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Vigils Held Around the World for Orlando Nightclub Attack Victims; Interview with Survivor of Orlando Nightclub Attack; Witnesses: Terrorist Familiar Face At Gay Nightclub. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired June 14, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We have much more coverage of the Orlando attack next including a survivor who was inside the nightclub speaking out. Let's get right to it.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome you, our viewers in the United States and around the world. You're watching NEW DAY. We are of course in Orlando, Florida. Behind us, the scene of the deadliest gun attack in the state's history. We want to focus on those who were taken too soon in this nightclub. And we've been seeing it reverberate not here just in Orlando, but in the world, honoring the victims. Take a look at the pictures. We had people here, we had people in the streets of New York, we had them in Los Angeles, at candlelight vigils, all expressing the same sense of unity.

CAMEROTA: And we're going to pay tribute to those 49 people murdered in Sunday's terror attack. Family members and friends have been sharing their memories, and we're hearing also new stories of survival and heroism during that carnage. We're also learning more about the killer's history, and his whereabouts the massacre, this as the political rhetoric about the attack heats.

So let's begin all of our coverage with CNN's Boris Sanchez. Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. As we're learning more about the individuals, the lives that were lost early Sunday morning at the Pulse Nightclub, we're also watching the world to come together to stand in solidarity with Orlando as the city begins the long and painful process of healing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Thousands gathering in Orlando to mourn the 49 lives cut short in Sunday's terror attack at gay nightclub. A bell tolling 49 times for each of the victims. A community known as one of the happiest places on east because of its world famous theme parks, now a city grappling with the site of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

The Latino and gay community hard hit by this senseless attack. Across the nation thousands more coming together in solidarity to remember the victims. Outside New York City's Stonewall Inn, the LGBT community gathering at the historic site where violence game the catalyst for the gay rights movement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold up your lights, show the world we are standing together in New York City and we are sending a message that we will not accept hate any more.

SANCHEZ: In Los Angeles, pop star Lady Gaga read the name of all 49 victims at a candlelight vigil.

LADY GAGA, SINGER/SONGWRITER: Orlando, we are united with you.

SANCHEZ: This, as we're hearing more stories of heroism from survivors.

RAY RIVERA, ORLANDO SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I just heard the shots getting closer and closer, and at this point I was like, all right, it's time to go.

SANCHEZ: Ducking behind the D.J. booth, Ray Rivera survived, saving a woman's life in the process.

RIVERA: The girl was down there panicking. So I told her she needed to be quiet. As soon as there was a break in the shots, then I pushed her and said come on, let's go.

SANCHEZ: And 25 year old Norman Casiano was shot twice in the melee, taking cover inside a bathroom. To escape, he climbed over the bodies of his friends that couldn't make it out alive.

NORMAN CASIANO, ORLANDO SHOOTING SURVIVOR: Someone started screaming, please, please, please don't shoot us, don't shoot us. He does the first round through the door.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of the stall that you were.

CASIANO: Of the stall where I was in, and he put his hand over the stall and just free shot.

SANCHEZ: These heart wrenching stories having an affect around the world. Landmarks from Paris to Sydney lighting up in rainbow colors to symbolically show that love wins. British singer Adele opening up her concert in Belgium with this emotional tribute.

ADELE, SINGER: I would like to start tonight by dedicating this entire show and everybody in Orlando, the LGBT community.

(APPLAUSE)

SANCHEZ: On the streets of London's So-Ho district, a mecca for the city's LGBT district, cheers as 49 balloons were released in honor of the victims.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: And whether it is for vigils like these around the world or with online donations or huge crowds that we've seen outside of blood donations centers, all of these statements of unity are inspiring, and we can expect more as President Obama is set to visit Orlando on Thursday and personally offer condolences to the families of those killed in Sunday morning's attack, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, Boris, thank you for all of that. Joining us now is Samuel Maldonado. He is vender at Pulse Nightclub. He was inside as the massacre started. He lost a shocking number of friends in the attack. Sam, thanks so much for being here. You didn't just lose one friend or two friends. How many friends did you lose?

