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Erin Burnett Outfront
U.S. Refueling Plane Crashes In Iraq, Rescue Efforts Underway; FBI Investigating Fatal University Shooting As An Act Of Terrorism; Sources: Car In Synagogue Attack Registered To Man From Lebanon. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired March 12, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:26]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next, live from Tel Aviv, here in the Middle East.
We are following breaking news tonight on several fronts. The U.S. military just announcing an Air Force refueling plane, like the one you see on your screen, has crashed tonight in western Iraq.
And there are more strikes tonight, including massive blasts inside Tehran.
Plus, the FBI investigating two attacks in the United States. In Virginia, a gunman who had previously been convicted of trying to support ISIS opened fire at Old Dominion University, killing one. Officials are investigating as an act of terror.
And in Michigan, new details just coming in right now after a man plowed his truck into the entrance of a synagogue in a school.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
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BURNETT: And good evening and welcome to this special edition of OUTFRONT, "The War with Iran". I'm Erin Burnett live in the Middle East, in Tel Aviv tonight.
And we are following major breaking stories on several fronts as we begin our show tonight. Here in the Middle East, CENTCOM is announcing the crash of an American Air Force refueling plane. And we are showing you video of what that model of plane looks like.
The incident happening in western Iraq. And we're just getting some new information in on that crash.
And in the United States, the FBI is now investigating two attacks today, the first, a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia. The FBI director says that the agency is investigating the shooting as an act of terror. The gunman, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, is a former Army National Guard member who spent nearly seven years in prison after pleading guilty to trying to aid ISIS. Law enforcement officials telling CNN the gunman entered an ROTC class
today and opened fire, killing one. A student then stopped the gunman by stabbing him. The gunman is now dead.
And here's how officials are describing the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOMINIQUE EVANS, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: I can tell you that we have confirmed reports that prior to him conducting this act of terrorism, he shouted Al -- stated Allahu Akbar, and he was formerly a subject of a FBI investigation in material supporting terrorism. He wanted to conduct a terrorist attack similar to that in Fort Hood, Texas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Just to put that in context, 13 people were killed as well as an unborn child during the rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, that she's referring to; 32 others were injured, a massacre.
And in Michigan at this hour, we are just getting some breaking news. The FBI investigating an attack at a synagogue which also houses a school. Now, this is -- this is all the new information we're getting. According to authorities, the suspect plowed his truck with explosives into the school made his way down the hallway before security guard opened fire, killing the suspect, just to think about the horror that could have unfolded.
And CNN is just learning that that vehicle is registered to a man in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, who was originally from Lebanon. Now, this is according to multiple law enforcement sources. They say authorities are investigating reports that the suspect told people that he had multiple family members who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon in recent days, more than 100 agents and analysts have just been deployed to work on these cases.
This case is -- look, this is obviously deeply disturbing. Its stunning and from here in the Middle East now to potentially seeing ties of what's happening in the United States, a fraught and perilous moment.
Whitney Wild is live in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, on the synagogue attack. And Brian Todd tonight is in Sterling Virginia, in the neighborhood where the gunman in the Old Dominion University shooting attack lived.
And I want to start with you, Brian. You are there at the neighborhood that the suspect accused of opening fire today is from. What is the latest that you're learning on this attack that they are saying had ambition to be something that was a massacre.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Erin. We're here in the neighborhood where the shooter is believed to have lived. He is identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36 years old, learning a little bit more about this suspect and a little bit more about his family. This is a group of fairly upscale townhouses here in Sterling, Virginia, not far from Dulles Airport. We knocked on the door of the address here that is believed to be that of the suspect.
There's a sign on that door saying, quote, "We do not wish to speak to the press, exclamation point," end quote. I knocked on the door three different times, twice a gentleman answered, excuse me, and said to me that he pointed to the sign and said to me that they don't wish to talk to the press.
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The second time he opened the door, he said, "I'm going to say this nicely to you. We really don't want to speak to you. You have to understand, we're going through a very tough time." And then we left it at that. He closed the door. Multiple people have gone in and out.
We spoke to, I think, four or five neighbors so far regarding this man and his family. They basically paint a picture of a family that doesn't interact much with the neighbors. These neighbors say they did not interact much with him or his family.
