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Early Start with Rahel Solomon
Austria Mourns After 10 People Killed In School Shooting; Musk Expresses "Regret" Over Posts About Trump; U.S. And China Reach An Agreement On Framework For Deal. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired June 11, 2025 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:31:50]
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Austria is reeling from one of the worst rampages in the country's history. A national minute of silence was just held a few moments ago in honor of the victims of the deadly shooting in the city of Graz.
Officials says the suspect, a 21-year-old former student at the -- at the high school, killed at least 10 people -- among them, teens.
Our senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen joining us live now from Graz. Fred, we saw that moment of silence. Obviously, there's probably a deep, somber sense there where you are. What else are we learning about not just the investigation but certainly about the victims?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Polo. First of all, you're absolutely right. Obviously, this community here is absolutely devastated. And you saw that moment of silence. It was actually held right here in the main square of Graz.
You can see over here that makeshift memorial where people are lighting candles to continue to grow. There's still a lot of people who are coming out here. And I can tell you from having stood here for quite a while now that a lot of those people still very much obviously in deep thought but many of them, quite frankly, also in tears because this is such an unprecedented and such a devastating event that happened in this community.
Folks that we've been speaking to are saying look, this is something that just does not happen in Austria and certainly doesn't happen in a town like Graz. So a lot of people here still very much reeling from that incident that is, of course, still so very fresh.
But as far as the investigation is concerned, I was able to speak to one of the police officers who is investigating everything here and he said that they are making headway. They now know that there were two weapons that were used. One of them was a handgun and one of them was a shotgun. But they also said that there were two farewell messages that were left by the shooter before committing the act that were now found by police and are being investigated. I want to listen to some of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SABRI YORGUN, POLICE SPOKESPERSON (through translator): We were able to start the investigation immediately after the killing spree. In the meantime we have also carried out a house search at the home address of the 21-year-old suspect from the district of Graz and the surrounding area and have been able to establish that there was a suicide note both in digital form by a video message and in handwritten form. We were also able to find and secure a pipe bomb, albeit a non-functioning pipe bomb at his home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: So farewell messages and also a pipe bomb that apparently was non-functional is what that police official told me. So you can see the investigation really making headway. One of the things that hasn't been put out there yet is what the possible motive for all of this could be. The police, of course, and the investigators were saying that all this is in the initial early stages.
The other thing that they also told me as well is as far as the victims are concerned is that the first nine victims that were made public by the authorities -- that those were all students from that school between the ages of 15 and 17 and that a person who died later in the hospital was actually a female teacher at that school. So certainly, the death toll has once again risen, making the pain here in this community even greater than it already is.
And Polo, we were also speaking to the mayor of the city late yesterday and she said it was -- it's been very difficult obviously for her. It's been very difficult comforting people trying to make them come -- or help them come to terms with the situation. Very hard for this community. But they also say that the fact that so many people are coming out here paying their respects and supporting those who are affected by this also shows that this community will persevere, Polo.
[05:35:15]
SANDOVAL: Yeah, an incredible amount of support there. But as you mentioned, we've seen this in other parts of the world and certainly have seen these tragedies here in the United States, but in Austria, certainly not prepared and not equipped to deal with this. So we're certainly thinking about all of them.
Thank you, Fred. Appreciate you.
Well, second nights of unrest happening in Northern Ireland where hundreds of mass rioters set fire to homes and also attacked police in a small town -- the town of Ballymena. Police say that they are treating the attacks on homes and businesses as racially motivated and they are asking people to avoid the area. The violence started after two teenage boys were charged with assaulting a girl. Local media reporting that the charges were read to the defendants via an interpreter.
Rioters threw petrol bombs injuring 15 police officers and setting homes -- at least four homes on fire.
And still to come on your EARLY START more on the protests over federal immigration raids across the United States. We'll show you what CNN crews experienced on the streets in the city of Chicago.
Also, Elon Musk rolling back his recent remarks about President Trump. Details of what he's saying just ahead.
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[05:41:08]
SANDOVAL: Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Polo Sandoval in for Rahel. And here are some of the stories that we are closing watching today.
Los Angeles police have been arresting demonstrators who violate the newly imposed nighttime curfew. It went into effect over six hours ago and affects just one square mile of downtown L.A. affecting just a little over two percent of the city's population. This coming after days of protests against the Trump administration's immigration raids and its decision to deploy the National Guard there.
Donald Trump says that he plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency after this year's hurricane season. It's part of this administration's long-term plan to dismantle the disaster relief agency and then shift responsibility for response and recovery to each state. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projecting this year's hurricane season to be particularly intense and maybe even deadly.
And testimony resuming today in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial in New York City. The judge has denied a second request for a mistrial after the defense accused the prosecution of presenting false testimony. A former girlfriend who goes by the name of Jane will be back on the stand for cross-examination.
And we are following some developing news at this hour. Tesla CEO Elon Musk posting on X a sharp reversal. He wrote, "I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far," he wrote.
Now this comes after Musk deleted some controversial posts about the president over the weekend, including a call for his impeachment and also, you may recall, alleging President Trump's name appearing in unreleased files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. By the way, he never provided any evidence supporting that controversial claim.
On Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted Musk and the president would actually reach a truce. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Look, I think that -- I think there's going to be reconciliation here and I think it's really important for the country -- two very important individuals. And the president is doing his job. He is laser-focused on that. He's not going to get distracted by Twitter wars and all the rest. I'm doing my dead-level best. I'm trying to be a peacemaker in all this.
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PROTESTERS: No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here. No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.
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SANDOVAL: You see that peaceful show of support for immigrants in Los Angeles on what has been now the fifth day of protests in the city.
