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American Morning
Campus Rampage in Northern Illinois University; Another Union Endorsement for Obama; Crisis in Kenya: Rice to Deliver Message of Peace; U.S. to Disable Spy Satellite
Aired February 15, 2008 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: One gunman. A hundred terrified students.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEFANIE MILLER, NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY STUDENT: This is something that never should have happened here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: New tales from inside the lecture hall. Were there warning signs? We'll talk to the university president.
On the trail, but at a distance. Chelsea Clinton goes the extra mile for her mom's campaign, but why won't she talk to the press?
Seek and destroy. The military's plan to shoot down a failing satellite. Where it could all fall down on this AMERICAN MORNING.
I'm sorry. We're going to have Miles O'Brien joining us in just a few moments to talk more about how exactly the military is planning on trying to shoot down that satellite.
Meanwhile, thanks so much for being with us on this Friday. It's the 15th of February. I'm Kiran Chetry. John Robert has the day off. We have some new information coming into us this morning about that terrible shooting that took place on the campus of Northern Illinois University. CNN confirming that a sixth innocent victim has now died in that shooting on campus. The gunman also shot and killed himself at the scene. So that brings the total dead up to seven now.
The "Chicago Tribune" is reporting that he was a graduate student who enrolled at Northern Illinois in the spring of last year. The university even once honored him for his sociology work. Police are still trying to figure out a motive for this rampage. Classes are canceled today, and the university is offering counseling to its students.
Don Lemon leads off our coverage. He is live from the Northern Illinois campus this morning. And Don, we've been hearing from those witnesses some dramatic and terrifying stories of people who witnessed firsthand this shooting.
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. As you can imagine, Kiran, thousands of people go out of this school auditorium every day where the shooting happened. Thousands of people, we're told, by campus officials here. Some 100 students in the class at the time when that gunman came in with a shotgun, a Glock, and then a handgun, and then opened fire. Stefanie Miller was among the students in the class. She lost two of her friends.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEFANIE MIILER, BEST FRIEND KILLED IN SHOOTING: She didn't deserve it. Nobody did. Nobody. This is something that never should have happened here. It's a quiet community. It's a local college. A lot of your, you know, DeKalb High School, local schools around the town come here. It's something that doesn't happen here. It's -- nobody deserves anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Stephanie Miller told me moments ago that she has not slept all night. She's been surviving on adrenaline and coffee. She said she did not know the 27-year-old shooter, although she did see him when he walked into the class. They do know he is 27. He is a former grad student. He was last enrolled here at NIU in the spring of 2007, and that's all anyone pretty much knows about him. Police know his name, but they're waiting for further testing before they identify him. And here's what happened after he went to the class. There's a lot of questions here right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON (voice-over): The carnage started just after 3:00. About 100 students were in a lecture hall for a geology class when witnesses say a man dressed in black came out from behind the curtain on stage and opened fire with a shotgun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I turned, and I ran for the door. On my way out, I heard a couple more shots go off. I wasn't sure one of them is going to hit me in the back.
LEMON: Witnesses say the shooting was rapid fire and indiscriminate. Some say as many as 30 rounds. The chaos quickly spread outside where students panicked and ran for cover.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As soon as I heard people screaming and running, they came out running, called 911. He has a gun, and I just took off.
LEMON: Minutes after the shooting started, at 3:03, police were already on the scene and inside the lecture hall. At 3:07, a campus lockdown was declared, and alerts were sent out through email, voice mail and the local media. At 3:20, a more specific alert goes out, warning that a gunman is on campus. Students and staff are told to stay put. Forty minutes later at 4:00, the gunman is reported to be dead. Authorities say he killed himself soon after the shooting began.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We anticipated this thing started and ended within a matter of seconds. LEMON: And at 4:14, an hour and 15 minutes after the first shot, campus police declared the scene secure and the threat over.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: All classes and all activities are canceled today at the school. We're expecting a briefing in a couple of hours to tell us about exactly what happened and to update us on the number of people who are injured and the number of people who are killed. And, also, we're expecting, Kiran, to get new information about the gunman and they could possibly release his name and maybe find some reason why he would do this sort of thing -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes. Hopefully there will be more details and more information. I know that it probably --
LEMON: Yes.
CHETRY: It's little consolation, but I know a lot of people are still trying to figure out what could have possibly caused this tragedy to happen on the campus.
LEMON: Yes. Yes.
CHETRY: Don, thank you.
You know, the other thing is this is the fourth school shooting in the U.S. in just a week. A lot of people wondering what's going on. This massacre followed school shootings that took place in Ohio as well as Louisiana and Tennessee and California. A total of five people dead in those four shootings. Most of the people shot in this particular shooting at the campus in Illinois were taken to a local hospital, a community hospital.