They do believe that several members of this family, multiple generations of this family, all live together in this townhouse in question. At least two neighbors told me that they are known for having a large gathering at the house at least once a year. Outside, it's a fairly large party, that they're always people coming in and out of the house. One man specifically told me that he would often walk by the suspect in the neighborhood when he was walking, and that the suspect would never engage with him, especially the first time when he said hi to him the suspect, he said didn't say anything, just kept looking at the ground.
And he said every other time that he saw him in the neighborhood, he would just not engage. He would always look to the ground. So a little bit more of a picture you're getting of the suspect.
And as you mentioned, Erin, he spent nearly seven years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding ISIS and according to officials who were at the scene, who I guess relayed some witness accounts at this -- in this room where he committed the shooting allegedly, he was subdued by other people in the room and stabbed by at least one of them.
So, a pretty harrowing scene inside that classroom today, as we find out a little bit more about the suspect and the family who lived with him in Sterling.
BURNETT: Right, right. And of course, those ISIS ties and the FBI saying that he had yelled, "Allahu Akbar". Obviously, we're waiting for more details but obviously a gruesome and terrifying scene, especially given what they say the ambition was.
I want to go to Whitney Wild. She's OUTFRONT in Michigan now.
And, Whitney, we are learning some new details about the suspect sources saying that the vehicles registered to a man originally from Lebanon, and now authorities are talking about the potential, they're looking into the potential that he had family members killed in Israeli strikes in this war.
What are you learning?
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're learning, you know from both sources and officials here is painting, you know, more context to what law enforcement officials here are saying was very clearly and very obviously a targeted attack on the Jewish community.
And let me just reset for our viewers who are maybe just now understanding what happened here. This all happened, 12:19. This vehicle drove directly into this building.
This is an enormous temple. It is one of the biggest temples in this area. And that also houses a preschool.
And drove into the building, into the hallway, all the way through that front hallway there where the driver, the subject of that vehicle, who is now dead, hit one of the security guards, the lead security guard, that man now in the hospital, multiple security guards responded. At least one of them appears to have opened fire.
There were hundreds of law enforcement officers who respond to -- responded to this, Erin. I mean, there were at least 100 FBI agents and tacticians here who responded. There were also, again, dozens of -- dozens and dozens of local law enforcement who responded, about 30 of them who rushed in immediately, are now being treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation because the building virtually was engulfed in flames immediately following this incident.
So those brave first responders now recovering in the hospital, they are expected to be okay. And as you mentioned, there is new information about the suspect here and what we're learning from our Holmes Lybrand and Hannah Rabinowitz are excellent DOJ beat reporters, as well as John Miller and Kasie Hunt, is that the vehicle is registered to a man again in Dearborn Heights. That's a town that's not too far from here who was originally from Lebanon. Again, this is according to multiple law enforcement sources telling our CNN reporters this information.
Authorities are now investigating reports that the man told people he had, again as you said, multiple family members who were killed in the Israeli airstrike in Lebanon in recent days. Law enforcement minutes ago gave an update, and they were reluctant to detail anything about the suspect. They said they were not going to get into any investigative information because they wanted to preserve, you know, the -- keep this a tight investigation because it is possible that it will expand. Sometimes we see cases like this where other people are eventually charged. And so, it is critical that they try to keep those details tight.
Erin, I leave you with this. What we are seeing now is a calmer scene, but it is very seriously a stepped-up law enforcement presence here. There's a Jewish community center not far from here. I saw it as I drove in.
Two law enforcement vehicles virtually blocking one of the main roads into that Jewish community center. When they say they're ramping up security, they're very serious here, Erin.
BURNETT: Yeah. Well, I mean, it's the security, the security that could have, it seems saved, saved so many innocent lives today.
Whitney, thank you very much reporting from Michigan.
I want to go now to John Miller and the former FBI director -- Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
All right. John, you've been talking a lot about the suspect in the attack on the Michigan synagogue. And obviously, we're learning originally from Lebanon, but now also that they're looking into the fact that he may potentially have had family members killed in Israeli strikes during this war, which if it is the case obviously brings this war front and center to the American homeland. What are you hearing?
