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The Situation Room

Interview With Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY); Interview With Boulder, Colorado, Mayor Sam Weaver; Colorado Shooting Investigation; Vice President Harris Tapped To Head Immigration Response; Prosecutors Allege Oath Keepers Leader, Proud Boys Coordinated Before Insurrection At U.S. Capitol; AstraZeneca Says It Will Release Fresh Vaccine Trial Data After Concerns About Outdated Info; U.S. Official Now Confirms North Korea Fired Two Ballistic Missiles. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired March 24, 2021 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: I'm Pamela Brown in THE SITUATION ROOM with a new insight into the investigation of the Colorado shooting massacre.

CNN has learned that authorities are zeroing in on the suspected gunman's connection to the grocery store where 10 people were gunned down, as they hunt for a motive.

This hour, I will get an update on the case from the mayor of Boulder. He is joining us live.

Also tonight, chilling new videos show the Capitol Police officer who died after the insurrection being attacked with chemical spray. It is the first time the confrontation has been seen publicly.

And the Biden administration has given the media its first limited access to a border facility, as the president is under pressure to ramp up his response to the surge of young migrants. He put Vice President Harris in charge of a diplomatic push to address that problem.

But first to Boulder, Colorado, and CNN senior national correspondent Kyung Lah.

Kyung, the suspected gunman will make his first court appearance tomorrow, as we're learning new details about the investigation.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we're talking to a law enforcement official who says, in order to understand motive, they are indeed scrubbing through his online activity, talking to family, talking to neighbors.

And they also say -- the same official says that he was not the subject of any previous FBI investigation, meaning that there was nothing in the federal system that would have prevented him from purchasing a firearm.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAH (voice-over): Investigators continue to collect evidence at King Soopers grocery store and search for a possible motive.

A law enforcement official tells CNN among the biggest questions, the gunman's connection to this specific location. Why did he drive to this Boulder store 30 minutes from his home? The suspect's family home is in the suburbs of Denver, where police are digging into the background of Ahmad Alissa.

The only incident on his record, a third-degree assault in 2017. He admitted he cold-cocked a classmate at school.

BRIAN KRUESI, WITNESS: I saw a man with a beard, what I thought was possibly like tactical sort of clothing and an AR-15 style rifle.

The gunman carried a Ruger AR-556 pistol. The arrest warrant says he purchased it six days before the shooting. That timing suggests to investigators, says a law enforcement source to CNN, that this attack was planned.

STATE SEN. STEVE FENBERG (D-CO): My understanding is that it was purchased at a gun dealer outside of Boulder, potentially in Arvada, where he lives.

LAH: Across Boulder, the enormity of the loss settling in, from the friends a newly engaged and local business owner Tralona Bartkowiak.

BOB OLDS, UNCLE OF SHOOTING VICTIM: There's a hole. There's a hole in our family that won't be filled.

LAH: To the families themselves. Rikki Olds worked at the grocery store.

OLDS: Saddened that she didn't get to experience motherhood. She didn't get to experience marriage. She didn't get to -- she was 25 years old.

LAH: Boulder grapples with a sense of helplessness, that they are likely not the last American city to experience this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm angry because this could be anyone's town. I think it's easy to remove ourselves from these situations when we're not -- when it's not the store we buy birthday cakes that and it's not our colleagues and our mentors and our friends and our teachers and our neighbors and our -- the person that comes into your restaurant every day and orders the same drink.

I would just beg anyone that has the power to make change to imagine if this was their community.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH: Now, just a short time ago, there was this solemn procession through the city here of Boulder; 51-year-old Eric Talley, the Boulder police officer who was one of the first responders who died trying to save other people's lives as he ran toward the gunman, his body was moved from the coroner's office to the funeral home -- Pam.

BROWN: See it there draped in the American flag. Heartbreaking.

Kyung Lah, thank you.

And joining me now in THE SITUATION ROOM is the mayor of Boulder, Colorado, Sam Weaver.

Mayor Weaver, I know it has been such a difficult 48 hours for you.

Tell us what you have been going through.

SAM WEAVER (D), MAYOR OF BOULDER, COLORADO: Well, I have been going through shock. I think our community is similar.

The first experience of this is just, how can this happen? How can this be happening in my community? And trying to move through the shock and starting to feel the grief.

As the stories of the victims have come out, and we begin to know them as human beings and not just names or a number, it becomes even more sad, because these are people who have lost opportunity. They have lost time, which is the most precious thing to anyone.