And our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, has been involved in emergency situations like this before. He joins us from the medical update desk. You know, a local hospital, I mean, certainly equipped to handle emergencies, but I just can't imagine how overloaded you would be with more than a dozen people, possibly severely wounded coming to you all at once. How does an emergency room handle that?
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It can be very difficult, as you allude to, Kiran. There are 18 people taken to this community hospital. And typically, these hospitals have some reserve built in, so they can take care of a few patients, but when it starts to get to a certain number, they have to start calling other hospitals in trying to get those patients airlifted or somehow transferred to those other hospitals, which is exactly what happened here.
Seven of those, I guess, the most critically injured patients, were subsequently airlifted to other hospitals. So typically, what the community hospital will do, will assess the patients, do what's called triage, figure out who is the most serious, and then figure out which hospitals they can go to for further care. You know, it's -- the hospitals all around the country are sort of built with some reserve. They have a certain amount of resources in terms of blood products, in terms of operating rooms available, in terms of equipment, in terms of staff. But you're right. I mean, this had to be a critical overload for any hospital, even a big hospital, Kiran.
CHETRY: Yes. And that's the other situation that we are learning about as well. I mean, just the response time. What -- how critical are those moments after something like that happened, especially when you're dealing with shooting victims to get them to the hospital? I mean, should they just try to get them there as soon as possible or do some of that emergency and triage work at the scene?
GUPTA: That's a great question. In the United States, the philosophy typically is what is called a scoop and run philosophy, meaning you want to -- you do what you absolutely have to at the scene, but you really want to do most of the care, most of the medical care in the hospital. It is different, for example, in other countries where they do a lot of triage at the scene. For example, in France, they will triage patients much more so at the scene. Here they want to get the patient to the hospital.
I'll also add, Kiran, that the sort of protocol, trauma protocol, if you will, is very, very much the same in any hospital, big or small, and even not dependent on the type of injury. So a car accident victim, a gunshot wound victim, very similar. They want to make sure the patient has an airway of some sort. They want to make sure they're breathing. If there is a punctured lung, for example, they want to re-inflate that lung. They want to establish that if there's any persistent bleeding that can be stopped and restore someone's blood pressure. That all has to be done, no matter if there was a car accident or a gunshot wound, and that's the same in all hospitals.
CHETRY: Right.
GUPTA: But it can be difficult, obviously, with gunshot wounds.
CHETRY: I'm just also wondering how you'd go back to school. You know, just the mental and emotional toll this must have taken on the kids. I mean, even if you weren't in that lecture hall, just the fear that something like this could happen to you again.
GUPTA: Yes, you know, you and I were in Virginia Tech together, and I spent a lot of time talking to a lot of the counselors down there, and I think the one thing that I learned, besides all the intuitive things -- obviously, it's a difficult time. It's emotionally affected, everyone probably in that entire community. But there are no rules.
I think as what one of the counselors told me down in Virginia, people will react very differently to it. Some people will be numb. Some people will appear to have absolutely no response to it, and then months later have a response to it. So to say that you can categorize and say people will act a certain way is a mistake, probably. They can act in all sorts of different ways and in different time frames. So I think it's safe to assume that everyone is affected by it, and they should be treated in some way or at least counseled in some way, but exactly how they're going to react is going to vary across the board -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Sanjay, thank you.
GUPTA: Thank you.
CHETRY: Also coming up at 7:30 Eastern, we're going to be speaking with the president of Northern Illinois University, John Peters.
Our Alina Cho is also here this morning. She's been following the developments and other stories that have developed overnight. Hey, Alina.
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kiran. Good morning again. Good morning, everybody. New this morning.
Jewish institutions around the world, including right here in the United States, on high alert this morning. It follows an FBI warning that terrorists may try to retaliate following the death of terror suspect, Imad Mughniyeh, in Syria earlier this week.
The White House is taking the unusual step of sharing intelligence about Iran's nuclear program with international inspectors. Now the administration says that's because it has proof Iran was trying to build a nuclear weapon until four years ago. The U.S. wants the inspectors to see the evidence before next week. That's when a key report is due out on Iran's nuclear activities.
We have an update on the story we first told you about yesterday on AMERICAN MORNING. The importer of a Valentine's Day lollipop is now pulling it off the shelves entirely. Sherwood Brands at Maryland, which imports the candy from China, said it was recalling all of its Pokemon Valentine's cards and pops. Stores around the country have already stopped selling them after metal pieces were found in at least two lollipops sold in central Florida. A Florida sheriff says it appears the fragments were accidentally baked inside the candy by the Chinese manufacturer.
And miles above our heads, astronauts are getting ready for another trip outside the International Space Station. Never get tired of seeing these pictures. Two astronauts actually will be doing work on the outside of the Columbus module. That's the new lab that was attached just days ago to the International Space Station. They're also going to put a busted gyroscope into the shuttle Atlantis' cargo bay for the ride home.
