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Second Victim Dies in Detroit Church Shooting; Discussion About Troop Levels in Iraq; Mountain Lion Wanders Into Yard in Altadena, California

Aired February 27, 2006 - 13:59   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Straight to Tony Harris, working a developing story once again in the newsroom for us.
Tony, what you have?

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Kyra.

This is a story that developed yesterday. We've learned a second person has now died as a result of a church shooting at a Detroit Baptist church. The victim who died today is a man in his 50s who was shot while trying to protect his wife from a car jacking attempt outside of the church.

Here's what happened. Police say the gunman, identified as 22- year-old Kevin Collins, went to Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church that you see here looking for his 19-year-old girlfriend and began firing on the church when he wasn't told where he could find her. Now, the girlfriend's mother was killed. A girl sitting next to the mother was wounded in the hand. But Kyra, witnesses, boy, they describe just a terrifying scene.

Imagine this: Kevin Collins, entering the church through a balcony door, pulling a gun from under his coat, shooting the girlfriend's mother, then firing on the pulpit during the morning worship service. And again, a second victim has died, a man who was simply trying to protect his wife and prevent a car jacking.

Let me tell you how all this ended. About five hours after the church shooting, Collins was spotted by police walking about a mile south of the church. He spots police, runs behind a home and, according to police, he shoots himself dead. And that's how it all ended -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Bizarre story.

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Tony Harris, thank you so much.

HARRIS: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Baghdad held its breath today as it lifted a daytime curfew aimed at preventing civil war. Cars returned to the streets amid a heavy show of security and businesses reopened. Overnight curfews remain across Iraq. Several deadly attacks today in Baghdad. A mortar strike on a Shiite neighborhood killed four people and wounded 17. After dark, two bombs exploded outside a Sunni mosque, killing four more people and wounding 15 others.

Also today, Saddam Hussein eats. A lawyer for the deposed Iraqi president says, at the defense team's urging, Hussein has ended a hunger strike that lasted 11 days, began as a protest against the often chaotic court proceedings that are set to resume tomorrow.

Stateside, the same old question, when will troops come home? Military commanders will talk that over with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the next several days.

Our Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon.

Barbara, can you tell us anything about an apparent difference of opinion among those top officials advising the president right now?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, nobody is really ready to officially calling it a difference of opinion or a split. But in fact, when you talk to top commanders, they just can't really come to an agreement just yet about what to do about further troop reductions in Iraq. Here's what's on the table.

Defense Secretary Rumsfeld has said to General John Abizaid, George Casey, the two top commanders in the Iraq operation, that he wants them back here at the Pentagon to sit down and talk about troop reductions, more troop reductions. Secretary Rumsfeld saying that the U.S. is taking casualties every day, that supposedly Iraqi troops are being stood up ready to go, so time to bring more U.S. troops home.

But Kyra, that meeting was scheduled before this latest round of sectarian violence. So now that they're going to sit down and talk about it, what role does this sectarian violence play? How does it influence the thinking of the top commanders about what to do? That's where the split comes in.

On the one hand, there is one school of thought, civil war did not break out, Iraqi forces did a pretty credible job, by all accounts, trying to keep things together. So maybe this proves more U.S. troops can come home.

The other school of thought that we are told will be laid out before the secretary is, no, not just yet, that this situation is very serious. The possibility of sectarian violence, the emergence of these religious militias as part of the Iraqi security structure, all things that the U.S. needs to have a better understanding of, that there needs to be a new government taking its seat in Iraq. And until all of that happens, it would be further destabilizing if more troops came home.

So it's the old cliche. No easy answer just yet. But commanders are going to start showing up in town, sitting down and talk about it -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Barbara, what about Iraqi interior ministry forces?

STARR: Well, you know, that's really the point of discussion right now. It is the Iraqi army that's doing pretty well.

Iraqi interior forces, the police forces, those are the ones under the control of the interior minister. Those clearly are more problematic. They have divided loyalties. Many of them loyal to their militias in their own towns and regions, and that is a matter of great concern.