[08:00:00] SAMUEL MALDONADO, SURVIVED ORLANDO CLUB ATTACK: Ten.

CAMEROTA: You lost ten friends --

MALDONADO: Yes.

CAMEROTA: -- that night. Can you tell us what happened when you were inside? You are a vendor, selling tacos, food snacks, finger foods. Tell us what happened when the shots started.

MALDONADO: Being that I work in the courtyard, the music at first, you know, it was -- you cannot hear clearly what it was. We just literally, when we started the music, because the music, sometimes you hear pops.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

MALDONADO: But the music would block those type of noises.

CAMEROTA: Right, of course.

MALDONADO: Being that we were so busy at that time when it started in the club close by 2:30, then me and my partner, we were like, you know, busy doing our stuff, getting ready for the busy half an hour. We just heard like a little pop.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

MALDONADO: But we didn't pay no mind, because being that there is also a D.J. outside.

CAMEROTA: When did you realize something terrible --

MALDONADO: When people started running from inside out.

CAMEROTA: I see.

MALDONADO: And then one young girl pulled my partner by the hand and pulled him down, and then that's when we realized it. But after that, we just literally saw this young lady, young girl, drenched in blood, just running towards us. And he was hitting her toward the back.

CAMEROTA: He was still shooting her.

MALDONADO: She fell literally, fell flat in front of us.

CAMEROTA: And you grabbed her? MALDONADO: We couldn't grab her, because I was behind the tables. I

had like a tables, like an L-shape.

CAMEROTA: Because I had read there were other people under the table. You had tried to get somebody to shelter.

MALDONADO: Correct. They were actually trying to go to the other side towards where I was, me and my partner, we were at the table. And because we have black tablecloth covering the tables, that's how we -- me and my partner, we just got there and we went.

CAMEROTA: You hid?

MALDONADO: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Did you see the gunman?

MALDONADO: No, not face-to-face. The only thing that I saw was his legs and point of the rifle when he was pointing down, when he was walking from the inside towards the courtyard.

CAMEROTA: Now that you've seen his picture, there is news that he had been to the pulse nightclub before. Did you see that person?

MALDONADO: No, ma'am.

CAMEROTA: The things you saw in that nightclub Saturday night are unimaginable to most of us. What was happening while you were waiting for police to come? This went on for a shockingly long time.

MALDONADO: Well, the most shocking thing is my partner actually got the chance to leave the premises before I did.

CAMEROTA: So he ran out from underneath the table?

MALDONADO: He did, because he was towards, closer to that gate that they --

CAMEROTA: The door.

MALDONADO: I was on the other side. Literally, when he ran, and I was going to follow him, that's when I looked inside and I saw the bodies on the floor, but I saw him going towards outside again.

CAMEROTA: The gunman, you saw the gunman's feet coming back towards you.

MALDONADO: Correct. So that's why I hid, I went back to where my station was, and I hid back again. There was a young lady that actually we were talking before that. It was her first time, and she was literally panicking and screaming. But because at that time there was no music, and there was no gunshot, she was literally -- I went on top of her and covered her mouth as strong as I could so he would not hear us because we were afraid. But there was a little gap between the two tables and the tablecloth and I literally saw walking towards where we were. It was not even five steps. CAMEROTA: Oh, my god, Sam.

MALDONADO: And that's when I saw that he dropped one of the cartridges, and I hear when he put one back. And then he just stood there. I covered her mouth, and then he -- I saw when he went, but then he just turned back, and went back inside. When he went back inside, he started shooting again. But he -- and then when I got up and looked, I just saw his back. But literally, when he was shooting, he was still shooting at these people that were on the floor, and you would see these bodies just jumping from the shooting that he was just still -- even though there was no -- he was just shooting at them. I would literally see these bodies just jumping, and then that's when I grabbed her and then we went outside.

