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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

11 Killed After Car Plows Into Crowd At Vancouver Festival; Israeli Airstrike Rocks Southern Beirut On Sunday; Trial For "Grandpa Gang" Beings Today In Paris. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired April 28, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The details of this tragedy have been so hard to fathom for so many not just in Vancouver but also in Canada and also in the Philippines. Police say that a suspect deliberately drove his SUV into a crowd of people killing 11. They range in ages from five to 65 and there are dozens that right now remain in the hospital.

I want you to hear now from the interim police chief of Vancouver,

STEVE RAI, INTERIM POLICE CHIEF, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA: This is the darkest day in our city's history. The actions of a single person shattered our collective sense of safety. It is impossible to overstate how many lives have been impacted forever by this lone individual.

NEWTON: He went on to say that everyone was really in a state of grief, anger, and disbelief as they answered questions about the security.

Now, this was a joyful festival. It was just wrapping up. Police said they had made all the security arrangements and there weren't many. This actually took place on the grounds of a school and the SUV was actually approaching the crowds on an off street in that neighborhood.

They did say though, police, that this would be a watershed in terms of police operations in Vancouver going forward. And important to remember, in fact, that Vancouver will be hosting events like the World Cup next year in 2026.

This is taking place as Canada is going through a national election campaign. Sunday was supposed to be the last day of official campaigning and instead throughout Canada it was so sobering to hear from those who had gone through this absolutely devastating tragedy -- listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From over there -- from, like, the start right there, he just pushed the gas all the way through the whole block right there crashing into, like, everyone in his way. Now, given the senseless nature of everything that happened there were

so many questions about motives. Police made it clear that the suspect was known to them and that this suspect had many interactions with them regarding a mental health crisis. They would not give us any more details.

But vigils continue to pop up throughout Vancouver as so many Canadians try and bring their solidarity and their grief in support of the Philippine community that has lost so much in this incident.

Paula Newton, CNN, Ottawa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: And in Clearwater, Florida police tell CNN that one person is dead, and several are injured after a boat collided with a ferry on Sunday. Local officials deemed the crash a mass casualty incident due to the number of injuries.

Crowds of people were taking the ferry as a local sand sculpting competition was wrapping up that evening. According to one ferry passenger the boat "shattered the whole back of the ferry" leaving a huge dent.

The recreational boat fled the scene but has since been identified.

All right, still ahead for us Israel bombs a neighborhood in southern Beirut sending plumes of dark smoke into the air. Details of Sunday's airstrike coming up next.

Plus, a trial is set to begin in Paris for members of the so-called "Grandpa Gang." They're accused of stealing millions from realty star Kim Kardashian. Coming up CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson -- up early and he'll join us.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:38:05]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

Tensions in the Middle East are high as Israel intensifies attacks across Gaza and bombs the capital of Lebanon. An airstrike rocked southern Beirut on Sunday soon after the IDF issued an evacuation warning for the area.

Now, Israel claims that they targeted a Hezbollah facility which stored precision missiles. Hezbollah has not yet commented on the incident.

Lebanese civil defense has said it extinguished fires caused by the strike and that no injuries were reported.

Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect in November the IDF has carried out a number of strikes targeting southern Lebanon.

Meantime in Gaza, the death toll has crossed 52,000 after more than 18 months of the Israel-Hamas war. That's according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health which does not differentiate between civilians and militants. Gaza officials say that the number includes more than 16,000 children and 12,000 women.

And the U.N. is warning that Palestinians in the enclave are "slowing dying" from a lack of food supplies due to Israel's total blockade of aid. Israel has previously denied that Gaza is facing a hunger crisis, but the U.N. says that food supplies are dwindling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN WHITTALL, U.N. OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: The coming days in Gaza are going to be critical. Today people are not surviving in Gaza. Those that aren't being killed with bombs and bullets are being -- are slowly dying. People here are being suffocated.

What we see around us is endless suffering and there are total and complete blockades. A total closure that's now lasted for almost two months while airstrikes and ground operations are intensifying and displacement orders that are pushing people out of their homes are increasing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: Meantime, the College of Cardinals met earlier today in the lead up to their secret conclave. That's when they'll choose the next pope, a crucial decision that will dictate the future direction of the Catholic Church and its billions of members.

[05:40:05]

Preparations at the Vatican are ramping up after Pope Francis was laid to rest over the weekend.

The conclave is expected to begin as early as next week.

On Sunday, dozens of cardinals visited Rome's Basilica of Saint Mary Major. They each took turns praying at the pope's tomb before attending a vesper service.

