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CNN Headlines: Deadly Shooting At Seattle Festival Kills At Least Three; At Least One Killed, 29 Injured In Van-Ramming And Stabbing Incident; Freedom 250 Grand Prix Course Begins Taking Shape in D.C. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired July 27, 2026 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:33]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories.
Three people were killed and at least four others, including a child, were injured on Sunday. It took place during a shooting on Sunday evening at a Seattle food festival and it's just a block from the city's iconic Space Needle. Video shared on social media show crowds just fleeing as multiple rounds of gunfire are heard.
Internationally, U.S. military operations appear to be on hold after nearly two weeks of consecutive strikes on Iranian targets. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz says diplomatic efforts have ramped up and President Trump is giving talks with Iran some space.
And the sentencing hearing for 16-year-old Colt Gray -- it resumes today in Georgia. On Friday he pleaded guilty to murder and other crimes for the 2024 mass shooting at his high school in Winder. The attack left four people dead and nine injured. Survivors of the families and the families and victims also delivered emotional victim impact statements Friday. The judge is now going to determine whether the -- whether or not Gray will be sentenced to life with or without parole.
All right, returning to our top story here -- more on this. Three dead after gunfire erupts at a food festival in Seattle. These terrifying moments captured by camera by an eyewitness.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). Oh my God.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get the heck out of here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: It all happened at the annual Bite of Seattle. It's a three-day festival that draws thousands.
We talked to another witness who says that she was eating with friends nearby.
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JUSTICE BEITZEL, WITNESS: I heard the gunshots. There were about six or seven multiple gunshots and then there was -- it almost sounded like an automatic going off. And all of a sudden, I just saw a sea of people running towards us. There were people hiding behind the food vendors, tents, and people hiding behind trees, leaving their items behind. And the park pretty much cleared out as soon as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Police say that they believe two people were shooting at each other. One suspect has been taken into custody, and a search is underway for another, but police say that there's no outstanding threat to the community.
The suspect in what German authorities are calling an Islamist terror attack at Berlin's Pride celebrations is dead following a massive manhunt over the weekend. At least one person was killed and dozens wounded when the attacker rammed his van into crowd before stabbing several people with a machete. The 70 -- the 21-year-old, excuse me -- the 21-year-old suspect was shot and killed by police after allegedly rushing towards officers with a weapon.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the other government officials -- they visited the site of the attack yesterday to pay their respects to the victims.
The attack came just hours after hundreds of thousands attended one of Europe's largest and longest-running LGBTQ Pride parades in the area.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen has the latest from Berlin.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Berlin police is saying that around 6:00 p.m. local time that they did police action the west of Berlin in suburb called Spandau. And there in a garden shed they say that they found the suspect in this ramming attack that they say the suspect apparently then approached the police officers carrying a knife. There were shots that were fired and they in the end, the suspect was killed by those police officers after those shots were fired. Now obviously, the investigation here is still very much going on.
Where I am right now is only about 100 yards away from where this ramming attack took place. This is right in the middle of a very central park in the center of Berlin, the Tiergarten, and that's also right at the edge of the route of that -- of that procession that took place -- that Pride parade that took place on the -- on the sidelines of which that attack took place. Now, the police here and the German authorities are saying now that 29 people in total were injured in that ramming attack. One person was, of course, killed -- was confirmed dead. They also say that the suspect fled the scene after crashing into the tree and apparently injured several people using a machete or a knife.
[05:35:00]
As you can imagine, this manhunt was going on throughout the better part of a day and here in Berlin we heard helicopters overhead in many places for an extended period of time. We, ourselves, also saw buildings that were put on lockdown. Police officers outside those buildings searching some of those premises. They also went into a subject -- in the subway here in Berlin looking for the suspect.
Now they say that in a garden shed in the west of Berlin, in that area of Spandau, is where they found Abdul B. who had been named as a suspect and who was being looked for with a photo. And then in the end, after that police action took place, he was then killed on the scene. They say they tried to revive him and that there were medics on hand, but that every help came too late for the suspect in all of this.
Obviously, as you can imagine, there is still going to be a big investigation going on. I can tell you from the days leading up to this parade that there were a lot of barriers that were being put up. There was a big security concept for this parade. And so the authorities here are saying that they are obviously going to have an after-action report to find out exactly how a major vehicle managed to get into this park and, again, wound several people in the end, leaving one dead as well.