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: So what we've been told by multiple sources as they go into the background of the individual that they believe is the suspect, and that is because that is the person that that car is connected to, is that this is a person who had told others that he had multiple relatives, close relatives, brothers, nephews killed in Israeli strikes targeting areas in Lebanon where they've been striking against Hezbollah.
This is -- this is information that obviously could be key to the motive of attacking a Jewish target not far from where he lived. Now the current situation is they still have that vehicle in the building. They can't remove it right now.
They are waiting on structural engineers to come and assess the charred, burned out part of the building because the vehicle broke through the doors and went all the way down the hallway to the end with the suspect. Authorities believe based on the video appearing to fire from the vehicle, gunfire as he was being shot back at by the security team.
And on the video, the security video it is described as suddenly you see the car go up in flames given what they observed in the back, which is what appears to be mortar rounds which is more likely commercial fireworks kind of mortars. It appears that from where he was sitting, he had some kind of initiation or detonation system that once he crashed into where he was going to end this or, or was stopped, that the car would blow up into this giant fireball.
They are still trying to figure out between ATF bomb technicians, FBI bomb technicians and the local bomb technicians from the county. If there are anything, any explosives in the back of that car that are still live along with those that are burned out, and then how to get that vehicle out of there and what the structural integrity of the, of the building is.
So, a lot going on. It's going to be a long operation
BURNETT: Yeah. Director McCabe, you know, we are -- we are in the midst of really an unthinkable sort of war here and we're almost two weeks into this war. And in that context, we've got authorities investigating reports that the man told people that he did have those multiple family members killed in that Israeli or in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon in recent days and John was just detailing that it might have included, you know, nephews, brothers, multiple family members, director, what does this tell you? If a - if a link like this does turn out to be the case -- a link that is clearly so direct.
ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Yeah. So, I mean, look the bottom line is if our national security leaders thought that going to war with Iran would not result in an impact here in the homeland, they were kidding themselves. I mean, we know, for instance, in this -- in this situation, and there's a lot we don't know here. We don't know exactly. This person hasn't been positively identified. So, we don't know exactly what his motives are.
But the place that the registered owner of the car comes from Dearborn heights has an enormous Lebanese population has been there for decades and decades and decades. So it's not beyond the realm of the possible to think that there might be people in that in that population who are personally touched by the violence that's happening back in Lebanon. There may be people in that population who are supporters of Iran or of Hezbollah.
There -- you know, this is an area of counterterrorism investigations that's been going on in that area for many, many years. We have found Hezbollah operatives in the United States before. This is not a new concept.
So, we have people here who might pose a threat to this country.
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We -- I deeply hope that the FBI is on top of their game right now, because they are operating in a period of absolutely increased threat. And, you know, these are the type of things that people who are frustrated, who are filled with grievance, who are prone to violence, these are the type of acts that they'll engage in to draw attention to their cause.
BURNETT: And every day, I mean, there's headlines from where we are obviously of what's happening, you know in Israel about to begin. They say, defense minister here, a major offensive in Lebanon strikes today, people killed today. It is -- it is obviously unrelenting and it's a war.
John, you're talking to your sources about the suspect who opened fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia and killed a person there. Others were hospitalized. The FBI says this is being investigated also as an act of terror.
What are you learning there? MILLER: Well, here's an individual who was arrested by the FBI. And I
recall this case because I was working in counterterrorism at the time. He was charged with material support for ISIS, meaning he was online talking to people that were ISIS people, one of the people who engaged him turned out to be an FBI undercover employee asked him what did he want to do? He wanted to support ISIS.
He was involved in a plot to purchase weapons for ISIS that he allegedly believed were going to be used in an attack in the United States. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He got out in 2025.
Don't know what he has been doing since he got out but to get back to your earlier point, it appears that this war and a lot of the stirring that has occurred around it online and we've seen this is now one of three or four terrorist attacks we've seen, you know, has drawn people out. Here's a guy who, you know, did a decade in prison for supporting ISIS who targeted military people in the ROTC class of Old Dominion University.
So, we're -- you know, whatever the alerts that went out warning people to be watchful were very well-grounded, as Andy says.
BURNETT: Director, how high is the risk right now?