All right. Still to come, after years and years of delay the group accused of robbing reality star Kim Kardashian heads to trial in Paris. Coming up I will speak with attorney Joey Jackson about the charges in the high-profile case, and also how the French court system is different from the U.S.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:45:10] SOLOMON: Welcome back. Just about 5:45 here. I'm Rahel Solomon, and here are some of the stories we are watching for you this morning.

Voters head to the polls across Canada today. The election will determine who will form the next government. Prime Minister Mark Carney, of the Liberal Party, believes that he would be best to steer the country through the turmoil triggered by Donald Trump's tariffs. His main competition is Pierre Poilievre of Canada's Conservative Party.

U.S. officials say that the coming week be "critical" over whether Washington can still broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. President Trump says that he feels that the Ukrainian leader is now more interested in a peace deal, but he couldn't say for sure whether his Russian counterpart was serious.

And as Trump nears 100 days in office his polling numbers are taking a nosedive. A new CNN poll shows that his approval rating is dropping to just 41 percent. That is the lowest of any U.S. president at the 100- day mark of their administration in at least seven decades.

All right. A trial is set to begin today in Paris for a group of 10 people -- part of the so-called "Grandpa Gang." They're accused of robbing reality TV star Kim Kardashian of nearly $10 million worth of jewelry. This happened in 2016 during Paris Fashion Week. Police say that the suspects forced their way into the apartment where she was staying, bound her, gagged her, and took off with the jewels.

Kardashian's attorney tells CNN that she does plan to testify in the trial.

Joining me now is CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson. He is a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. Joey, my friend, always good to see you. It is a pleasure.

It has taken a long time to get to this trial. What can we expect here, and how is the French system different from the U.S. system do you think?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Yeah, Rahel. Good to be with you.

So there are major distinctions here. Obviously, this was a big deal internationally and it speaks to a lot of issues, right, because when we get to the issue of conspiracy, right. You mentioned the 10 people. A number of them -- those being criminal defendants participating in it and then the robbery.

This was Fashion Week in 2016 and Kim Kardashian going on social media talking about where she was, what she had, what she's doing. And so as a result of that, right, you see this culminating into this real -- this crime. And thankfully, Rahel, she's still alive to talk about it -- being held at gunpoint.

But I think the essence of the distinction between the system as we look at the $4 million ring -- yes, $4 million -- a total of $10 million of jewelry that was taken -- you have a situation where you have three judges generally presiding and then you have nine jury members and a simple majority needed to convict or, I should say, two- thirds needed to convict. The majority needing to sentence. And so there are distinctions.

And then you have this issue of proof of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, which we know about. In their system it's a little different from that. It's a moral certitude, which is that the jurors have to be personally convinced of it.

And then I think you'll also see, Rahel, more activism in terms of the judges. Judges in our system in the United States generally sit there and the lawyers do everything. The judges are (INAUDIBLE) involved in the courtroom and then they participate with the jurors at the conclusion of all the evidence. So there are major distinctions.

The one similarity, of course, is that they'll hear the evidence and make a decision as to guilt or lack thereof.

SOLOMON: Well Joey, how strong is the evidence? I mean, according to French charging documents authorities had DNA evidence. They had CCTV footage that helped connect some of the accused to the crime. How strong is the evidence here?

JACKSON: Yeah, so it always depends. It's a whodunnit case, right? So when you have a number of people there are some who have spoken -- that is, people -- the guilty or presumed guilt or the alleged people who have been charged here. They have had discussions with the police. At least one ringleader having discussions. And they may, as result of that, have given compelling evidence as to who was involved.

But not so fast because even though someone says you're involved, what other evidence is there? I think DNA will play big just like it does in the United States. There were DNA swabs as to her hair -- that is, Kim Kardashian -- as to her wrists, as to her ankles. Why? Because she was, indeed, touched. She was bound, she was gagged, and so there was some contact with her.

In addition to that Rahel, there is also footage -- surveillance footage as it relates to what occurred. And then we know that a number of them fled by bike and some by foot. So there's been an extensive investigation here. The credibility reliability of that investigation -- who specifically it points to will determine how strong and compelling the evidence will be.

SOLOMON: You know, Joey, what's interesting here is obviously this is an American celebrity who was the victim of a crime in France. I'm curious if any cultural differences might come into play here.

[05:50:00]

Kim Kardashian obviously the victim in this case but she faced backlash at times because she often posts images showcasing her wealth. And some have made the point that culturally in France that's really looked down upon.

I mean, how much do you think, if at all, cultural differences like that could come into play here?

JACKSON: Yeah. You know, Rahel, I think it's certainly significant inasmuch as the showing off nature of it is not something that's looked at and it's not something that's looked at with real affection, right? When you have this amount of jewelry -- $10 million -- the $4 million ring that we saw, and you're just flouting it, that's something that culture certainly does not hold in high esteem. And so I think it would not be highly regarded.