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SMITH: All right, Fred Pleitgen. Thank you.
We've got some new details emerging in the case of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the man shot and killed by ICE agents in Houston. Officials now say a substance found in his van was salt. The Harris County district attorney's office announced the test results Friday. In a warrant filing, the FBI said it believed a white powder found in the vehicle was illegal.
Federal lawmakers have joined the family in asking for more details about what led to the fatal shooting. They held a field hearing Friday to discuss the case.
Well, crews are transforming downtown Washington, D.C. into an IndyCar street course. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is taking shape ahead of next month's race.
And CNN's Isabelle Khurshudyan got a behind-the-scenes look at the track that will send drivers racing past some of the nation's most iconic landmarks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ISABELLE KHURSHUDYAN, CNN SENIOR ENTERPRISE REPORTER: I'll be your racing driver today.
BUD DENKER, CHAIRMAN, FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX: All right. Well, very good. We'll see how fast you are.
KHURSHUDYAN: Let's get started.
Has D.C. ever hosted a road race like this before?
DENKER: No. This will be the first time they've ever seen a road race -- a motorsports race in the nation's capital. I mean, it's so hard to do, first of all. There's a lot of intrusion -- obviously putting up walls and barriers and bridges. And this track will go 1.7 miles, seven turns. We're on 3rd Street now, which is right in front of the nation's Capitol. It dissects the National Mall. That's on our right here. And these cars in this street -- this is about a third of a mile straightaway. We did about 140 miles an hour.
KHURSHUDYAN: It is a little bumpier probably than what a race car driver would want to be going 180 miles an hour over it. Uh, how much work still needs to -- we just went over a bump. How much work still needs to be put in on the roads to get this ready to be a race track?
DENKER: We don't want to have an absolutely totally smooth surface here because the streets -- our streets are never going to be that way, right? Our drivers are used to having some bumps and frankly, it separates the great drivers from the good drivers when you have that kind of technical differences.
So there are some improvements we're going to make. Of course, the nation's Capitol we just went by on 3rd Street is obviously the most iconic figure.
KHURSHUDYAN: What did you think of my driving?
DENKER: Very good. A little slow perhaps but you did pretty good.
KHURSHUDYAN: This is a big bet by IndyCar. Why do you feel like it's worth it?
DENKER: Fireworks are great. The USC fight is fun. How about celebrating on these roads around our city with iconic structures that we're racing around celebrating our country's history?
KHURSHUDYAN: IndyCar did have some backlash recently over a one nation, one race t-shirt that got pulled. What happened there?
DENKER: That was my fault. You know, as we were designing or having people design t-shirts for us, you can imagine my thought of it was a race here in D.C. and the nation here. So I take the blame for that.
KHURSHUDYAN: What do you say to fans of IndyCar who maybe don't think you should be doing a race here under this administration?
DENKER: I don't have exclusive areas for the -- anybody that's red or blue. It's come, everybody, here. And nonpartisan has been the mission from day one.
KHURSHUDYAN: So this is a show car. Tell me about it.
DENKER: Yeah. This is a car we designed to show the spirit of what the race is going to look like here. Is that crazy? You down in it now?
KHURSHUDYAN: Yeah, I think so.
DENKER: Can you imagine doing that for 2 1/2 hours-3 hours at Indianapolis?
KHURSHUDYAN: Yeah. Now I won.
Isabelle Khurshudyan, CNN, Washington, D.C.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Well, in the spirit of America's 250th birthday let's stay with that theme and go to the original nation's capital. That's where LeBron James is heading, taking his talents to Philadelphia. The NBA superstar signing a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, calling it "his last decision." The 41-year-old is entering his record-setting 24th NBA season with Philly becoming the fourth team of his career. He's won championships with the previous three.
[05:40:05]
Fans in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection are already celebrating and expecting nothing less than la title.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I screamed. I probably cried for like a good 10 minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm excited. I'm ecstatic. The king -- we got the king. Paper, cardboard -- whatever you want to call it. Like, we're going to the chip, OK? We're going to the chip.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have one of the best teams ever assembled and we're going to win a championship this year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he brings the championship to Philadelphia the city will go crazy.
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SMITH: With LeBron headed to Philadelphia, attention now turns to his son, Bronny. Despite trade speculation, Bronny James is expected to stay with the Lakers. His agent says that the two are not a package deal as Bronny focuses on building his own NBA career in Los Angeles.
