like this is crazy.
BURNETT: So, Averianna, in terms of receiving a message like this. Obviously, we know the shooter was 28 years old. You all met in middle school.
Had you stayed in contact? I mean, was it -- was this just completely out of the blue? You were trying to remember who this was, or had you remained in contact with the shooter?
PATTON: Yeah, she came out and supported me. I'm a local radio and TV personality here in Nashville. So I hosted a lot of like local award -- not award shows, but like live -- like live hosting live music.
BURNETT: Right.
PATTON: I do club postings. I do live tapings of my TV show.
So, she definitely was supportive, most recently at my very first one, at the MAM (ph). So I did, like, see her more recently. And then I also seen here at another event as well.
BURNETT: So let me ask you a few more questions, one just about the timeline. Obviously, you received this Instagram message at 9:57 a.m. By 10:08, right, I mean, just literally. You saw it. You sent that screenshot as you described to your father. You talked about it, and then you call the suicide prevention hotline.
I understand, if I'm right every, Averianna, they told you to call the local deputy. 10:13 a.m., you call the local sheriff's office. They tell you to call the non-emergency line which you did immediately. 10:14, one minute later, you called the Nashville non-emergency line. They said they'd send someone over.
At 3:29, so, obviously, many hours later, someone arrives at your home. Of course, the shooting was at 10:13.
Yeah, you've done everything you could. I mean, have you spoken to investigators since?
PATTON: I have.
BURNETT: You have?
PATTON: Yes.
BURNETT: And do you feel like that that you've been able to give any sense of this? I mean, they're obviously at least right now seemed to be struggling to understand any sort of motive for how this could have happened.
PATTON: Yeah. I just shared the same screenshots that have shared with you. Just like the actual message from Instagram. And so they say, thank you for the information.
BURNETT: Right. Okay, so, what was the shooter like? I mean, I'm -- if I'm right, I understand you sort of have played basketball together many years ago, right? Talking back in middle school.
Obviously, you're saying she sort of had followed you because you're a very notable person in the community.
What was -- what was the shooter like at that time when you knew her?
PATTON: I mean, she was very quiet, very, you know, just shy. You know, with the team, we would like, you know, let them know, hey, we got your back, you know? Like we would joke and be like, don't nobody, but nobody tell you too hard. You know, we got to see her grow, you know, in her skill on the court. So, you know, we did really good that year. You know, we went all the
way to the city. So it was a really good year for us.
BURNETT: And --
PATTON: We had like a real camaraderie and --
[19:15:01]
BURNETT: When we hear the shooter's parents saying the shooter was under a doctor's care for an emotional disorder, again, police have told us very little except for they say that the shooter identified as transgender.
Were you aware of any of this at any -- at any point or is that all more -- more recent than you would know?
PATTON: Yeah, that's more -- I guess that will be more recent. Like I wasn't really tapped in like that.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Averianna, I really appreciate your taking the time and sharing this with me and sharing these text messages. And I'm sorry, I can only imagine the shock you're in, obviously from this, so you did absolutely everything humanly could.
Thank you so much for talking.
PATTON: I appreciate you. Bless --
BURNETT: All right.
PATTON: -- and love to the family, prayers and, you know, just love to all the families that were affected by this. You know, we're here and I'm here, and I'm going through this with you guys, live in Nashville.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you.
And I want to go to Casey Jordan now, behavioral analyst and criminologist.
So, Casey, you heard Averianna talk about the messages that obviously is a childhood friend and her interactions with the shooter when she knew her. What do you make of these messages moments before the shooting, and the person -- obviously, that she chose to send them to Averianna?
CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST & BEHAVIORAL ANALYST: Well, Averianna, obviously, you know, feels a great deal of emotion about the fact that she is the last person that hell reached out to and she did everything right, as you pointed out, but what really kind of stands out to me most is that she says she loves her and that she's the most beautiful person her childhood friend Averianna.
And this really indicates to me that everyone was probably an incredibly kind teenager at an age, you know during adolescence, when kids can be kind of mean and cruel and bully other kids, that even 14 years later, she really remembered Averianna as a beautiful person and the person that she wanted to carry the message forward because in the messages, she says, I don't want attention.
She just really indicates that she is in pain, that she is going to die that she wants to die. And, you know, Averianna did everything within her power to try to get authorities.