It'll be a little bit heavier. But, Kiran, it was interesting I was reading the research. They said because they made so many additions to the International Space Station over the years, it's now as big as a 767. So, as big as a commercial airliner. And they said it takes about 20 seconds to float from one end to the other. So, hey, an interesting stuff. CHETRY: You are right. It never gets tiring, though, to watch them.
(CROSSTALK)
CHO: No. They are incredible.
CHETRY: We can take these live pictures this far away.
CHO: That's the thing. When they're live, it's even more amazing. Yes.
CHETRY: They do a lot of repair work, though.
CHO: They most certainly do.
CHETRY: Mechanics a lot of the time. All right, Alina. Thank you.
CHO: You bet.
CHETRY: Well, the "Most Politics in the Morning" now. CNN learning one of the nation's most powerful unions could endorse Senator Barack Obama as early as today. And for her part, Senator Hillary Clinton is toughening up her message. CNN's Jessica Yellin live for us in Columbus, Ohio.
First, let's talk about the union endorsement. How big could this be today?
JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's significant, Kiran, because it's nearly two million member union nationally. And we're in a state that Senator Clinton has to win, Ohio, in which the union vote is crucial. This state has been so hard hit by economic woes that the theme of her campaign, the tone of her campaign is all about a populous message, much like John Edwards. And if Senator Obama is, instead, picking up the support of a major union, which is what John King has confirmed is likely to happen today, it suggests that union support and the populous vote is going in his direction. It would be very bad news for Senator Clinton who, again, must win Ohio.
Kiran, the other thing can I add is that Senator Clinton has picked up a populous theme. As I said earlier, her populous theme is in addition to a new string of sharpened attacks on Barack Obama, emphasizing that he has had not the experience she has had at creating jobs, that he has taken a special interest in special interests, and that saying she would do more to fight them. And then also saying that he is a lot of rhetoric, but she has the policy know-how to get things done. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's a big difference between us. Speeches versus solutions. Talk versus action. You know, some people may think words are change, but you and I know better. Words are cheap. I know it takes work. (END VIDEO CLIP)
YELLIN: We were at an event for Senator Clinton here in Ohio yesterday. There was an enormous turnout, about 3,000 very excited people. She seemed invigorated. She seemed like she is ready for the fight. This state could be the battle royale for the nomination, and she seems like she is not going to give up. She really wants to fight hard to win Ohio, and the Clinton campaign insists they think they can do it by a significant margin. We'll see -- Kiran.
CHETRY: Jessica Yellin for us in Columbus, Ohio, this morning. Thank you.
Also, a program note. Next Thursday night, you don't want to miss the Democratic debate. CNN, Univision hosting it. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama head to head. It's live from Austin, Texas. It all gets underway 8:00 Eastern time.
Looking ahead in the next step in this race next Tuesday. That's February 19th. Hawaii holding its Democratic caucus, and Washington and Wisconsin holding primaries. We're going to bring you full coverage all day and night Tuesday and the final results Wednesday morning.
Right now, President Bush is preparing for a trip to Africa. There's also word that he wants his Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, to make an urgent diplomatic mission to Kenya. CNN's state department correspondent Zain Verjee just returned from her native country. She joins us now with a look at the president's trip.
And we did get some news this morning, Zain, that Kenya's political rivals, possibly agreed, on the need for a new constitution and a review of the election. So Zain is going to cover all of that for us when we come back.
Also, the military this morning says it's going to do something about the out of control satellite that's falling toward earth.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. JAMES CARTWRIGHT, VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: We'll use one missile with two back-ups. We'll have three ships on station, but it will be one shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Space correspondent Miles O'Brien joins us with more on why they say they need to shoot this thing down. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: There is breaking news this morning after that college rampage. It happened at the Northern Illinois University campus. And now, word that a sixth innocent victim has died. This brings the total up to seven. The gunman also shooting and killing himself. Police are still trying to figure out the motive. We're going to be checking back in in a few minutes.
First, though, some other top stories. And we have word just in this morning from Kenya that political rivals there, after weeks of violence, have now agreed on the need for a new constitution to resolve this election crisis. It comes as President Bush is sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Kenya. He also leaves himself today for a tour of Africa.
CNN state department correspondent Zain Verjee just returned from Kenya. It is her native country. And, Zain, you saw firsthand what it was like there. In fact, you were actually hit with tear gas when you were covering a story live on our air. What do you make of the possibility that these political rivals may agree to this review?