Well, next up on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, a massive tank bursts in the middle of a pet store. What happened there? We've got the details coming up.
And meet the new Black Panther. The backstory here as CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS rolls on.
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[05:45:30]
SMITH: Let's go around the globe, beginning in the U.K. That is where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with the new British prime minister today. Andy Burnham is set to welcome Zelenskyy as his first international visitor. The prime minister's office says it showcases his government's strong support for Ukraine.
During today's visit the two leaders are expected to meet with hundreds of Ukrainian troops who have been taking part in maritime exercises in the U.K. The meeting comes as Ukraine has seen the highest number of civilian casualties this month since 2022.
And in Spain officials say more than 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes due to wildfires. Rising temperatures and no rain in sight means conditions could get even worse this week. Local officials have said that the fires have killed at least one person. Firefighters are working to prevent two wildfires west of the capital, Madrid, from merging. Firefighting aircraft have been sent by Greece and Italy to help emergency crews in their efforts.
And more 700,000 people in southern China were forced to relocate after Typhoon Noul made landfall early Sunday. Heavy rain and gale- force winds have spread across Guangdong province and neighboring Hong Kong. Authorities warn torrential rainfall -- it could continue through tomorrow. Noul has been downgraded to a tropical depression but is the strongest typhoon to hit China this year.
And after massive protests, India's prime minister is creating a task force to reform the country's exam system. The protests were a response to student exam papers being leaked. India's education minister has resigned over the scandal.
It's time for Buzz Express.
"The Odyssey" had another big weekend at the box office. It made $87 million, bringing its domestic total to nearly $300 million. But there's been some discourse online between fans. Which format should you watch it in, in theaters, IMAX or standard?
CNN's Scottie Andrew has seen it twice and has her take.
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SCOTTIE ANDREW, CNN WRITER: I saw "The Odyssey" in IMAX and it cost me an hour and $34.00 to get there. And then I saw it a second time in a regular theater and I have thoughts. Let's cut right to it.
So "The Odyssey" is like "Sinners" and "Dune," shot with these large format IMAX film cameras so that movie lovers can see these epics and Matt Damon's pores on a gargantuan high-res screen.
Christopher Nolan told the AP that "By shooting on IMAX 70mm film, you're really letting the screen disappear." Like 3D without the glasses.
But there are only 25 IMAX screens that show 70mm film scattered across 14 states, meaning that most people who watch "The Odyssey" won't be seeing it in Nolan's preferred format.
A good movie should be good no matter the format, but after seeing "The Odyssey" in 70mm Imax and then the standard version, it really is better looking at IMAX. I mean, the man-eating cyclops is extra freaky so close up. In the standard version he was just kind of loud. But most of you won't get to experience that difference.
Here comes Odysseus. He's going down the mountain. Apparently, the giant projectors IMAX uses are so old that some of the parts the need don't even exist anymore. Building more of these theaters is probably out of the question and that stinks for movie lovers like me who'd rather talk about the substance of the film than go on their own odysseys just to get tickets.
I loved the cyclops. He made his own cheese. He is giving alien, but...
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SMITH: Thank you, Scottie.
Marvel fans, "Black Panther" is back and stepping into the role is David Johnson. He was first introduced as a child in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," playing T'Challa's son. T'Challa was famously portrayed by Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in 2020 while filming the sequel. The third movie in the superhero franchise is set for release in December 2028.
All right. And also in Buzz Express, Punch the Monkey celebrating his first birthday today. This Japanese monkey became in internet sensation after his infant videos went viral. Zookeepers gave him a stuffed animal to comfort him as he was rejected by other monkeys. He carried the stuffed animal with him everywhere. Zoo officials say thousands of birthday cards have even come in from around the world. Happy birthday.
[05:50:05]
Still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, teens take a wild ride on top of a New York City train, and you won't believe how young one of the kids is.
Plus, there's this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't even care if they run loose. Come on. Come on. Come on, buddy.
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SMITH: The dramatic rescue of nearly a dozen horses from a burning barn. We've got the full story when CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS returns.
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[05:55:00]
SMITH: In today's Money Express, you may have seen this story on your feed over the weekend. Several incoming Howard University freshmen went viral after they said that they were unenrolled, all because the school claimed that they didn't receive a full payment.
One affected student explains to CNN's affiliate WUSA what they think happened.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Howard group chats are blowing up.