Their training by U.S. forces is lagging far behind. And one of the thoughts on the table right now is some of the troops, the U.S. troops that are not having to pay attention to the Iraqi army, need to be shifted over to the police forces, because until there really is a credible police organization and interior ministry that is not -- does not have these divided loyalties to militias, that these problems will continue.

But the bottom line, Kyra, as one general said, one U.S. Army general said, maybe what we're seeing now, maybe all of this is the new Iraq and maybe it's not going to be that Jeffersonian democracy we thought we might have -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon.

Thanks, Barbara.

A renewed ray of hope for Jill Carroll. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq says a top Iraqi official told him he believes the kidnapped American reporter is alive and will be released eventually. The interior ministry says it's stepped up raids to try to find her.

Carroll was working for the "Christian Science Monitor" when kidnappers snatched her off the streets of Baghdad January 7. They've threatened to kill her unless the U.S. releases its female Iraqi prisoners.

The president, the governors and the National Guard. President Bush thanked the leaders of the 50 states today for their support of the many thousands of Guard troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. But many governors fear the Guard won't be there for them in case of homegrown emergencies. And budget cuts, they say, could make matters worse.

Mr. Bush assured the governors he hears their concerns, but he stresses the war on terror is far from over.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wish I could report to you that the war on terror is over. It's not. An enemy still lurks.

They're dangerous people, and it requires a comprehensive strategy to defeat them. Part of it, of course, is making sure our homeland is secure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The governors are also meeting privately today with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Heavy rains, flooding and snow all products of a West Coast storm. Let's check in with meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

Hey, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kyra.

(WEATHER REPORT)

PHILLIPS: All right, Jacqui. Thank you so much.

Tony Harris once again live in the newsroom.

Tony, you were telling us about this mountain lion in Altadena.

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: We've actually -- have we zeroed in on it?

HARRIS: Well -- well, maybe, Kyra. Let's see this.

OK, now here's the story so far. L.A. County Sheriff's Department telling us it has spotted a mountain lion in Altadena, California.

We're going to highlight the spot. We've gone in with high-tech infrared heat-seeking equipment here, and we can highlight the spot where we believe the mountain lion is.

Now, just a second ago -- why do we believe this, Kyra? Because just a second ago, we believe we saw the mountain lion roll over. The mountain lion is sleeping.

PHILLIPS: Why does that sound like a song to me? I don't know.

HARRIS: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"?

PHILLIPS: I thought -- I thought you were playing me. OK.

HARRIS (SINGING): In the jungle, the mighty jungle...

Right. Right.

PHILLIPS: I thought you were leading me to the song and then Otis -- we were going to have Otis queue it. Now, seriously, this area, it's not uncommon...

HARRIS: Well, there are mountains out there. You know that area.

PHILLIPS: Right, exactly.

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

PHILLIPS: And this has happened in the past. But you know what? Until animal control gets in there and gets this guy...

HARRIS: It's iffy, you're right.

PHILLIPS: ... I mean, it is kind of scary...

HARRIS: Right.

PHILLIPS: ... because there have been, unfortunately, bad outcomes from situations like this before. But there have also been a lot of good outcomes. So...

HARRIS: Exactly. And the good news on this situation -- yes, I'm having just a bit of fun with it, but because we just haven't seen, you know, a full shot of the mountain lion yet. But we know that the mountain lion is there. It's been confirmed by the sheriff's department.

And, you know, the reporting is that the mountain lion is sleeping under the brush in that area right there. And back to your point, until we can, you know, fully lock this thing down, there is a school, an elementary school nearby, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Is it on lockdown?

HARRIS: It's on lockdown. I had the name of the school, I don't have it now. But the elementary school nearby this area is on lockdown until this situation is under control here. And it isn't right now because animal control isn't on the scene, but sheriff deputies are there all around that area.