ZAIN VERJEE, STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is definitely a very positive step and a good sign and a lot of Kenyans will breathe a sigh of relief to know that this is happening. It's also disappointing and underscores one thing that's dangerous in the country, which is that both sides find it very, very difficult to agree. There is a huge amount of bad blood. The government says it won the election. The opposition says the government stole the election and it actually won. So that's been the real tension point. There are a lot of hardliners on both sides that could scuttle any agreement -- Kiran.
CHETRY: What do you think the impact of sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Kenya will have?
VERJEE: I think it's a positive step as well. Many Kenyans say that they're happy about that. I have spoken to both government and the opposition leaders, and they've said that this could really be a breakthrough. What Secretary of State Rice is trying to do is really shore up Kofi Annan, the former U.N. Secretary General, who's been trying to broker a power-sharing deal. So this is going to give him a boost and it's also going to put more U.S. pressure on Kenyan leaders that many Kenyans say that they really want to see, because they need to see more pressure that can lead to a significant breakthrough.
CHETRY: And then also, the situation with President Bush. He is going to be going to Africa in a broader context. What is he hoping to convey on his trip?
VERJEE: Well, this is kind of like a victory lap, really, for the president of sorts. What he's trying to do here is shore up his legacy of things like aid to Africa and shine the spotlight on some of his policies over the past few years. For example, in the last five years, the U.S. has given something like $15 billion to fight HIV AIDS, and more than $1 billion to fight malaria. It's also pushed things like debt relief in Africa, tried to change the way foreign aid has been handed out.
Africa, Kiran, as you know, too, is a huge focus for the United States since the 9/11 terror attacks, and many countries like Kenya are an important ally in the war on terror. So the president is going to shine the spotlight on what he views as his successes and many in this country do, too. CHETRY: Zain Verjee for us at the state department this morning. Thank you. In our Washington bureau rather, thank you.
Were campus officials ready for the rampage at Northern Illinois University? The president of the university is going to be joining us to talk more about the response time and also whether or not there's any way to keep our campuses safe.
Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, aiming for the sky. The Navy prepares to shoot down a failing satellite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost everything we can do technically makes it better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: It's never been tried about. A missile aimed into space. Ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Well, welcome back. Rob Marciano has been tracking extreme weather for us this morning. He, however, is getting for the big Daytona 500 race down in Florida. That's taking place on Sunday. And, boy, that suit could not fit you any better, I have to say, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I tell you what. It feels like I should be wearing it all day long, and I might do that, although they'll come chasing after me.
Good morning, Kiran.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: When you go back to the studio, you may want to change back into your shirt and tie. Just a suggestion.
MARCIANO: I think somebody may very well make me do that. But a guy can have fun, nonetheless.
Kiran, yes, we do have a little bit of weather to deal with, and then we'll get to more about the Daytona 500. First across the southwest where winter storm warnings and watches are posted. For the desert southwest, San Diego and the mountains are surrounding there. I saw some snow there. A radar from Phoenix into the higher elevations towards Flagstaff. You'll see several inches of snow. Maybe as much as a foot above 7,000 feet, and they're posted eastward into New Mexico and then stretching into northern Texas as well, for the threat for wintry precipitation across the Texas-Oklahoma panhandle.
And then as we go through tomorrow, there's a decent shot of seeing severe thunderstorms across the southeast. Moderate risk from the Storm Prediction Center. You could see some tornado break out across parts of Houston. Here in Daytona, though, a beautiful day today. Come Sunday afternoon, they'll be coming down the finish line there. All those seats will be filled. It will be over 200,000 people. It will be the fourth largest city in Florida come Sunday afternoon.
And you know, we start the day with the Kellogg's car quest number five team. Might be remiss if I didn't complete out the sponsorships here. CNN-Time Warner team doing well here with the Sony Betacam working well, the shot clear tripod and our super (ph) monitor. Looking forward to our next broadcast. Kiran, back up to you.
CHETRY: Now, you keep time with your Swatch watch this morning. All right. Thanks, Rob.
Well, falling to earth with no way to control it and packed with dangerous fuel. Now, there's a plan to shoot down a defunct spy satellite before it re-enters the atmosphere. So is this a better option than just letting it fall on its own?
Joining us live to explain what they're trying to do and why they're trying to do it is space correspondent Miles O'Brien. Good to see you, Miles.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, I need a sponsor. Don't you think?
CHETRY: Absolutely.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CHETRY: Mine, you just say McDonald's somewhere.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CHETRY: The funny thing is the last time you were on, we were talking about how really the chances of it hitting anywhere near a populated area were practically slim to none. Now, we have to launch missiles to shoot it down. What changed?
O'BRIEN: The statistic haven't changed but the thinking on what they can and cannot do has somewhat. And as a result, the decision has been made. This went right to the president, to shoot down USA 193. That's the name of this spy satellite. By the way, you haven't seen this on network television at all? This is a picture of the satellite.