CAMEROTA: Meaning that you saw people who were already killed being shot over and over again?

MALDONADO: Over and over.

CAMEROTA: Was he saying anything?

MALDONADO: I did not hear anything that he was saying, only the gunshots.

CAMEROTA: How did you get the courage to get up from under the table and run outside?

MALDONADO: It was sometimes, because literally when I saw that he was just, you know, turned his back.

CAMEROTA: You saw your moment.

[08:10:00] MALDONADO: I saw the moment that I needed to go and then just grabbed the young lady.

CAMEROTA: Were you able to grab her?

MALDONADO: Yes, I grab her and then I pushed her so she can go first, and then I went behind her.

CAMEROTA: And when you got outside, what was happening? Did you see the police trying to get in?

MALDONADO: As soon as I got out, I saw two officers who were already with their gun, and then one was in the gate. He was the one who grabbed me by the hand and pushed me aside. And then when I just ran to where the parking lot was, that's where I saw my partner, but there were already police officers. I guess my thing is that when -- I guess the shoot man already noticed there were already cops, the lights and everything, that's why I guess he went back inside from courtyard.

CAMEROTA: How long do you think you were hiding? Explain the timeline here of your terror.

MALDONADO: I can say probably I was there like a minute and a half or two. It was just constant. It was things were -- sometimes you cannot think. But it was just there. Sometimes, fear, you probably thought it was forever.

CAMEROTA: Yes, it sounds like it. There's so much happening, and your life on the line. So you were one of the first people, in other words, to get out. There were still hostages obviously in there.

MALDONADO: Correct.

CAMEROTA: Did you -- were you watching what was unfolding as police were trying to get to them?

MALDONADO: Correct. And they just made us go and stay in the area. So we were behind the avenue of Kelly Avenue, we were there. And then they just made us stay there for a while, and then --

CAMEROTA: And your friends were still inside.

MALDONADO: And my friends were still inside. We tried to call. Nobody was answering. I was calling them, no answer, no nothing, see if they were OK. And then all of a sudden it was just like dead silence. Into then a few hours, then that's when you heard the big bomb, and then --

CAMEROTA: The police set off. The police set off the bomb to try to get in.

MALDONADO: Correct. And all these cars that the alarms, they are all started turning on and it was a big commotion. They made us lay in the street, because there were all --

CAMEROTA: Lay down.

MALDONADO: Correct.

CAMEROTA: Because there was a gun battle.

MALDONADO: Correct.

CAMEROTA: When that big bomb went off that the police used as a diversionary tactic and to try to blow through the wall to get people out, did you see more hostages coming out?

MALDONADO: No, because I was on the other side. So they were going towards the front. I was on the other side. We got to see them afterwards, because when everything then ended, then they walk us to go to the behind the Pulse club to the avenue, so we all got to meet together.

CAMEROTA: Those who were -- who had survived. There were negotiations, we now know, going on with the gunman. Did you hear any of that?

MALDONADO: No, ma'am.

CAMEROTA: Once you got outside, when did you realize the enormity of this, of what had happened in there, how many people were killed and how many people were still missing?

MALDONADO: When we got outside, I started looking, I did not see none of my friends there, we were talking at that time before that.

CAMEROTA: Moments beforehand you were talking to your friends.

MALDONADO: Oh, yes, to all them. We were outside and they were buying things, they were eating, we were just laughing. We were just -- like a normal, typical Saturday, when we get together.

CAMEROTA: You know, we've talked about what this means to the gay community and the huge loss that this has been for the gay community, but it is also for the Latin, the Puerto Rican community here, because there were so many Puerto Ricans here in Orlando and so many of them killed. And they were your friends.

MALDONADO: Yes.

CAMEROTA: When did you find out how many friends you lost?