BURNETT: I mean, she certainly did. I mean, but not even waiting one point was a minute between calls, right, go to the next, go to the next, go to the next. I want to show everyone again, Casey, the surveillance video of the shooter arriving at the school.
We know now, of course, the shooter shoots out those doors and then climbs in. Now, we just don't know much about the shooter yet. You know, Police told CNN, Hale was assigned female at birth but used male pronouns on social media.
Here you see the shooter, you know, walking down the halls, you know, sort of dressed in fatigues. Some sort of, you know thing.
What do you make of this? How the shooter is dressed, how the shooter is moving?
JORDAN: Oh, well, regardless of how she identifies she's born female, and what you're seeing with the kind of baseball cap on backwards and the wearing of the fatigues and the flak vest. And this is somebody who is emulating virtually every male mass murder school shooter that we have seen.
And you know, the only fewer than 2 percent of mass shooters are female, and females shooting up schools is virtually unknown. I mean, we have a case from 1979. We have kind of one from Colorado a few years ago, but this is extremely rare.
So what you see is a person emulating all the male school shooters that we've been studying for the past 25, 30 years.
BURNETT: All right. Casey, thank you very much.
And next, the AR-15, the weapon used and the weapon of choice for mass shooters, 96 mass shootings in the last 10 years, trauma doctor who treated patients in Uvalde shows us what an AR-15 actually does.
Plus, new questions about the New York case against Trump. As we're learning the grand jury investigating hush money payments, will not vote this week on whether to indict the former president. What is going on at this point?
A new video in tonight of the moment of fire ripped through a migrant detention center close to the U.S. border, killing 40 people.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:22:37] BURNETT: Tonight, Nashville police revealing new details about the moments before the shooter left home to carry out the deadly rampage that killed three 9-year-olds and three adults.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF JON DRAKE, NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT: She had a red bag. They asked her what was in the red bag, and I think she gets dismissed it because it was a motherly thing, and I didn't look in the bag because at the time she didn't know that her daughter had any weapons and didn't think any differently.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: We know among the weapons the shooter was carrying was an AR-15 rifle, which has been the weapon of choice for mass shooters in the United States. In fact, there have been 96 mass shootings committed with AR-15 specifically over the past 10 years, according to the Gun Violence Archive. That includes Uvalde, Parkland, Buffalo, Las Vegas and Newtown, Connecticut.
OUTFRONT now, Dr. Lillian Liao, pediatric trauma surgeon in Texas who treated patients from the shooting in Uvalde were 19 elementary school students and two teachers were killed.
And, Dr. Liao, I appreciate your time tonight.
Obviously, it's unfortunate to have to even be speaking to you about this topic. But here we are, unfortunately again, and many people are hearing about AR-15s again and the injuries from these AR-15s, the reason these days rampages are so deadly is because of how deadly these weapons are compared to other guns.
We have an animation doctor that I want to show you that "The Washington Post" put together. It shows the trajectory of a 223 caliber sized round fired from an AR-15. And the bullet enters the body and then burst into the chest cavity.
Can you just explain for our viewers what this rifle actually does to the human body?
DR. LILLIAN LIAO, PEDIATRIC TRAUMA SURGEON WHO TREATED UVALDE SHOOTING VICTIMS: Sure, you know, these high velocity firearm injuries, such as the AR-15 that you're showing, creates devastating wounds, big body cavities, are seen if the victim makes it to the trauma center alive. And really, most patients have no time to bleed, you can bleed to death and as little as five minutes, and so, with the type of wound that's created, most people will not make it to a hospital, let alone at trauma center alive.
[19:25:05]
Those that do have large gaping holes in their body were missing areas that what we would call muscle, what people would call bone, does things are missing. Skin and fat, all of that is missing. Some body parts are not recognizable. I am part of a very sophisticated regional trauma system that
unfortunately cared for victims from two mass shootings. And from the first mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, we really learned about how we can save more lives from high velocity firearm injuries by looking back at the patients that we did not receive and how we could help them slow down there bleeding. Help them refill the tank because you only have so much blood in the human body, and if we could refill that tank before they get to a hospital, then there's a potential to save those lives.