So, I think we are solidly moving into grief. That's where I'm going.

[18:05:02]

BROWN: I know you spoke with President Biden today. Tell us about that conversation. What did the president convey to you?

WEAVER: Well, he started off by expressing his condolences and sympathy for the victims.

He particularly called out the officer, Talley, for his heroism. He asked what he could do for Boulder. I told him that, as far as what we're meeting to take care of in the next few days and weeks, we have probably got that handled here in the city in the region.

But then, of course, the conversation turned towards, what can we do to make sure that this never happens in another community in our country? And so we explored that a little bit. The president expressed that he regretted that, when the first federal assault weapons ban was passed in 1994, that there had to be a 10-year sunset to get that through.

He further regretted that that sunset occurred and that the ban expired. And then we talked some about what steps could be taken at the federal level to make sure that things like this just don't happen to other communities.

BROWN: And what are those steps specific specifically that you talked about?

WEAVER: Well, one side of it is mental health. Like, how do we make sure that what mental health professionals learn about and diagnose is definitely in the gun registry, so that if somebody has a background check, and they have got mental health challenges, that that be something that's clear, that link is clear and easy?

Another one is, as we know, this suspect had a misdemeanor assault charge, a conviction. And so how do we make sure that previous evidence of violence is incorporated into those background checks? Those were two things that we talked about specifically.

Then we also touched on the fact that these assault weapons are designed to hurt people and kill them. And that's what they're good at. And that's what they do. And there's no real good justification for why civilians need to have these high-capacity killing weapons.

So, we talked about the possibility of another assault weapons ban at the federal level, obviously, very challenging. The reality now is very different than 1994. So we touched on lots of things.

BROWN: Is the president planning to visit Boulder? Would you welcome a visit from the president now?

WEAVER: I would absolutely welcome a visit.

I mean, I did express to the president how grateful our community was to have a leader who cares that tragedy occurs on his watch and who reaches out to those who experience it. It's good to have our pain recognized and acknowledged and cared for, frankly, by the president.

We have not talked about a visit. It was mentioned that that was a possibility to our staff previously, but I don't know of any plans to do so. But, of course, we'd welcome it.

BROWN: And just in terms of the investigation, do you have a sense of when authorities might have a better understanding of what drove this killer to commit this horrific act, if he is cooperating with investigators? What can you tell us?

WEAVER: I don't have any more information than what you just reported.

I think one key bit of information we're interested in is where that weapon was purchased. So, that will be of interest. I suspect it was not in Boulder. Our assault weapons ban that has been in place since 2018 didn't allow sales of those types of weapon in Boulder. So, it's likely to be outside.

So, I think we will learn about that once we know where the weapon was purchased from. Beyond that -- and I would say that's in the next day or two -- but, beyond that, I think that's really up to investigators to dig into the background. And I don't have a timeline for that.

BROWN: What is your message to people in your community right now who may be nervous or fearful to go out and run simple errands that you would do in everyday life, like go to the grocery store? What is your message?

WEAVER: Well, my message is, listen to those feelings.

If you need to order groceries, or if you're someone who is going to need to ease back into that kind of public space, listen to it and do what you need to, to recover from this.

Ultimately, I just got off the phone with one of the King Soopers corporate representatives, and we touched on the idea of how long it might be until we can reopen that store. But that is a huge element of healing, is making that store functional again. It is a neighborhood gathering place for many people, and half of our town, essentially.

[18:10:05]

And so I tell people that we are going to reopen that store, and we're going to do it in cooperation with the community and King Soopers. And so, if you're sad and fearful to go out today, acknowledge that and take steps to take care of yourself.

And there will be a day when you will be able to go into a grocery store without thinking about this.

BROWN: We certainly hope so.

Mayor Sam Weaver, thank you for coming on the show.

WEAVER: Thanks for having me.

BROWN: And just ahead in THE SITUATION ROOM, we're getting more video from the border. The Biden administration is giving us a limited look at facilities for young migrants, as Vice President Harris has a new role on immigration.

And we will break down new video showing Capitol officer Brian Sicknick attacked with chemical spray by rioters. Could it be used as evidence of murder?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, tonight, President Biden is responding to criticism of his immigration policy on two fronts.