This is actually taken by an amateur satellite tracker. Yes, folks, they're out there. Frederick Dithers (ph) from La Grange, North Carolina, February 10th. You see it peeking going through there, Kiran?
CHETRY: Yes.
O'BRIEN: There it is.
CHETRY: It looks like it's actually falling, but it's not.
O'BRIEN: Well, it's just kind of an optical illusion. Of course, it's orbiting overhead. And that is about the size of a school bus and there's a couple of things to think about. First of all, it has 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, which is very toxic rocket fuel. It's in a spherical container, and it's frozen solid because the satellite hasn't been responding to commands. It's very likely that will survive re-entry, and if that were to hit the ground and be near people, it could cause a huge cloud, toxic cloud. That is one of the concerns.
(CROSSTALK)
CHETRY: That is one of the concerns. Now, how will they actually figure out? They talk about having this window to do this launch, to launch the missile. How do they go about figuring out when and where and how they're going to did it?
O'BRIEN: Well, they don't call it rocket science for nothing, do they? Let's take a look at some animation we put together. We're talking about is the essential components of a missile defense system, and a lot of experts are saying maybe this is just part of an effort to test that missile defense system. But, in essence, you can predict its orbit, even though it's decaying and there is a certain amount of unpredictability, and they're basically shooting a bullet with a bullet. That's the idea.
The other thought here for the thinking in trying to turn this thing into a million little pieces is that it's super secret. And if big pieces were, in fact, to survive and make it to the ground, there might be some secrets that people who aren't friendly to the United States could get a hold of, and who knows? You might see them on eBay. You wouldn't want that.
CHETRY: No. Absolutely not. Now, we also wouldn't want any toxic material coming down in our neighborhoods. So how do you they make sure that whatever they blow apart doesn't come back and cause problems?
O'BRIEN: Well, here's the thinking. If you blow it into a bunch of little pieces, that spherical container I was telling you about, with all that hydrazine in it, probably will break apart, and that hydrazine will burn long before it ever gets to the surface. That's the thinking.
Look at all this debris, though, that we're talking about in orbit. This will create additional amounts of debris, but because it's at such a low altitude, the hope is most of it will burn up and not cause a hazard to navigation.
CHETRY: Pretty neat. All right. We'll be following it all. We'll figure out whether or not they're successful, I guess, in maybe a few weeks.
O'BRIEN: We hope. They're not telling us too much. We'll be watching, though. CHETRY: Thanks, Miles. Good to see you.
O'BRIEN: All right.
CHETRY: You're watching the "Most News in the Morning." And still ahead, Chelsea Clinton's on the campaign trail for her mom right now, but the press is still held at bay. She doesn't do interviews. So we're going to talk about that.
And also word that an influential Democrat who once backed Hillary Clinton may be switching sides. He's a superdelegate as well, so he could affect the vote.
And we're going back to the campus of Northern Illinois University. How they're coping with the trauma, the news this morning that yet another innocent victim has been killed in the shooting rampage. The president of the university will be joining us ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN, ANCHOR: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. That was a shot from the campus of Northern Illinois University, the scene of a terrible shooting rampage yesterday, and the news is worse this morning. Word that a sixth victim has died. The gunman also killed himself, and police are still trying to figure out why he did it. But we are learning more about who this person was. Police are saying this was a gunman who snuck into a lecture hall at the university in Dekalb, about 65 miles west of Chicago. It happened as 100 students were getting ready to wrap up Geology class. He came in and just started shooting, according to eyewitness. Now, according to "The Chicago Tribune"" the university once honored the gunman for his sociology work. He enrolled there as a grad student last spring and reportedly co-wrote a paper regarding prisons. Don Lemon is live for us on campus this morning. Don.
DON LEMON, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We're going to find out, hopefully, more about the gunman, more about what happened, and the response that the university gave yesterday, Kiran, when all of this happened. Joining me now is John Peters, he is the president of Northern Illinois University. Thank you very much for joining us on what I'm sure is a very sad day for you. About the response yesterday, are you -- it's a sad situation, but are you happy with how the university and the university police responded to this?
JOHN PETERS, PRESIDENT, NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY: I wouldn't say happy, but I was - I was pleased that our preparation and our planning and our emergency plan worked well as far as I understand the police were there within minutes, and, of course, it was a situation where we had a lone gunman who burst in and fired volleys of shots and then took his own life, and then it was over.
LEMON: When I spoke to you earlier, I asked you about Virginia Tech because many universities and colleges around the country and schools as well, high schools, elementary schools, junior high schools, looking at their response and their safety procedures on campus, did you revamp that? Did you take a look at your procedures after that happened?
PETERS: Yes. We had --
LEMON: And did you improve them?