BURNETT: And we talk about assault weapons in this country and just -- I just want to put I mean as gruesome and horrible as this conversation is, it's needed to inform the political conversation. So when you talk about AR-15, there's another animation. The Washington Post has.
It just simply shows the differences and exit wounds between an AR-15 and a smaller nine millimeter. So the small, isolated hole from a nine millimeter bullet fired by a handgun in blue, and then in orange, that's the gaping exit wound from the AR-15. The difference here is very stark.
So when you talk about the type of weapon used, it sounds like you're just saying clearly from a medical perspective, to state the obvious, there's a huge difference.
LIAO: There's absolutely a huge difference and the tissue destruction from these AR-15 type firearms is completely different than a regular handgun. We have to take these patients who actually make it to the hospital alive multiple times to the operating room to clean up tissue that continues to die off over the course of the next week to two weeks, before we can even begin any kind of reconstruction of the body parts.
BURNETT: All right. Dr. Liao, thank you very much. That's hard to listen to but important -- important to inform the conversation in this country that needs to be had that we just continually don't seem to have about assault weapons. Thank you.
LIAO: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, CNN learning the grand jury investigating Trump's alleged role in the hush money payments will not be hearing evidence for the rest of the week. So what's behind the scenes? What's happening? We have new reporting next from our Paula Reid.
Plus, an update to a story we've been following. His 12 year old daughter was questioned by Russian police just for drawing a flag of Ukraine and antiwar drawing, but now he's on the run. He's been sentenced to a Russian penal colony.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:31:27]
BURNETT: New tonight, the Manhattan grand jury will not vote this week on whether to indict Donald Trump over hush money payment to cover up an alleged affair. Now this is according to sources, who also tell CNN that the grand jury will not meet for any Trump related matters for the rest of the week.
Now this is just a day after the grand jury heard from the former "National Enquirer" publisher and former Trump ally, David Pecker, who actually helped arrange and coordinate the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.
OUTFRONT now, CNN legal -- senior legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid, as well as Ryan Goodman, of course, as former special counsel of the Defense Department.
So, Paula, you've been doing so much reporting here on all of this. This is now the second straight week where all eyes have been on the grand jury. And, you know, I understand. No one was promised this was going to happen.
But there was the expectation is going to happen. It's going to happen, and here we are. It's not going to be in two weeks, where it's not.
What's going on here?
PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So Trump clearly said that expectation right with his post about being arrested last Tuesday, which even his own team said wasn't based on anything. But it appears that prosecutors just don't believe they're done with their investigation. They're not ready to bring this before a grand jury.
I think one of the big questions right now is whether they'll bring any additional witnesses before the grand jury because last week the defense attorneys through them for a bit of a loop when they made the request to hear from attorney Robert Costello. We learned through sources that they believed are after that, we need to bring in someone to rebut, to button up our case.
We saw David Pecker going on Monday. But Michael Cohen's name was also floated because Costello's role was to attack Michael Cohen's credibility undermined his narrative about how this hush money payments were executed. So I think the big question now is whether they hear from any additional witnesses. And at this point, we just don't know.
BURNETT: And, Ryan, I know there's a lot we don't know and obviously policies right? Trump was the one who set that expectation. But even before he gave a date, there are many very knowledgeable people with a lot of knowledge about this D.A.'s office who said it would be last Monday or Wednesday, and then it would be Wednesday or Thursday. And then it would be Monday or Wednesday. And okay, so here we are.
The longer this goes on. How does this make the Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg look?
RYAN GOODMAN, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL AT DEPT. OF DEFENSE: So I think it doesn't look good. I think Trump is winning the narrative in a certain sense now because we don't know what's actually going on behind the scenes. It might just be, as Paula described it, that they're just doing the crossing the T's, dotting the I's, making sure they have everything in place.
BURNETT: Yeah.
GOODMAN: Who knows? But publicly, it doesn't look good. Publicly, it looks like, is he dithering? Is he reconsidering? Is it now --
BURNETT: Confident, right? Is it? Yeah. Costello goes in there for three hours. That's the kind of drama that's been created, but it's also I think what the public is kind of seeing. By every time they expectations there is we're now getting another delay and another delays that gives that appearance.
GOODMAN: Right, it does. I mean, you know, and appearances matter. I mean, you know, I understand that you know you got you go by laws, but appearances matter.