MILLER: It's -- it's incredibly high. These are the moments that you train for in the FBI, right? These are the moments that you build plans for just this sort of event. It's been, you know, it's been considered for many, many years that we might come to the point of hostilities with Iran. And for that reason, the FBI developed a plan years ago of exactly how they would go about assessing the threat climate in across the country relative to if hostilities broke out.
Well, we're there. It's time to take that plan off the shelf and start making sure that were doing some of those things that we thought about doing many years ago, contacting sources, reviving old cases, finding people from other -- from cases that are over -- people who had served their time and recontacting them. So, this is the sort of activity that we expect, and we hope that the bureaus engaged in right now. I'm sure they are. And we are likely to see more of this.
BURNETT: It's time, of course, with so much chaos, of course, after DOGE and other things. Thank you both very much. I appreciate your time.
And our breaking news coverage continues. That shooter in the Old Dominion University case had been on the FBI radar for years, as the director just referenced. One special agent saying that his ties to ISIS, the shooters, kept him up at night. Much more ahead from someone who reported on the shooter, it has a lot of information on him from those years.
And breaking, we are learning more details tonight here about the U.S. Air Force refueling jet which just crashed here in the Middle East, in Iraq. We now know at least five crew members were on that plane. We don't know the status yet right now of those crew members. So we're working to get more information here overnight as there are new strikes tonight. Iran vowing to keep up the fight, keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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BURNETT: We are back with a special edition of OUTFRONT. We are live in Tel Aviv here in the Middle East, and we are following the breaking news right now massive airstrikes, and now a U.S. Air Force refueling plane crashing in Iraq, in western Iraq, U.S. Central Command saying, and I quote the incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury and rescue efforts are ongoing. Two aircraft were involved in the incident one of the aircraft went down in western Iraq. The second landed safely.
Now, the plane, we understand is a KC-135, like the one were showing you on the screen now, the refueler and it comes as Iranian media is sharing now a message purportedly from the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
It would be -- it's just a statement. It's quite detailed. It's multiple pages here. It would be the first time the world has heard from him since he was selected to replace his father as the supreme leader in Iran. That message was actually read in full on Iranian state television without any proof of life. It was just read that he had put this statement out.
And it includes things like, we will not forget. We will revenge on the blood of your martyrs. This revenge is not only for our martyred leader. It is actually for those who are martyred by the enemy, and he went on to say, or the statement says, the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely continue to be used.
Now, the Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei seeming to suggest that Iran's going to open a whole new front in the war he said the enemy has little experience and will be extremely vulnerable in this new front.
[19:25:04]
So, vague on that, but obviously full of threats.
Let's go to Nick Paton Walsh in Amman, Jordan.
And, Nick, I just want to start here with the breaking news because you're getting more details on this crash. This KC-135 refueling aircraft missing. CENTCOM says it went down over western Iraq.
What are you learning?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, to be clear, CENTCOM says that there was no hostile or friendly fire involved in this incident. But our Pentagon team understand from a U.S. official that the second aircraft was also a KC-135 refueling aircraft and that at least five crew members were on board, the one that crashed.
Now, search and rescue operations are underway. The aircraft is technically missing at this point. And I think there were lots of questions asked as to exactly how these two refueling aircraft, who can often operate in cells in the sky, got into this particular incident. Now, the number of crew on board, five in the one that is indeed missing, you would normally expect three or four crew members to be on board a KC-135, perhaps one or two more for navigators, or alternatively, that larger number might suggest it could have been a medical evacuation craft, all unclear at this moment. But still, an urgent moment, certainly in which U.S. rescue workers are desperately trying to locate these crew members.
I think, Erin you may near your position there, close to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. According to some of the open source data we've been seeing on flight monitors, one of those two, KC-135 that a lot of circling near where you were possibly dumping fuel, put out an emergency signal earlier on today, I understand that may well be connected to that particular incident, indeed be that second plane.
But another, I think, stark reminder of the risks that U.S. personnel endure every day, even though this incident appears to have been something of an accident. Early stage, early information, at this point, though, Erin.