PETERS: We had good procedures, and we had a committee look at the report and study and work on communications and I believe that paid off. It's really a sad thing to say that you have to learn from an event like that, but we had -- knew how we wanted to communicate, and we sort of had some messages prearranged and we got out there fairly quickly.
LEMON: Let me ask you about the gunman, because that's a - you know, people are, of course, concerned about the victims.
PETERS: Yes.
LEMON: And their families. But people want to know about this gunman and whether or not there were any signs that he may do something like this. Did you know anything about the gunman? Obviously, he was honored by you. Everyone is reporting that.
PETERS: Yes.
LEMON: But do you know anything about his history that might have led him to this?
PETERS: What I know right now, what I have been told, and, of course, we will learn a lot in the next hours and days. He was an undergraduate here, graduating in 2006 in Sociology. He had a very good academic records apparently, according to professors. Gray, he was a very good student. Went on to graduate work through 2007, and there's no indication that there was any trouble.
LEMON: So you don't know much about him?
PETERS: No, we don't.
LEMON: Anything other schools, any lesson in this for other universities?
PETERS: Well, you know, a university traditionally is for decades, for hundreds of years, are open institutions. The most open institutions. Events like this and Virginia Tech and others are forcing us to reconsider how we do things. I think that is unfortunate, but necessary.
LEMON: Let me ask you real quickly. Are you talking to the parents?
PETERS: Yes. I was at the hospital last night. Talking to victims and parents, and I'm going to continue that touching everyone that I can when I'm done with the interviews because I do want to communicate to everyone about this, and I am overwhelmed with the strength of people. I'm overwhelmed with our campus the way our students have come together. LEMON: Right. OK. John Peters, thank you very much. I understand that you're going to give a briefing a little bit later on. Our best to you and to the families. Thank you very much.
PETERS: Thank you very much.
Kiran, the university president here. Obviously, as I said, a lot of institutions around the country and possibly around the world took a look at their safety procedures following Virginia Tech and he said he is not happy with the way that his campus police reacted yesterday, but he is pleased with it, and so although Virginia Tech was very sad, it did appear to help in yesterday's situation, so one lone gunman kills six people, and then police responded very quickly from there.
CHETRY: Don, thank you.
Right now we're going to turn to Ed Lavandera. He's standing by the hospital where most of these victims were originally taken. And, Ed, you know, there wasn't much information that was given about the conditions and, of course, as we learned within the last hour, another person that was being treated there did pass away because of the shooting. Do you have any other updates for us on how everyone is doing?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN, CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kiran, there were almost 20 students initially brought to this hospital. Not too far away from the campus. The most serious of those students almost about six students or so, I think maybe even seven initially, in critical condition. They were sent out to other hospitals in the area. Some three or four other hospitals. So, it has been an intense night in the emergency rooms across this area, as doctors have been fighting hard to save the lives of the students who are in critical condition. Also a lot of surgeries going on, and that sort of thing, to try to help these students and the gunshot wounds that they have suffered. There was the father of one student who did speak out last night after visiting with his daughter and who described the condition she was in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WASIF RAHMAN, FATHER OF WOUNDED STUDENT: She's in good spirits. She's talking. She's a little in pain because of that, but, you know, doctors have taken care of her and given her, you know, medicine and all that, but she is a little bit in pain because of the shots and all that, buck shots, she got on her -- both arms and on the right side of the face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: So, Kiran, there are a handful of students who were treated and released. Another handful that are in stable and serious condition and, of course, there are about another six students that are in serious -- in critical condition, excuse me, and we hope to get some further updates later on this morning when hospital officials here plan a press conference for 11:00 this morning Central time. Kiran.
CHETRY: Ed Lavandera for us in Dekalb, Illinois. Thank you.
Switching gears now. Covering the most politics in the morning, and reports today that Congressman John Lewis may switch his support from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. "New York Times" reporter Jeff Zeleny telling us in the last hour that Lewis, who is a super delegate, as well as an influential civil rights leader told him that he is not going to stand in the way or go against his constituents in Georgia and they voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. A Lewis spokesperson though told the "Washington Post" that this story is not accurate. CNN is trying to get confirmation from Lewis this morning.
Also, a program note. Next Thursday night, you don't want to miss the democratic debate. CNN and Univision will host Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It's all live from Austin, Texas. It gets underway at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Well, more than ever now, John McCain looks like a shoe-in for the republican presidential nomination. He picked up the endorsement of his former chief rival Mitt Romney yesterday. Last night on "Larry King Live," he was in full general election mode defending his comment that troops could "maybe be in Iraq for 100 years." McCain blasted Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for what he calls taking his comment out of context.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's not a matter of how long we're in Iraq. It's whether we succeed in Iraq or not. And both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton want to set a date for withdrawal. That means chaos. That means genocide. That means undoing all the success we've achieved and Al Qaeda tells the world that they defeated the United States of America. I won't let that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee is still not quitting the republican race. He plans to stay until McCain secures the nomination.