MALDONADO: Thr|gh that evening, when I go home and started putting the news. Actually one of the friends was Omadar (ph). That was the first one that I -- and he literally was with me towards the end because we were buying and we were joking and stuff like that. And I gave him some food because he said, oh, I'm kind of tipsy. That was when I realized that he was the first one that they identified. And then literally towards the night, hearing the news back and forth, I couldn't sleep that night, so --

CAMEROTA: Of course not.

MALDONADO: That morning, I was still not able to sleep.

CAMEROTA: You haven't slept?

MALDONADO: No, I haven't slept, because constantly you just hear the shots and these people screaming and these people seeing, jumping over the fence.

CAMEROTA: Have you reached out for help?

MALDONADO: I have, yes, me and my partner. He has been worse, you know, than I am. But he has been more devastated, so now we're getting help.

CAMEROTA: Sam, we wish you the best. We're so sorry for the loss that you've experienced. We appreciate you helping us understand the terror that was going on inside there, and we will check back in with you and make sure you're OK. Thank you, Sam.

[08:15:01] All right, new details emerging about the Orlando terrorist that we have been talking about. Did the man who killed these 49 people, did he visit this nightclub before? What club regulars are saying that might have known him? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CUOMO: While the evil is pretty obvious, a lot of new facts about where the murderer was and why, and what he was motivated by and what he was not motivated by.

But all we know is that the absolute truth is that 49 innocent people inside the gay nightclub over my shoulder are gone. And 50 plus more others were hurt, many still fighting for what will be the rest of their lives.

Let's discuss the investigation with CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto. We also have Regina Hill, an Orlando city commissioner, and Phillip Mudd, CNN counterterrorism and a former CIA counterterrorism official.

The biggest thanks, Regina, goes to you. You're busy right now. I know that there's a lot for investigation integrity, you will not discuss it this time, but please tell us what you think people need to know.

More importantly, this issue out there of more arrests, frightening to people, because it makes them think were there more people inside who tried to kill people, are there more people who they think may launch attacks. Is there anything that you can provide guidance on?

REGINA HILL, ORLANDO CITY COMMISSIONER: Well, that the city is safe. That we have the finest people from around America investigating this case. But more so, our chief of police, Chief Mina, our mayor with his great leadership, has made sure Orlando has always been a safe city and will remain a safe city. That people are on the ground that care, and the city has became united.

CUOMO: Good. Unity is needed here and will be in the days ahead. But no existence right now of proof of a larger cell, true?

HILL: Well, actually, as I stated, the city is safe.

CUOMO: Safe. All right, we'll take it.

This would not be unusual to see more arrests not related to other bad guys with guns ready to attack, right, Phil?

PHIL MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALSYT: That's right.

[08:20:00] Sometimes we talk about this as a cell, if there are multiple people. If you look at cases like this, I'm not talking about this one specifically, but cases that roll over the course of days or weeks, you may think of a cluster of people, some of them might know something has gone wrong. He's going to do something they may not know, he is coming to a club that night. So, I'm sure federal investigators, stated and local, are asking questions whether or not there's an implement threat, and as we heard, nobody thinks so, but whether people knew about this.

The second thing you have to remember, we're not talking about supposition or guesses. Once in 72 hours after the attack you decide you've got something that is larger than one individual, you have to go to a court. So, in that rush to judgment, we have to say the people doing the investigation not only have to guess that there might have been people who are waiting, but that they can prove it in court.

CUOMO: Now, Jim, in all full disclosure, you and I have been working very hard, because we heard yesterday there may be more charges/arrests. That idea that there may be more than one person is new, but are you hearing along the lines of Phil's analysis that this is about who knew what, not people who are working in concert?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, echoing what the commissioner has said, they're not looking for a fellow attacker, right? So you have other possibilities then. Support network, someone who helped him do this, helped him buy something, provided financial support --

CUOMO: Because we now know this guy was screwed up for a long time.

SCIUTTO: No question.

CUOMO: We have reports that he had been to this club before, he had been online going to --

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: So then that's another other category. Are there people that knew something that didn't report? So indirectly, right, so the sin of omission, they knew something and didn't come to the police.