BURNETT: Now, Paula, you also have some new reporting on the other situation here. Well, there's multiple others, right? So we're not talking about Georgia. I'm going to talk about that special counsel, the DOJ.
Federal judge ruling that Mike Pence has to testify about January 6th. Interestingly not about what happened on the day of January 6th but about other things before that has to appear before that grand jury. So, Pence himself was just asked about this ruling by the judge, right? He'd fought it.
REID: Yeah.
BURNETT: Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: How they sorted that out and what other testimony might be required, we're currently reviewing. But look, let me be clear -- I have nothing to hide.
I have a Constitution to uphold. I upheld the Constitution on January 6th. We're currently speaking to our attorneys about the proper way forward, and as I said, we'll have a decision in the coming days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So special counsel moved on this aggressively. What exactly do they want from Pence?
REID: So this is a big win for the special counsel because now they're going to be able to ask him about all his conversations with former President Trump in the lead up to January 6th. They're interested in this pressure campaign that Trump and his allies were applying on Pence not to certify the results of the election, in particular that call on January 6th, pretty heated call that other witnesses have testified about. Now the former vice president will have to answer questions about that.
So, this is a big, big win for the special counsel.
BURNETT: All right. Big win, Ryan. I am curious, though, Pence has addressed conversations he's had with Trump. He wrote a memoir about those conversations. He's actually kind of given every interview we can, talking about that, and he may not be the most loquacious about the topic. But he does talk.
So is it possible Pence does not break new ground with the testimony?
REID: I think it's very possible. I think if all he did was testify to what is in his book, that would be enough. So the book is he's verbose. He goes over the line that most people don't feel like they need to do in order to sell books. So it's all in there, and it's in detail.
But I do think that the special counsel huge win, he gets to lock in Pence's testimony. He now knows exactly what Pence will say. He needs to have him said under oath. And then if there is a trial, Pence shows up as a prosecutorial or defense witness, they've locked him in.
BURNETT: All right. Well, thank you both very much. Big, big developments. The fact that there isn't a development in one case being equally as big as the big development in the other.
All right. And tonight at 9:00, Pamela Brown is going to have more on how Pence may respond to this ruling, part of a special hour, "CNN PRIMETIME: Inside the Trump Investigations".
And next, new images into OUTFRONT of Ukraine's remarkable efforts to rebuild entire communities that were decimated by Russian strikes in the midst of right -- possibly being struck again.
Plus, a long list of Fox anchors that could be called to testify if Dominion gets its way in its $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:40:29]
BURNETT: Tonight on the run. It is a story that we've been following for you, a Russian man. His 12-year-old daughter, Masha, was questioned by police last year. She's the one who drew this picture of an anti-war picture in school, which shows a mother and a child standing in the path of missiles. The words "glory to Ukraine" are written on the Ukrainian flag and "no to war" on the Russian one.
Now, this image had been first obtained by the BBC. After that, Masha's father was well wanted by police. She was put in an orphanage. Her father has now been sentenced to two years in a Russian penal colony for anti-war post on social media.
And referring to the Russian militaries, quote, oppressors. But now, he is now missing and presumably on the run, right, sentencing in absentia to two years in Russian penal colony is missing tonight. Now, this is, according to Russian state media, which also is where
we're seeing those reports that Masha is now living in an orphanage separated from her family. Because of those pictures, the man's lawyer tells OUTFRONT he does not know where his client is, but that he, quote, hopes he is alive and well. And that the two year prison sentence and his words are -- is unjust.
The lawyer also shared more drawings and artwork that Masha made for her father, but added that right now, he does not know whether Masha is safe.
And also, tonight, we do have more images you'll see first OUTFRONT. These uplifting we hope in Irpin, the suburb of Kiev. These pictures obviously the horrible destruction of a year ago destroyed by the Russian military invading from Belarus. Europeans suffered some of the worst human rights atrocities of the war.
But now, look at this -- they are even in the midst of a war rebuilding. You can see from these before and after photos that were shared with us by the Irpin city council. The resilience of the Ukrainian people incredible, scene through the restoration of these buildings, knowing that they could be attacked, shelled at anytime, hit by a missile, and they still rebuild. Other parts of Ukraine, of course, not seeing this.