PHILLIPS: Now, do we know -- OK, we know the sheriff's deputies are there.

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: But what about animal control? Have they rolled in yet?

HARRIS: Not yet. Not yet.

PHILLIPS: Not yet. My goodness.

HARRIS: To the best of our knowledge, not yet. And that's the issue.

You're absolutely right, until animal control gets there and takes, literally, control of the situation, you know, you've got the sheriff deputies on hand to make sure that the mountain lion doesn't move out of the area and into more populated areas.

PHILLIPS: Does it look like it's in the back yard of someone's home?

HARRIS: The back yard. That's what it looks like, yes. In the trees and the brush and the underbrush and everything else.

PHILLIPS: I hope they're not home.

HARRIS: Yes. I don't think so.

PHILLIPS: All right.

HARRIS: But we've seen sheriff deputies knocking on the door at the house that's closest to where that mountain lion is.

PHILLIPS: Given them a head up.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: All right. These live pictures coming to us from our CNN affiliate KABC. We'll keep watching it.

Let us know if something happens, Tony.

HARRIS: OK, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Thanks.

Twin baby boys, one rare and potentially dire condition. One miracle accomplished, we think. Another still indeed -- or needed, rather.

It's all ahead when LIVE FROM continues. You won't want to miss the story.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Two young parents, a very sick infant, a heart transplant that was touch and go but now is going well, a heart- rendering ordeal that most parents would never want to repeat, but these parents pray for the opportunity.

CNN's Peter Viles has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In his seven months, Nick Draper has never left the hospital. Born with an enlarged heart, his only hope for a healthy life was a new heart, a transplant. And then miraculously, the call came.

NICOLE DRAPER, MOTHER: I looked down at him and said they have a heart for you! And -- very, very exciting.

VILES: The next day, when he was wheeled in for surgery, little Nick's eyes were wide open. The tiny heart that would save his life was rushed to Los Angeles. But then after five hours of surgery, a complication. It seemed Nick's body was rejecting the new heart.

DR. MARK PLUNKETT, PEDIATRIC HEART SURGEON: Following implantation, the heart, which initially began to function and beat normally -- it did not function well and did not seem strong enough to take over the entire workload.

N. DRAPER: We were very scared and initially disappointed. We were still very hopeful, but it was very scary.

VILES: For several days, machines kept Nick alive as another miracle took place. His little body and his new heart learned to work together.

PLUNKETT: It's doing very well and he is doing very well. So we remain cautiously optimistic that both Nicholas and his new heart are going to continue to improve, and eventually do well in the long run.

VILES: But there is more to the story, so much more. You see, Nick has an identical twin brother named Nate, and against all odds, Nate suffers from the same heart condition.

N. DRAPER: It is incredibly rare for even one child to have the condition that they have. And the word the cardiologist used, that both of them have it, he said it's just unfathomable.

VILES: Doctors put Nick first in line because he seemed more likely to survive a transplant. So now the Draper family needs another miracle, another tiny heart.

N. DRAPER: We know that Nate is struggling a little bit, that he has shown a little deterioration and that he is going to need that miracle to keep going.

VILES: For all their struggles, the Drapers feel that they are blessed.

MICHAEL DRAPER, FATHER: You have really got to focus in on the positive. And I think, you know, we just knew all along that the boys were going to be OK and I think we've just got to cling to that thought. It's happened for Nick. And, you know, we're going to believe that it's going to happen for Nate.

N. DRAPER: One thing that we want everyone to know is how grateful we are. Obviously, our situation is difficult. But we certainly would not want to be on the other end, either. And what a difficult situation for their family, and how grateful we are for their being willing to make that life-saving donation.

VILES: So, for now, the Drapers rejoice and pray for another miracle.

Peter Viles for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, it's Mardi Gras time in New Orleans, in case you haven't heard. But even now the focus is on rebuilding. Coming up on LIVE FROM, a progress report from the chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, Norman Francis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Already made a move for it.