BURNETT: Yeah. Well, obviously, raising a lot of questions, as you say, why there were two, why there may have been more people on board, crew than usual. Was that medical related? What does that mean for the -- you know, obviously, we don't know a lot about the injured and what is happening more broadly in this war.
Thank you very much, Nick Paton Walsh in Amman, Jordan.
And OUTFRONT now, retired naval intelligence officer and Captain Steven Horrell; Nazila Fathi, longtime "New York Times: journalist based in Tehran who was forced to flee; and our Jeremy Diamond also joining me here in Tel Aviv.
Captain Horrell, let me just start with you with Nick's reporting that at least five crew members were on the plane that is currently missing and that the other plane is saying actually could have been circling at Ben Gurion Airport here in Tel Aviv, behind where we are, dumping fuel, possibly from open source information earlier as potentially part of this incident. Five on board and a missing aircraft. Obviously, it is in the dark of the night over western Iraq right now.
We could be looking at more terrible loss of life tonight.
CAPT. STEVEN HORRELL, U.S. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER (RET.): That's correct and I think, as Nick I think pointed out, it highlights its inherently dangerous business, military aviation, ships and submarines at sea, it's inherently dangerous. And our hearts need to go out to those families. There's an entire squadron or wing of families waiting to hear about their loved ones, just like -- just about anyone whose loved ones are deployed to the region as a whole, right?
This is in western Iraq and friendly skies, but it's a region wide effort, and there are a lot of service members involved and at risk. BURNETT: And, Jeremy, you know, when we hear about what Nick's
reporting about potentially the other aircraft involved having to dump fuel, possibly around Ben Gurion here, you know, obviously this airport with some repatriation flights, but essentially the only aircraft in the sky here are military aircraft that we see.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And we can see the landing and takeoff path of those aircraft from Ben-Gurion, from our position here, and it has been a continuous flow of these aircraft coming in and out, even in the days before this attack began from the United States and Israel.
It was one of the first real signs that this was going to happen, at least a dozen, I believe KC-135 planes have been positioned at Ben- Gurion airport.
BURNETT: That you could see there on the tarmac.
DIAMOND: Yeah, that were positioned there, and it was an indication that this was going to be a joint us-Israeli operation that, of course began, I think, the next day after we started to see those aircraft.
BURNETT: Yeah. So, of course, that -- I mean, you know look, everyone just will pray that there is not such a tragedy, of such a loss of life but, you know, western Iraq, as General Petraeus was saying earlier to Jake, very broad, difficult to operate in. And right now, of course, the very, very dark darkest hours of the night.
Nazila this statement that I have here in my hand you know, we are just hearing in this context of the war for the first time, purportedly from the new supreme leader -- no video, though no proof of life they read this on state TV. And as I've said, it really depends what font you print this in, but it's long.
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It's at least five pages, and it starts with the superlatives about gate of God, successor of God, proof of God. But there's, there's a lot in here. I mean, you know, Israeli government officials are pointing us to this part that, you know he says he saw the supreme leader in his martyrdom, you know, that he saw his body. But then there's a line that says, and I heard that his hand was clenched in a fist. Well, it's sort of -- well, did you see it or did you not see it, raising questions as to what's behind this statement?
NAZILA FATHI, FORMER NEW YORK TIMES CORRESPONDENT BASED IN TEHRAN FOR TEN YEARS: Erin, that's very interesting because I also noticed a lot of sentences that didn't make sense. I mean, basically grammatical mistakes and the message was filled with so many Arabic words. As you know Iranians are Persian speakers but there were so many Arabic words in this message that, you know, I'm wondering if he wrote it. I mean, it seems like a message from the revolutionary guards than from somebody who has gone to school, to the seminary to be a good, articulate speaker.
But, you know we should remember that this is a man who is a wartime appointee. He is the representative of the most important, the most radical faction of the revolutionary guards. So I'm not surprised that the message is so defiant and is seeking revenge. There were other interesting things that I think is missing from this message. He doesn't mention the president of the country, who is the only elected official that is collaborating with the rest of the leaders.
It was very interesting that we learned two of his sisters were also killed in the strike that killed his father, and there was no mention of his mother. And then a few hours later, we got a statement on official news agency that the mother was actually alive.