Ben Wedeman is OUTFRONT tracking Russia's ongoing path of destruction in Eastern Ukraine tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There isn't much to be salvaged from this business in Slovyansk, demolished Monday morning in a Russian strike.
Oleg, his wife and some friends are loading up what's left. I'm still in shocks, says Oleg. I'm 62 years old and I've invested my heart and soul and money to build it. And now that I'm old, it's been destroyed.
The attack killed two people and injured more than 30, the likely target an army recruiting office next door.
In the hospital, one of the victims lies unconscious, a 30-year-old woman while fell on her, fracturing her skull in damaging her internal organs.
Surgeon Sergei Okovitiy has struggled since the war began, trying to mend shattered lives and bodies.
Unfortunately I have had to treat many serious injuries caused by mines and explosions, he says.
To the south in Krisnaivatorka (ph), another Russian attack hit just next to this kindergarten, fortunately empty since the war began. Strikes like this happen on a daily basis. This one occurred late on Monday evening.
Hours afterwards, workers make repairs area is regularly hit. They may be back here soon.
Down the road in Konstantinovka, closer to the front, only a few residents remain. Seventy-three-year-old Tamara isn't going anywhere, putting her faith in a higher power.
God protects me, she says. God will save me. If not, it is what it is.
Artem sells seeds and other supplies to a dwindling community of optimistic gardeners.
Everyone is scared, he tells me. Only idiots aren't until now. I'm here. Here, but I evacuated my children.
Not all children have left, however. One finding solace on a swing amidst the ruins.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN (on camera): And all of these towns are in the immediate vicinity of the city of Bakhmut, which has been the scene of intense battles. Russian, the Russians are attempting to take Bakhmut, they've been attempting now for seven months.
Now, the head of Ukrainian land forces say in Bakhmut, they're trying to inflict as many casualties as possible upon those Russian forces, hoping to prepare the ground for Ukrainian counteroffensive -- Erin.
[19:45:09]
BURNETT: Ben, thank you very much from eastern Ukraine tonight.
And coming up on "AC360" next hour, after the shooting in Nashville, the chaplain for the U.S. Senate calling for lawmakers to take action. He will be Anderson's guest.
And next OUTFRONT, we're learning Dominion wants to grill Fox's Tucker Carlson under oath about texts he sent, calling Trump's election lies ludicrous and totally off the rails.
Plus, new video just in of the horrifying moments that fire broke out inside that migrant detention center near the U.S. border, killing at least 40 people.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, Fox hosts on the witness stand -- if Dominion gets its way in its defamation case against Fox. The company wants more than 80 witnesses, and they include Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Maria Bartiromo, Laura Ingraham, as well as chief executive Suzanne Scott and president Jay Wallace.
Dominion likely wants to ask him about personal texts and emails in which many clearly as we know now admitted they knew the 2020 election was not stolen. Tucker Carlson called the claims of election fraud, quote, ludicrous and, quote, totally off the rails.
[19:50:02]
But even as Fox is facing this $1.6 billion lawsuit over Trump's election fraud lies, the network has seemingly become cozier with the former president is an odd-odd marriage at this point.
Harry Enten joins me now.
So, Harry, you know, we had actually talked recently about the change that had happened at Fox News, right, that they had toned down their talk on Trump, that mentions of Trump compared to DeSantis were way down that, this appeared to be a network ready to hit the accelerator for Ron DeSantis.
What about now?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: No longer so you know, we can look at mentions of Donald Trump on Fox News since the February 16th Dominion court filing, and they're over 2,000 of them and compare that change from the prior 40 days. It's up 43 percent.
So it seems to me looking at the numbers that despite this court filing, Fox News can't seem to get enough of Donald Trump, or at least a personalities that are appearing.
BURNETT: Or if there's even some sort of illegal strategy to it, like, oh, no, we're back in bed with it again. So maybe -- I mean, who knows, right?
ENTEN: He knows.
BURNETT: All right. So the big question is part in this case, of course, is whether because Fox was broadcasting different things than they were saying, right? Tucker, saying those things privately publicly, obviously was saying the opposite on his show, are their viewers more likely to even now still believe that Biden didn't win?