Looking ahead to the next race, it's next Tuesday, February 19th and Hawaii will hold its democratic caucus. Also, Washington state and Wisconsin holding primaries. We're going to be bringing you full coverage all day and night Tuesday and, of course, the final results right here on AMERICAN MORNING Wednesday.
Well, Chelsea Clinton's campaigning for her mother in Hawaii, and we're taking a look at her increased role in promoting her mom and whether the Clintons can keep her protected from the media. Also, what does an American citizen look like? Well, of course, it's almost impossible to answer that question. That's why many Hispanics are wondering why they're apparently being singled out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was, like, banging on the window, and there was an officer saying, ma'am, I'm a U.S. citizen. And she goes whatever, and shut the door.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Is there a growing problem with harassment of Hispanics in the country? Our Chris Lawrence joins us next with the start of a weekly segment, "Uncovering America," ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Some developing news this morning after that shooting rampage at Northern Illinois University. A sixth innocent victim is now dead. The gunman also killed himself, and police still trying to figure out the motive. Right now six people remain in critical condition in the hospital. We're getting updates, and we have live reports from the hospital and the campus coming up in just 15 minutes.
Still ahead Hillary Clinton, she just dispatched her daughter Chelsea to campaign in Hawaii this weekend. The Hawaii primary is Tuesday. And Chelsea has been taking a higher profile in her mother's campaign. She's been speaking to crowds, although she refuses interviews with the press. We asked CNN special correspondent Frank Sesno to take a look at this. He joins us now from Washington. You know, it's hard to believe, Frank, that Chelsea is going to be turning 28 years old at the end of the month, and many people still remember her when she was just, you know, a young pre-teen at the White House. And she was very protected from the media by her parents.
FRANK SESNO, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, that's absolutely right. They do grow up, don't they? Well, standard fair for candidates to put their families out on the campaign trail, but even the Clintons, as battle-hardened as they are, may not have realized just how white hot the glare of the media mob would be and how it would collide with their own protective parental instincts. Raising issues of fairness and access.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SESNO (voice-over): Chelsea Clinton, campaigning for her mom. Seems innocent enough. All the big kids are doing it. But Chelsea must know by now that controversy goes with the last name. Remember the flap over the 9-year-old who asked for an interview. I don't talk to the press, Chelsea was reported to have said even though you're cute. Nothing cute about the comment MSNBC anchor David Shuster made about the campaigning former first daughter.
DAVID SHUSTER, MSNBC, ANCHOR: Doesn't it seem like Chelsea is being pimped out on some weird sort of way?
SESNO: The campaign protested. Hillary Clinton fired off a letter to NBC and demanded appropriate action.
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am a mom first and a candidate second, and I found the remarks incredibly offensive.
SESNO: Shuster was suspended. The remark was ugly and unnecessary, but the bubble around Chelsea begs the question, are the Clintons seeking special treatment for their daughter? She was off limits to the press when she was a kid in the White House. No one quibbled about that. But now the 27-year-old is actively campaigning.
CHELSEA CLINTON, HILLARY CLINTON'S DAUGHTER: I hope you vote on Tuesday for my mom.
SESNO: Bringing some youthful star power to the college circuit. Candidates love to invoke family when the story line is simple. Recall the Romney boys father knows best blog. But families often are not simple. The Bushes complained when it got personal with their daughters. Dick Cheney clammed up when asked about his daughter, Mary, who had a child with her lesbian partner.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a blessing from god. It is not a political statement.
SESNO: As for Chelsea, there's no such controversy. She's public but walled off. Still no interviews. The campaign says Chelsea has appeared in dozens of venues in more than 20 states and is trying to reach as many people as possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESNO: Chelsea is popular with younger voters. There's no question about that. And in fact, she's worked some of the younger voters who will be super delegates, having breakfast with one recently, talking about all kinds of strategy, where her mother might win. But right now, her mother's campaign needs all the help it can get. It's why they have deployed Chelsea like this. Yet, tension over the access to her, the sustained efforts to maintain her zone of privacy, showed just how difficult it is for a candidate's child to be a little bit public. Kiran.
CHETRY: It is interesting, Frank. As we point out, she is going to be 28 years old. Is it Chelsea herself that, you know, may shy away from those interviews, or is it still at the urging of her parents?
SESNO: No, you know, one gets the sense that it's sort of a little bit of both. She is said to be shy, but public, so she's out there, and she's quite happy to campaign for her mother, at least by all indications. But the campaign says that her strategy and the strategy of the campaign is going to enforce is that she's going to talk directly to voters. She takes questions, that kind of thing. Has these breakfasts but is not going to deal with the press. Of course, the Clinton don't have the greatest relations all the time with the press.