Tony Harris, you've been watching the video. I hear you screaming across the newsroom. We had to go to it.

HARRIS: Yes, I just wanted to make sure you saw it, Kyra. I mean, we saw -- the mountain lion is on the move, Kyra. On the move from under the brush to an area where, you know, maybe there's some food.

PHILLIPS: Yes, he's hungry.

HARRIS: A little hungry.

PHILLIPS: The cat's hungry.

HARRIS: And, you know, still a little logie (ph), as we can see here, still resting. But we've been following this for an hour now, and this is a mountain lion that obviously came down out of the hills of Altadena, an area that you know really well, Kyra. You know, you can get a great sunrise over those mountains there in Altadena, east of Los Angeles.

We're watching the situation because there is a school that is nearby that is on lock lockdown right now until animal control finally gets to the scene. We've been talking about animal control for an hour now. And -- and we still are trying to get confirmation that animal control is on the scene.

We have seen L.A. County sheriff's deputies on the scene. So just to give you the full picture of this, that mountain lion is not going to go anywhere. Pretty much boxed in by sheriff's deputies, waiting for animal control to arrive on the scene, if animal control -- well, they may already be there and they may have tranquilized the mountain lion. We just don't know that at this point.

But clearly, the mountain lion has moved from where it was napping, taking a little respite under some brush, under trees and that sort of thing, and over to this area here. This is a residential neighborhood here, and you can see the trash cans there and the mountain lion, as we see here, resting.

Thanks to our affiliate who has been following this. Is this KABC?

PHILLIPS: Yes, it's our affiliate, KABC, there in L.A. And you know Tony and I have been talking about this.

You're right, it's not far from the mountains. This happens a lot.

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Well, not a lot. But it's not uncommon for this to happen...

HARRIS: Right.

PHILLIPS: ... in this area. And hopefully, animal control will get in there and get in there with a tranquilizer dart and just be able to sort of contain this mountain lion without anybody getting hurt.

HARRIS: And he hasn't seemed panicky. He's juts been sort of walking around and he's been flopping around a little bit. So he doesn't seem particularly rushed or panicked.

And as you see there, just sort of resting by the trash cans, and I guess will knock one over and get a little snack if he gets hungry. But he -- like I said, he's boxed in. The sheriff deputies are there. And, you know, he's not going to get anywhere where there's any threat to population right now, and the school is locked down that's in the area.

So, you know, still a developing story. We're going to continue to watch it for you -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Sounds good. Tony, thanks so much.

HARRIS: Sure thing.

PHILLIPS: Watch his move.

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: All right.

New doubts harbored in the U.S. seaport controversy. Some Democrats still want to block an Arab company's management of six major ports from New York to New Orleans even though the company is asking for a broader review of a deal that's already been approved.

Let's head straight to the White House, where Bob Franken has his cargo parked for the day as we follow -- it's definitely -- definitely not going to go away.

Watching a lot of coverage over the weekend, Bob. A lot of people coming forward, former Coast Guard individuals, talking about something that really hasn't been on the radar screen for a while, since 9/11.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly been on the radar screen in the last week. And what has occurred now, according to the White House, is a middle ground. That is what the White House is saying because the Dubai Ports World people, the ones who are going to take over the security -- or taking over the port operations at six United States ports, agreed to allow a 45-day further investigation.

This has been a demand of people who have been criticizing this, both Republican and Democrat.

Now, on the Senate floor at this minute, senators from both parties are discussing this 45-day waiting period and making it very clear that they believe this represents progress. One of the major Democratic critics, Charles Schumer, just said they're closer to resolving than -- than they had been before.