At the same time I think jurors -- any jury system in the United States or France -- you're sworn to evaluate the case based on evidence. And so I think if the evidence is compelling notwithstanding the fact that people may have a problem with her conduct, then they have to do their duty.

And also, I should say, the jurors don't necessarily -- right -- I mentioned that you have these jurors who participate with the judges. They don't necessarily make a determination as to guilt or innocence. They assess certain facts in the case and they --

SOLOMON: Um-hum.

JACKSON: -- answer certain questions regarding conduct. And that's how they come to whether they are morally certain as to whether this occurred.

And so yes, it'll play a role in terms of her showing off but at the end of the day I think it's about the facts, the issues, and the evidence.

SOLOMON: Yeah.

Joey, before I let you go, I want to ask you about Tyre Nichols, the young man who was beaten to death after that traffic stop in 2023. His state trial begins today. The jury has been selected.

These same three defendants -- we're looking at him here. These same three defendants have already been convicted in federal court. So what will be different here in the state trial?

JACKSON: Yeah. So remember that in the United States you have dual systems of justice. And what that means is that you have a federal government that is active and involved and they can, and they did charge for federal civil rights violations. At the same time you have a state that does its civic duty that protects the state citizens and runs parallel to that.

And in the state, they're accused not of civil rights violations; they're accused of second-degree murder. Second-degree murder meaning that even if you did not intend or premediate to kill someone as a result of your conduct that's what occurred.

As we look at the five defendants there, I should note Rahel that two of them pled guilty federally. They're expected also to plead guilty in the state. That's relevant because they'll provide evidence and information as to the three others. And so I think we'll also see evidence in terms of their conduct. How they chased him down -- that is, Mr. Nichols. How they pepper-sprayed him, beat him, and did not provide medical aid or anything else and really, left him to die and bragged about it.

So it'll be quite the trial with a sequestered jury, meaning that jury will not go home. They will hear the evidence, go back to their hotel, be guarded, and not have access to social media until they have a decision on the case.

SOLOMON: All right, Joey Jackson. Appreciate you being here this morning. Thank you.

JACKSON: Thank you, Rahel.

SOLOMON: All right. We're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:57:35]

SOLOMON: All right, and letter onboard -- written onboard the Titanic has sold for a record amount. The letter went for 300,000 British pounds at an auction house in England. That is nearly $370,000 and five times the pre-auction estimate.

Colonel Archibald Gracie, who survived the sinking, wrote it on the day that he boarded and mailed it from Ireland before the sinking. He later wrote a famous account of the tragedy called "The Truth About the Titanic," which described his experience of the ship going down on April 15, 1912.

All right, now to some remarkable video of a speedboat that flew into the air and flipped several times while going over 200 miles an hour.

Take a look. The Freedom One racing team was trying to break a speed record on Arizona's Lake Havasu on Saturday when this happened. Their boat when airborne and started spinning before slamming into the water.

Now, it looks terrible, but we're told that both men who were on the boat actually survived, although they do have multiple broken bones. So it could have been a lot worse, clearly.

This is what it looked like inside the boat. You can see the speedometer hit 210 miles per hour right before the boat flies into the air.

The crew did take home the event's King of the Desert title. They also donated nearly $20,000 to local charities.

I guess this goes without saying but don't try this at home.

All right, turning now to the NFL. The son of the Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator has admitted to prank calling highly touted prospect Shedeur Sanders as he waited to be drafted over the weekend.

This was the call that Sanders got on Friday thinking that it was the general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAX ULBRICH, SON OF ATLANTA FALCONS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JEFF ULBRICH: Mickey Loomis here, GM of the Saints.

SHEDEUR SANDERS, FOOTBALL QUARTERBACK: How you doing?

ULBRICH: Good. How are you, man?

SANDERS: Good. I've been waiting on you.

ULBRICH: Yeah, we have. It's been a long wait, man.

SANDERS: Nah, for sure.

ULBRICH: We're going to take you with our next pick right here, man.

SANDERS: You say you've going to have to wait a little bit longer?

ULBRICH: Yeah.

SANDERS: Sorry about that. That's wild.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: On Sunday, Jax Ulbrich posted on Instagram saying that he was sorry for deceiving Sanders, calling his actions selfish and childish.

Sanders was later drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Now, he has not reacted to the apology. The NFL says it's looking into how this happened.

And the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles will be visiting Washington today. President Trump has invited the Super Bowl champs to join him at the White House. They will celebrate their victory over the Kansas City Chiefs for their second championship title. It still feels so good.