CHETRY: Yes. Neither one of them press-shy, though, so it is interesting. All right.
SESNO: Well, that's the thing. Can you be a little bit public? Is it fair to ask for Chelsea to be out there? If she's going to be public talking to the world, how about a few questions? It doesn't seem unfair.
CHETRY: Right. Frank Sesno, we actually posed that question to our viewers this morning. Our "Quick Vote" is should Chelsea Clinton be protected from the press, and right now 58 percent of you say yes, she should. 42 percent saying no. You can still cast your vote and weigh in at cnn.com/am. We'll tally the votes throughout the morning.
Still ahead, they are legally in the U.S., but are they being treated like second class citizens sometimes?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That I was born here and they treated me like a criminal, like I murdered somebody.
CHETRY: It's a growing problem, some say. Hispanic harassment. We're "Uncovering America" next. Also, there is a new look at obesity and it's links to cancer. We're paging Dr. Gupta. Hi, Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We talk a lot about obesity and its relationship to heart disease, stroke, diabetes. But did you know there was a relationship with cancer? I'll tell you specifically what cancers and what that relationship is. That's coming up on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: CNN is "Uncovering America," revealing the under reported stories and the people in our changing nation. And in the crackdown on illegal immigrants, some are asking whether innocent people are getting caught in the middle. Our Chris Lawrence takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This man says he discovered a blurry line between legal status and being Latino. After he was handcuffed, tossed in jail, and detained for 13 hours.
ISRAEL CORREA, U.S. CITIZEN: I was, like, banging on the windows, and there was a detention officer coming and I said, ma'am, I'm a U.S. citizen. And she goes, whatever and shut the door.
LAWRENCE: Israel Correa can't believe it can happen in America to an American.
CORREA: Sad that I was born here and they treated me as like a criminal, like I murdered somebody.
LAWRENCE: Mexican President Felipe Calderon accuses some Americans of hostility towards Mexicans while visiting the U.S. this week. Calderon told Mexican-Americans "we are here with you."
PRESIDENT FELIPE CALDERON, MEXICO (through translator): Particularly, during the difficult times you're facing, of misunderstanding, harassment, and over discrimination.
LAWRENCE: U.S. authorities have cracked down on illegal immigration. Deporting nearly 200,000 illegal immigrants last year. At the same time hostility towards Latinos has increased. The FBI says 63 percent of racially motivated hate crimes are committed against Hispanics, more than any other group.
Correa was pulled over last month in Phoenix for driving without headlights. The sheriff's department says it arrested and questioned him because Correa initially failed to produce a driver's license and registration.
CORREA: Where were you born at? I said I was born here in the United States. Why? Well, why do you have an accent? An accent. I said this is the way I speak.
LAWRENCE: Correa was held for an immigration check even after he handed over his license and told police his social security number. Authorities say they needed time to verify his identity.
CORREA: He goes do you have an INS hold on you? And I said but I told you guys I was a U.S. citizen. He goes, yes, yes, yes, that's what everyone says. They put me with the immigrants waiting for ICE to come and get them.
LAWRENCE: Correa says he and some other Latinos now carry birth certificates and passports with them out of fear.
So, you were born right here in Phoenix?
CORREA: I was born in Phoenix.
LAWRENCE: And not only that, I mean, according to this your Mom was born in Texas.
CORREA: In Texas. A second generation American jailed less than five miles from the hospital where he was born. Chris Lawrence, CNN, Phoenix.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHETRY: Still ahead, the strongest warning yet for hurricane victims to get out of their FEMA trailers. We're going to talk to someone living in a FEMA trailer right now about what is happening to her family's health and what they plan to do now.
Also, there is a new study showing yet another link between being obese and being a higher risk for cancer. We're paging Sanjay at the top of the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHETRY: Campus terror.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just got thinking and it went over and over and I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHETRY: Seven people now dead. A university community in shock.
Plus a heart beat away, meet the doctor who also makes house calls, traveling with the commander in chief, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
And welcome, glad you're with us on this Friday. I'm Kiran Chetry. John Roberts has the day off today. We begin with new information in that shooting at a northern Illinois campus in Northern Illinois University yesterday. A sixth innocent person has now died. CNN confirming this within the last hour. The gunman also killing himself, more than a dozen victim are still recovering at hospitals today. And our reporter at that hospital saying six people are still in critical condition.
It all started yesterday around 3:00 p.m. local time when police say a gunman sneaked into a lecture hall at the university in Dekalb, that's about 65 miles west of Chicago. In that room, there were about 100 students and they were getting to wrap up a Geology class when witnesses say this gunman came in, stood on the stage and just started firing randomly. We're now learning more about that shooter. According to the "Chicago Tribune," the university once honored him for his Sociology work.
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