Where they had been before was the threat that there would be congressional legislation that the president found so objectionable he said he was going to veto it. So now comes the question -- and it was asked at the White House briefing which just concluded a moment ago of the White House press secretary -- what happens at the end of the 45 days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The additional time and investigation at the request of the company, we believe, will help provide Congress with a better understanding. And once they have that better understanding, we believe they will be more comfortable with the transaction moving forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: So call this, Kyra, either a cooling off period or, of course, also call it a face-saving device -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Bob, it's interesting learning more about how this works, the cargo and how the Coast Guard is involved, but also Customs and Immigration. What's your feel and what's your take? Do you think that more -- it seems almost impossible to be able to check everything out, to open up every single carton. I mean, it would stop commerce, wouldn't it, literally, if you did that?

FRANKEN: Well, one of the things this has accomplished is it's brought to the focus what security experts agree is a real major problem when it comes to protecting the United States during this post-/11 period. They say that there has been a huge emphasis on aviation. You have got all that goes on in the airports and the like, but that there has not been that kind of focus on the ports, particularly, particularly when you consider what you just pointed out, the magnitude of it and the impossibility to do anything better than they're doing now -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Bob Franken, there at the White House.

Bob, thank you so much.

Want to take you back to live pictures now, Altadena, California. Tony Harris been tracking the fate of this mountain lion.

Tony, what do you think? Did they get him with the dart?

HARRIS: Oh, yes. Do you see these pictures? Yes.

Just when we left you and you went to Bob Franken, we saw -- oh where's -- where are the pictures? What happened?

PHILLIPS: Oh. All right. We're going to try to re-rack video. We'll try and get the live picture up going again. Sorry, Tony.

HARRIS: OK. I don't want to describe it. I want you to see it.

PHILLIPS: Yes. You know, breaking news, pal. There we go. It's back.

HARRIS: Ah, there we go.

PHILLIPS: It's back. Oh.

HARRIS: I shall do radio. All right.

So, just a couple moments ago, when you left us to go to Bob Franken, we saw one of the guys from, I'm guessing, animal control. I don't know. I'm guessing animal control, sort of sidling up to take a shot, OK, with, we're presuming, a tranquilizer dart to put the mountain lion to sleep. All right?

And obviously that shot was successful. And then we get this group of guys now who are obviously on the scene and working over the mountain lion just to make sure that the mountain lion is, in fact, tranquilized and out and asleep and that sort of thing. And that's the scene you're looking at right now.

So, everyone is sort of glad, happy, and slapping each other on the back, job well done. And it was. It was a job well done.

The mountain lion, we told you just a moment ago, sort of walked out from under the brush over to this area where there are some trash cans. And we're presuming now, because we saw a couple of the animal control, I'm going to assume the animal control workers in close proximity fired that first tranquilizer dart.

And then -- then there was this weird moment when they were throwing little limbs over the wall there, over the retaining wall, Kyra, just to see if, in fact, the mountain lion was out. And now it appears that, in fact, the mountain lion is out. We've got one, two, three, four, five, at least six in close proximity now, animal control workers now who will then gather up the mountain lion and take it back to a place far more hospitable than this place here, in someone's back yard -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. So hopefully, so far, so good.

HARRIS: Yes.

PHILLIPS: We'll continue to follow up.

All right, Tony. Thanks so much.

HARRIS: Sure thing.

PHILLIPS: Security breach in Long Beach. A nameless man in baggie clothes sparked a shutdown at the Long Beach airport today, running away after airport screeners tried to stop him. The airport was shut down for 90 minutes, leaving 1,000 passengers in limbo in that terminal or on the planes. That man was found about a mile away and is now being questioned for his actions.

Heads or tails? Airlines can't bet on the winds. At least not this month, when head winds as strong as 170 miles an hour delayed flights and cost airlines serious cash on trips to the West Coast.

Those winds forced unscheduled fuel stops, and the backups meant overtime for airport workers. Eastbound flights, of course, enjoyed tailwinds and saved on fuel, but not enough to make up for all those other counts.

The Enron trial back in action. It looks like the company's founder, Kenneth Lay, has a lot more to worry about than just that trial. Susan Lisovicz has the latest from the New York Stock Exchange.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

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