CUOMO: Now, one of the things that's playing out here politically, Phil, you're no politician, that's understating it, but understand the words at play. They won't call it radical Islamic terror, Obama and his administration. That's because they're trying to protect. They're being hypersensitive, hyper-PC. You don't see it that way?

MUDD: I don't. I look it through the eyes of the adversary. The adversary, one, that is ISIS, al Qaeda before them, they want to elevate themselves, be on a plain with the United States. We're engaged in a war, we can't fight the Americans, conventionally so we're going to engage in terror.

I say, don't give them what they want --

CUOMO: What do they want?

MUDD: They want to be called terrorists. That is -- it is not legitimate to be called murders, because that's the killing of innocence. Terrorism is a killing of an adversary.

So, I would say, I understand why people have this political debate. As you suggested, I'm not quite a politician -- don't call them what they want to be called. Call them murderers.

SCIUTTO: And also, remember, it was a Republican president, George W. Bush, after a far worst attack, after 9/11, who said, we are not at war with Islam the faith, we're at war with people within the faith, who are bastardizing the faith in effect. So -- CUOMO: Well, Regina, actually wrote about this, about what spurs the

hatred in that part of the world and the extreme ideologies. Is it true when you say radical Islamic, or as the experts direct us to say, radical Islamism, that you do upset Muslims in that part of the world and they feel you're folding them in?

SCIUTTO: You know what, personally, I think that over there, that kind distinction whether you call it radical Islam or Islamist terrorism, or Islamist inspired terrorism, in my experience doesn't matter so much, the words don't, but the implication that the faith as a whole is to blame certainly does. I hear that frequently. And that's why things like the Muslim ban or travel ban, it is just at a different level the language you use.

HILL: And I'd like to interject.

CUOMO: Please?

HILL: That our city is not afraid. We're still out. We're still going to dinner. We're still embracing one another. And I'm so proud of how our city has gelled together, how the nation has gelled together, how fear has not won.

Fear would not ever win, and our country and our state and especially in Orlando.

CUOMO: How about those lines of people donating blood, Muslims, Christians, non-dominational, 5,300 people was the first wave.

HILL: Indeed, and there were thousands out in the vigil last night in an open area, there in the middle of downtown Orlando. As you stated, where there was -- gender wasn't a matter, color wasn't a matter. Religion wasn't a matter.

What mattered was love, what mattered was unity, what mattered was people. The people will live. The people will not, will not live in fear in this America nor in the city of Orlando.

CUOMO: Good to hear.

Regina, Phil, Jimmy, thank you very much.

CUOMO: All right. So, the question becomes, what do you do to make this less likely the next time. How do you combat even something that is a lone wolf threat? We're going to put that question to the man in charge of homeland security. We have Secretary Jeh Johnson on the show, coming up. And we're going to do that as we continue to pay tribute to the people who matter most, the victims of this attack.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:28:46] CUOMO: The FBI says the Orlando murderer was likely a homegrown extremist, with no direct ties to any terror network. So that makes what we're calling a lone wolf these days. How do you deal with that, and is there one way to deal with that?

Let's get some good insight from the Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.

Secretary, thank you for joining us. We know you have important work. So appreciate you making the time.

There is a -- absolutely -- there is a frustration for people when things get subtle or layered. They want this guy to be a it terrorist, that's what it is. He's a Muslim. He said that he was sympathetic to radical Islamism. He said it in a 911 call. That's good enough for most people.

But for you, on the investigative side, and how to keep us safe, you need to take into consideration the complexity of the layers of why someone does something. Explain.

JEH JOHNSON, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: That is correct, Chris. The president very plainly said this was an act of terror. It was an act of hate.

And as you said in your lead-in just now from the investigation, based on what we know, it appears to have been what we refer to as a terrorist-inspired act. We have no information at this point that he was part of a network. That it was terrorist-directed from overseas.

Environment we're in. And it's important for the American people to know that the president and I, law enforcement, national security -- this is our number one priority.