But I think the most important thing is that he is the representative of the most radical faction of the Revolutionary Guards. And the longer this war takes, we are giving time to them to cement their power.
BURNETT: And, Jeremy, it comes, as we heard for the first time from the Israeli prime minister he did a zoom press conference, right? It was not in person with the press, but it was the first time he's had a press conference he talked about this and raising these questions, referring to him as a puppet but raising real questions.
And we're not just hearing it from the Israelis, right? We haven't seen him. As to what really is the status of what is his status in terms of alive or dead or his, you know injuries. Yeah.
DIAMOND: And it's giving the fact that we haven't seen this new supreme leader yet is giving the prime minister the opportunity to kind of seize on this message. He called him a puppet of the revolutionary guard who cannot show his face and obviously, he's trying to sow doubt about the extent of his authority, about whether he is truly the one in charge and whether it's actually the Revolutionary Guard Corps that's actually running the country behind the scenes. That's something the prime minister is putting out there.
But I think either way, you know, the message that we heard from this, you know, this purported message from this new supreme leader speaks to the leadership of the country whether it is the new supreme leader or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the message is the takeaway, right? And the message that we heard here was one of revenge. It was one of defiance. It was one of insisting that Iran is going to continue to raise the stakes for the United States, for Israel and for countries in the gulf.
And I think that that's ultimately what we need to take away from this is, is the posture that Iran is taking here and an indication that they are going for something of a war of attrition that is kind of defying the stance of President Trump, that this thing is already won and over.
BURNETT: And, Captain Horrell, you know, in terms of it, did lay out right, as Jeremy says, whoever may have written it, it does speak for the state of the regime and what they're saying. And it says here, dear fighter brothers, the desire of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret inducing defense. Certainly, the lever of closing the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used. That's a strait you've navigated through that you're incredibly
familiar with. Can you believe we're in a moment here which would have been unimaginable just so recently that the strait is effectively still closed?
HORRELL: Yeah, I think it's important to note, he said it's a tool to pressure our enemy. And then the deputy foreign minister came out and talked about countries that will speak to them that they're willing to cooperate with, but not countries that have joined the aggression and a lot of the retaliatory strikes, not just against Israel, not just against U.S. facilities, but against the gulf states and the countries in the region.
So, they're using the levers that they have to try and increase the cost for the U.S. and Israel.
[19:35:03]
And it's very affordable and doable for them to hold at risk shipping in the strait. And it's clearly having an effect with global oil prices rising.
BURNETT: And, you know, we heard sirens a couple of hours ago. We haven't heard any in the early hours now of Friday morning.
Quickly before we go there, as it is, we're talking about the darkness in Iraq, where they're searching for those that crew, the top security official in Iran warning the whole region will go dark in less than 30 minutes if they -- if anybody targets Iran's electricity infrastructure.
Do they take that threat seriously?
DIAMOND: Well, I think they certainly have to and I think that, you know, you saw when Israel did strike those fuel depots and oil refineries, you know, there was a bit of a bit of daylight there between the United States and Israel on the wisdom of carrying out those strikes. And I think Iran is trying to make clear that that won't be acceptable to them in the future and that there will be costs.
But we heard the prime minister tonight really doubling down on this strategy. And every Israeli official I've talked about has been talking about surprises coming next week about a strategy, you know, phases here that they are going to continue to carry out. And so, we don't know exactly where this is all going to go.
BURNETT: Yeah. It's so important you raise that because I think you know, we just have to say Israeli officials, they do keep saying to all of us here, surprises, surprises and you know, it's unclear what those might be. The use of the word obviously raising real questions about what could be coming next.
As our breaking news coverage here continues tonight, Israel does say that it is now expanding operations in Lebanon. Our reporter on the ground there will take you there live. Plus, the breaking news out of Virginia. The shooter in the Old Dominion University attack no stranger to the FBI. His ties to ISIS, according to our next guest, kept one special agent up at night.
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BURNETT: We are back with this special edition of OUTFRONT war with Iran here in Tel Aviv. And we have breaking news as we are learning new information about the fatal shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia. The shooting killed one and wounded two more. It is being investigated as an act of terror.