KA'LAHN MORRIS, HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT: One after the other. And then when I finally checked my email and I get it, I felt hurt, you know. I was really, like, wow because I gave -- I felt like I gave me all to the school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ka'Lahn Morris, from Illinois, is among the 502 students who spots at Howard University were revoked. He received an email on Wednesday that said, "The July 10, 2026, deadline to make your tuition payment or payment arrangement to secure your enrollment has passed."
MORRIS: Most of the money I was, you know, using for college came from them, so I was -- I was confused.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morris says he received scholarships from Howard. He set up a payment plan and thought he was in good financial standing with the school. That's until Wednesday's email.
MORRIS: I'm looking at my email right now. I've got an email from the School of Business Administration, like, "Congratulations and welcome to Howard University School of Business."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morris says he doesn't know his current standing. He still has a housing assignment and access to his accounts, but his classes have been cleared out.
MORRIS: I'm confused on that part. It's definitely a mixed message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Howard University has responded to what some call mixed messaging about deadlines. The student financial calendar says tuition is due August 3. First payments on July 15. But the school says those deadlines are for returning students and that new students were notified about the July 10 deadline since March.
ISABELLA WILLIAMS, HOWARD UNIVERSITY STUDENT: And I just got my classes back. I hope that means I'm moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, I don't have my merit scholarships on there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isabella Williams, from Alabama, who we spoke to yesterday, says it appears her case has been resolved.
Today, Howard University refused to answer how many students had been reinstated. They also refused an interview on the entire ordeal.
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SMITH: Well, Howard University's interim president defended dropping hundreds of incoming students on CNN yesterday, calling the controversial move "standard practice."
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DR. WAYNE A.I. FREDERICK, INTERIM PRESIDENT, HOWARD UNIVERSITY: This is part of what universities usually do, and especially a university like Howard that has a high demand. We had not received communication or complete documentation from that group of students, and so we felt it was our responsibility to let those students know that we wouldn't -- we will be disenrolling them so that we could plan appropriately for the fall.
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SMITH: Howard University says that it will consider individual cases with pending aid but has not shared reinstatement numbers.
Let's get a check-in on other stories making news across the country.
We start with the crazy video out of Seattle. Watch as two daredevils scale a glass barrier and launch themselves off of the iconic Space Needle.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two men climb over the glass barrier at the top of the Space Needle Friday night and jump. Cops say they bought tickets and scanned in just before 9:00. Security cameras caught them scoping things out on the observation deck beforehand.
JACOB JARRELL (PH): The two guys burst out, right, and they sprint up to the window. And I'm talking like 10 seconds. Sprint all the way up to the top, climb over, run, and do a backflip off. And, I mean, it was -- it was so crazy because everybody was scared at first when they ran out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jacob Jarrell's video has gone viral -- almost five million views overnight. He's in Seattle promoting his chai brand with friend Bree and little Emerson, and Scooby. He actually almost missed the entire thing.
JARRELL: We were supposed to miss the sunset, and Emerson had to pee so my friend Bree -- she went out to go find a bathroom. And then I'm waiting in the line, and she comes back and she's like "Hurry up. They're going to let us skip the whole line because he has to pee."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It took a second to figure out what was happening. JARRELL: It looked a little creepy because they were all covered up. You know, they had the cameras on and everything. But it only took like one or two seconds before I realized oh my God, they're going to jump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Neither man has been found. Police say they face criminal trespassing charges.
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SMITH: And from one daredevil to another set of daredevils. Look at these teenagers riding on top of a movie subway train. This was last week in Brooklyn, New York. Police say this drone footage helped them arrest the teens and a 12-year-old. One of the suspects had six stolen MTA cards on them. The teens now face several charges, including reckless endangerment and criminal trespassing.
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Horse barn on fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is all full.
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SMITH: Intense bodycam video shows police rushing to save horses from a barn. This was on fire in Saratoga in New York. The officers -- they acted quickly, as you could see there. They were able to save about10 of the horses from their stalls. They say the animals were frozen in fear at the time. Sadly, 17 horses did not make it.
[06:00:08}
And take a look at this in Illinois. A pet store was flooded after a massive fish tank burst. More than 350 fish were inside the tank at the time. Many did not survive. The store's owners aren't sure what caused the tank to break but they believe a seal may have failed.
All right. That does it on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. I'm Brad Smith. "CNN THIS MORNING WITH AUDIE CORNISH" starts right now.