Right now that curfew we mentioned -- it is still in effect, and it will last until the morning in the small part of downtown L.A. In the overnight hours we have seen police detaining anybody that is still on the streets after that curfew takes effect. Earlier, LAPD said that they've arrested almost 400 people since Saturday.
A series of immigration raids -- that's initially what triggered these protests. Those raids are continuing with National Guard troops seemingly attending. You see some of these images. Extremely rare to see members of the National Guard standing by as federal agents enforce court orders.
And in Chicago tempers flaring between police and anti-ICE protesters. In fact, cameras capturing several physical altercations between officers and demonstrators. It's not clear what led to those clashes.
And in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott -- he is deploying the National Guard to various locations ahead of planned protests later this week. We've already seen demonstrators and demonstrations turn to chaos in cities like Dallas and in Austin where police had to use tear gas and pepper balls to disperse the crowds.
Abbott says the peaceful protest is legal, but harming people or damaging property -- that will lead to an arrest.
Developing at this hour the U.S. and China -- both delegations -- they have agreed in principle on a trade framework after two days of talks in London. And this follows a phone call between presidents Trump and Xi as well as talks in Geneva last month.
[05:45:05]
You'll recall that it was in May that both sides agreed to drastically reduce tariffs on each other's goods for 90 days to allow for negotiations. But U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that more work still needs to be done.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BESSENT, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: I have to go back to Washington to testify before Congress tomorrow. We have had two days of productive talks. They are ongoing. My colleagues, Secretary Lutnick and Ambassador Greer are going to be continuing as needed with the Chinese delegation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Neither side has disclosed any specifics though presidents Trump and Xi will have to approve that plan before it can be implemented.
The markets were certainly watching these negotiations very closely. Let's see how those markets are reacting to those developments out of London.
Seeing Asia-Pacific markets quite up across the board. In the U.S., futures there, as we take a look at those, slightly down. Though again, that news is still fresh, so it'll be interesting to see exactly how those markets react to those negotiations and the news coming out of these negotiations between the U.S. and China ahead of the bell.
Still ahead here on CNN we're going to explain why Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard and activate the Marines to Los Angeles is in line with his interests.
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[05:50:51]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have deployed thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to protect federal law enforcement from the attacks of a vicious and violent mob and some of the radical left. They say well, that's not nice. Well, if we didn't do it there wouldn't be a Los Angeles. It would be burning just like the houses were burning a number of months ago.
What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order, and our national sovereignty carried about by rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country. We're not going to let that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Well, that mobilization that the president was touting yesterday will come at a big cost for taxpayers -- $134 million to be exact, according to one estimate.
CNN's Tom Foreman has more on why when it comes to the military no cost may be too great for the president. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines have been called to Los Angeles by President Trump who insists only military muscle can contain the trouble.
TRUMP: If we didn't send our -- the National Guard -- and last time we gave them a little additional help -- Los Angeles would be burning right now.
FOREMAN (voiceover): But local officials say police were already dealing with sporadic violence around the largely protests, which they say were spurred by the White House's desperate and clumsy quest to increase deportations.
MAYOR KAREN BASS, (D) LOS ANGELES: People have asked me what are the Marines going to do when they get here? That's a good question. I have no idea.
FOREMAN (voiceover): It underscores Trump's longstanding interest in using the U.S. military even against Americans.
For example, when Black Lives Matter protesters rose up in 2020, Trump reportedly considered deploying troops and asked his then-defense secretary "Can't you just shoot them? (The protesters). Just shoot them in the legs or something?"
Trump denies such tales, but just last fall when asked about potential election unrest he said --
TRUMP: We have some very bad people. We have some sick people -- radical left lunatics. And I think they're the big -- and it should be very easily handled by -- if necessary, by National Guard or if really necessary by the military.
FOREMAN (voiceover): He has stretched norms by sending thousands of troops to America's southern border by planning a massive parade of military force and by ignoring former chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley who said standing beside trump for a photo op against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter protest was a mistake.
GEN. MARK MILLEY, FORMER U.S. CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: That's fundamental to the health of this republic. You never want the military in actual politics.
FOREMAN (voiceover): To be sure, there are a few rarely used ways a president can call troops to enforce domestic law, including the Insurrection Act aimed at stopping uprisings against government authority. But Trump did not cite that and send help when his followers attacked the U.S. Capitol in 2021 trying to overturn the election he lost. Instead, he pardoned all those protesters on his first day back in office.
Still, in Los Angeles where the protesters oppose him, Trump is keeping that card on the table. TRUMP: If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We'll see.
FOREMAN: That last time the L.A. riots were invoked were in the 1992 Los Angeles riots. I was there. They were much bigger and much more violent than anything we're seeing now and even then the invocation of this act only came with the cooperation and agreement of the president, the governor, and the mayor all acting together.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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SANDOVAL: Thank you, Tom.
And we'll be right back.
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[05:59:10]
SANDOVAL: And we always save the best for last. Fans of the K-Pop supergroup BTS -- they have a reason to cheer this morning as two of its members have completed their mandatory military service in South Korea. You see here bandmates RM and V saluting in their uniforms.
Fans known as the BTS Army dancing at a cafe, showing a livestream.
They're hoping the release of all seven members once they complete their service will eventually lead to a comeback and maybe even a reunion.
Listen in from one 72-year-old diehard fan who was clearly more than thrilled about the news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIP DARBYSHIRE, BTS FAN FROM AUSTRALIA: Absolutely joyful. That's now four out and two again tomorrow, and then Suga. And then we have all the seven. We have the seven kings back with us. And it's just wonderful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: So that's two guys reporting back to duty providing joy and impossible to replicate dance moves.
I want to thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