Now, the gunman Mohamed Bailor Jalloh is also dead. Now he is known -- he was very well known to law enforcement because he'd been arrested in 2016 in fact, he served nearly seven years in prison after pleading guilty to trying to aid ISIS. He got released from prison in 2024.
Now, according to a book on ISIS supporters in America written by our next guest, the special agent in charge of Jalloh's case back in 2016, they said of all the multitude of cases that they investigated over years, this was the one that, quote, kept them up at night.
OUTFRONT now, Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens. He is coauthor of "Homegrown: ISIS in America". And, Alexander, I really appreciate your time. I mean, just I can only imagine what this is like after you devoted a whole section of your book to Mohamed Jalloh's case because it was that important.
So, then, today, this happens, you hear his name. What in the world did you think in that moment that he was responsible for this attack?
ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS, CO-AUTHOR OF "HOMEGROWN: ISIS IN AMERICA": Well, I didn't believe it at first when it was sent to me. I thought it had to be a mistake. As far as I knew, he was still in jail. So, I was very surprised.
And it has been confirmed and it does raise a number of key questions about how we are dealing with terrorist supporters who have who are coming out of prison now.
BURNETT: So, the FBI special agents involved in Jalloh's case, when he was arrested, you know, they said I just I just was telling everyone this, that it was the one that kept them up at night, right? You devoted a whole chapter to it. Why was this the one that kept them up at night?
MELEAGROU-HITCHENS: There's a few reasons. So, our book gathered as much data as possible on the Americans who tried to join ISIS, who tried to act in ISIS's name in America. And part of that was interviewing as much as possible the FBI field agents who investigated the cases. So, in Jalloh's case, there were three issues that made him a problem. One was that he had fairly significant military training as a member of the Army National Guard for a few years. Shortly after he left the army, he actually travels to Sierra Leone, his country of origin, and he tries to join ISIS in Nigeria and makes contact with ISIS members there. Then he comes back to the United States, and he then gets in touch with what we call a virtual plotter, an ISIS virtual plotter. Essentially, these are people who are based -- who were based in ISIS territory, who were using their online contacts to reach out to Americans and other Westerners who are interested in carrying out attacks for ISIS and kind of act as their handlers. These were essentially the sort of gray area between the sort of lone actor with no training and the actual terrorist actor who knows how to direct and help plan attacks.
So, the way Jallow came across the FBI's radar was they were actually watching this virtual planner and they thankfully had an FBI informant who was in touch with this plotter, who the plotter then said, you need to speak to this other man that I've been speaking. Yeah, go ahead.
BURNETT: And, you know, I mean, they, they had said that the ambition that he had in this attack today was as great as the massacre in Fort Hood, just to think about what he was intending to do and it happened just hours before a person armed with a gun drove a car with explosives into a synagogue in Michigan that also had a preschool. We've learned that vehicles registered to a man in Michigan who was originally from Lebanon. And sources are saying that authorities are now investigating reports that that the suspect may have had multiple family members killed in an Israeli airstrike in this war right now.
[19:45:02]
So, we're seeing multiple terror attacks there. They're sort of back- to-back with each other. There is the potential that they are very much tied to the war here on the ground in the Middle East. I mean, how much how much of this do you feel is related?
MELEAGROU-HITCHENS: It's very early for me to make that judgment. I -- I would be surprised, though I suppose not shocked, if the Jalloh attack was connected to the other ones that you mentioned. In this case, we have someone who had already, as you mentioned shown an interest in a very similar type of attack in what he eventually carried out, which is targeting of U.S. Army targets. He was inspired by Nidal Hasan, who in 2009 attacked Fort Hood and now he has actually gone on to commit the attack that he expressed an interest in conducting to the FBI informant that eventually led to his initial arrest and conviction.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Alexander, I appreciate your time. And thank you very much. Alexander writing that book in which the suspect today, entire chapter, seven years in prison for ties to ISIS and he came out and this is what happened.
Alexander, thank you.
And next, our breaking news coverage continues. Israel is beginning what it is calling large scale strikes in Lebanon right now, as we're on the ground there. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISOBEL YEUNG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're back in Beirut now. We can smell the smoke and see these big plumes of smoke from where explosions are going off in the city itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Plus, Iran threatening to strike energy sites across the Middle East as oil closes above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:50:55]
BURNETT: And we are back with this special edition of OUTFRONT, "The War with Iran" here in the Middle East.