ENTEN: Yeah, absolutely. So, look at the Republicans who believe Biden didn't win enough votes to legitimately win the presidency, and those Republicans who prefer Fox News as their cable news source, 75 percent of them believe the election was in fact stolen, which obviously is not true.
That's considerably higher than most Republicans or all other Republicans who don't prefer either Fox News or one America News Network or Newsmax. Just 52 percent of them. Believe it. Of course, I should point out that those who prefer, OANN or Newsmax, 89 percent of them believed that the election was in fact stolen, not a lie.
So, you know, the fact --
BURNETT: So, 75 percent makes your jaw drop, then we give you 89.
ENTEN: Yeah, we give you 89, exactly right.
BURNETT: All right. So Trump has obviously lashed out against Fox News aggressively for their coverage of Ron DeSantis, right? The coverage that you had noted, right? They have been so aggressive in that.
He had accused the network of actually, quote, promoting Ron DeSanctus, as he likes to say, so much and so hard to so much that there's not much time left for real news.
So how do Fox viewers feel about whether Trump wins this nomination or DeSantis?
ENTEN: They would be quite excited if Trump was their nominee, 55 percent who prefer Fox News said they would be excited if Trump were, in fact, the nominee.
Again, that's a little bit lower than OANN or Newsmax at 69 percent, but it's considerably higher than all other Republicans at 37 percent. So the fact is for Donald Trump is getting more mentions on Fox News, and they will be quite excited if he were the Republican nominee.
BURNETT: Wow. Which is interesting, but, wow, that 37 percent, that's also significantly underwater. So that's interesting to see there, too.
All right. Thank you very much, Harry.
ENTEN: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, officials releasing new video tonight of the moment of fire started to tear through a migrant detention facility, killing at least 40 people.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:56:52]
BURNETT: Tonight, new videos showing the horrifying moments inside a migrant detention center when a deadly fire broke out near the U.S. border. The death toll tonight has risen to 40. Mexico's president says detainees lit mattresses on fire after learning they would be deported.
Meantime, the Biden administration has just announced it is prepared to receive any migrants injured in the fire in the U.S. for emergency medical visits.
I want to warn you that some of the images that you are going to see in this report are graphic.
Ed Lavandera is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This dramatic video captured what appears to be the beginning of the fire that spread through this Mexican migrant detention facility in Juarez late Monday night.
You can see flames and smoke filling the detention area in a matter of seconds, migrants scrambling for their lives and several Mexican immigration officers walking away from the area while migrants were left locked in the cells. Eventually, thick smoke fills the area, making it impossible to see anything else.
Outside, witnesses described hearing migrants screaming for help as fire spread through the detention center. Rescue workers responded, pulling people from the smoke and flames. This woman says there was smoke everywhere. Everyone was running for their lives. But all the men were left locked inside and the door to let them out was never open.
At least 40 people died, 29 others were injured in the blaze.
Mexico's president says the migrants started the fire when they found out they were being deported. The president says they protested by setting fire to mattresses inside the building where they were being detained.
The video from inside the detention center doesn't clearly show how or who started the fire, but several mattresses can be seen on the ground by the steel jail bars.
Mexico's national migration institute and attorney general are investigating the cause of the fire as many questions remain.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I showed up when the fire had already started, just flaming and more than anything that take away was the screaming of people still inside.
LAVANDERA: You don't sound convinced that it was the migrants that started this fire?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Migrants are coming to me and letting me know that they believe that someone else outside the building started the fire. They were locked inside a room, which they should have never been locked in.
LAVANDERA: This woman who cried as her husband was taken away by ambulance said he was grabbed off the street into that Juarez and taken to the migration center, like grabbed him on the street for no reason. Immigration advocates say this deadly fire fuels concerns along the border as migrants continue to flow through Mexico trying to reach the U.S.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have migrants that are just desperate and frustrated.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (on camera): So that skepticism and distrust between migrants there in Juarez and Mexican immigration officials continues to build today, Erin. Mexican officials say that most of the victims and survivors were from Venezuela and Central America, Guatemala. Guatemalan officials say that 28 of the 40 who died were Guatemalan nationals, Erin. BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Ed Lavandera. And thanks so much to all of you for joining us. You can watch the show anytime, anywhere. You just have to go to CNN Go.
In the meantime, though, it is time now for "AC360" with Anderson.