Breaking news, Israel saying it is now expanding operations in Lebanon. It's a significant expansion, potentially, launching wide scale waves of strikes against Hezbollah. The Israeli military releasing the new video that were showing you on your screen saying that it shows, they say, targeted night operations on Hezbollah compounds.
Isobel Yeung is on the ground in Lebanon, OUTFRONT tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YEUNG: Were back in Beirut now. We can smell the smoke and see these big plumes of smoke from where explosions are going off in the city itself.
Oh, look at that. Look at that smoke there.
YEUNG (voice-over): Israel has intensified its air campaign on Lebanon over the last 24 hours, in the aftermath of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah firing a barrage of rockets towards Israeli territory last night. Earlier in the day, we traveled to the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, where many residents have already been ordered to leave by the Israeli military. As we arrived, another strike warning buzzed our phones.
YEUNG: Let's get out of it quickly. Maybe put your camera down because there's military. Making it difficult because roads are getting shut because of this warning from the Israeli military to evacuate. We're actually trying to get out of here quickly because this is the exact spot that the Israeli military is saying that could be a potential strike.
YEUNG (voice-over): For journalists to operate here, we need the permission of Hezbollah, who enjoy significant control and support in this area.
We arrived at the site of a building that was struck just yesterday. A neighbor came over to tell us his version of events.
YEUNG: Did you see the strike happen?
MAJDAMHAZ, LOCAL RESIDENT: Yes.
YEUNG: What did you see?
MAJDAMHAZ: I saw the explosion and the rocket falling. We picked up fingers belonging to small children. These are the "terrorist targets" that Israel's targeting. That's it.
YEUNG: We heard jets overhead and these guys are saying that we have to get out of this area now.
YEUNG (voice-over): According to Hezbollah and the neighbor, eight people were killed here, including three children.
This is not the only accusation of civilians being killed in this war, though Israel maintains that it only targets Hezbollah infrastructure. Yesterday, a building in the nearby town of Temnine et Tahta was struck.
Sixteen-year-old Syrian boy Mohammed was dragged from under the rubble. He says at least six of his family members didn't make it.
MOHAMMED, AIRSTRIKE SURVIVOR: We were sleeping in the morning. A jet came and my dad died. And my mom died, and my sister-in-law and her kids.
YEUNG: I'm so sorry. When did this happen?
MOHAMMED: I was sleeping. The strike woke me. I saw my father in pieces.
YEUNG: I'm so sorry. There must have been terrifying.
MOHAMMED: I wish it was me and that I hadn't seen my dad like that.
YEUNG (voice-over): One of so many lives torn apart by a war with no end in sight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YEUNG: Well, it was truly heartbreaking to meet so many families across Lebanon whose lives have really been upended by this conflict. And again, a reminder that it's the people on the ground, the civilians actually living through this war, who stand to lose the most.
And I should note that we did reach out to the Israel defense forces and are yet to hear back -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Isobel, thank you very much. Just the human toll and the suffering in so many places. Thank you.
And next, as this war continues, the effects around the world, so many. And the biggest oil disruption in history now affecting people around the world. No signs of letting up. Oil prices tonight closing for the first time above $100 a barrel in years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: We're back with this special edition of OUTFRONT, "The War with Iran", live from Tel Aviv tonight.
Iran warning it will retaliate against energy sites across this region if its own energy sites are attacked, saying they could turn the lights off in 30 minutes everywhere. It comes as oil is closing above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022. Gas prices are up 21 percent since the war began. So, this is now just -- just about two weeks, national average all the way up to $3.60 a gallon. Incredibly quick to move like that. In California, $5.37 a gallon.
And as prices jumped, President Trump is trying to portray this as a positive. He said, quote, "The United States is the largest oil producer in the world by far. So when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money."
It comes as a critical Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent, at least of the world's oil travels through daily, usually is still essentially closed. And an Iranian Revolutionary Guard official is threatening that oil prices will cross $200 a barrel.
Well, thanks so much for watching our special program tonight here live from Tel Aviv in the Middle East.
"AC360" starts now.