The White House just gave them media limited access to a border facility and -- amid concerns about a lack of transparency, and the president has put Vice President Harris in charge of a diplomatic push to stem the surge of migrants.

[18:15:05]

CNN chief domestic affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny is at the White House for.

So, Jeff, we're getting more images from the border. What's the latest?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, we are getting our first look inside one of those border detention facilities that is housing some of this surge of unaccompanied minors who are coming across the border.

But we should point out that this is not the beginning of the road. The first stop along the journey, those shelters along the border have been criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike as unacceptable conditions, the White House still not allowing the public to see those.

But we did get a look today of a stop along the way, a much more sanitized view of how this is being handled.

Now, all this is coming as President Biden clearly making immigration more of an issue. He decided that Vice President Kamala Harris will be the point person leading diplomatic efforts and the surge at the border.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY (voice-over): Tonight, the Biden administration for the first time allowing a look inside a border facility where some of the unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S. border are being held.

The White House selecting a center in Carrizo Springs, Texas, where children are now being housed, rather than the overcrowded border detention shelters, where these pictures from Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar showed a far different scene for children and families.

This new video offers a selective view as the White House continues to heavily restrict access to journalists at the border.

(on camera): You have chosen the facility that is the aspirational facility, as opposed to the problem at this moment?

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Well, I would say we all agree that the Border Patrol facilities are not places where children should be. They are -- children should be moving more quickly through those facilities. That is what our policy central focus is right now.

ZELENY (voice-over): At the White House tonight, President Joe Biden is appointing Vice President Kamala Harris to lead efforts to stem the flow of migrants from Central America to the U.S. border.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When she speaks, she speaks for me. So, this new surge we're dealing with now started with the last administration, but it's our responsibility to deal with it humanely and to stop what's happening.

ZELENY: For Harris, it's the first specific assignment from the president, one that mirrors Biden's own role in 2014 and 2015.

BIDEN: Back when I was vice president, I got a similar assignment.

ZELENY: As he worked with leaders in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, after a surge of unaccompanied minors began crossing the U.S. border.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While we are clear that people should not come to the border now, we also understand that we will enforce the law, must address the root causes that cause people to make the trek. ZELENY: The Biden administration is not sending unaccompanied minors back, a policy employed in the last administration. But critics say Biden didn't have a plan in place to account for the migrant surge.

Tonight, the administration's efforts to confront the debate over guns coming into sharper view. In the wake of the mass shooting at a Colorado grocery store, the president is studying steps he can take through executive action, even as the White House pushes Congress to act.

HARRIS: It is time for Congress to act. And stop with the false choices. This is not about getting rid of the Second Amendment. It's simply about saying we need reasonable gun safety laws.

ZELENY: The vice president made clear that she believes achieving true gun reform is more likely to happen by pushing Congress to enact new laws, yet the White House knows that it's an uphill battle, so the president is also considering a range of steps that he can take with a stroke of his pen, such as background checks on the sale of so-called ghost guns, handmade weapons without serial numbers, among other measures.

PSAKI: There are also executive actions under consideration that we will continue working through internally. And there's lots of levers you can take, obviously, as president.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: And, tonight, Pamela, the Senate is also confirming one more person for the Biden administration. This is an assistant secretary of health.

Dr. Rachel Levine has just been confirmed by the Senate. This is a historic move because she is the first out transgendered official who has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. This was on a vote of 52 to 48. She's a pediatrician and Pennsylvania's former top doctor.

She will help lead the COVID fight at the Health and Human Services Department, but, Pamela, certainly one more historic move in this administration -- Pam.

BROWN: All right, Jeff Zeleny live for us from the White House.

Thanks, Jeff.

And let's get more on all of this with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

Congressman Jeffries, thanks for coming on the show.

Let's start with this new video that shows a facility for minors who have already been transferred out of jail-like Border Patrol custody into HHS care.

How can we get a full picture of the challenges at the border when the White House is still blocking media access to CBP facilities? REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Well, I expect that the White House is

going to be extremely transparent both as it relates to dealing with this current situation at the border, as well as how it engages and interacts with the American people.

We have already seeing a difference overall in terms of how this administration conducts itself, communicates with the public, communicates with reporters, the so-called Fourth Estate, as compared to the prior administration.

[18:20:12]

Clearly, there are challenges at the border. We need to make sure, as the vice president indicated, that we enforce the law, that we do it humanely, and, perhaps most importantly, we address the root causes of the surge, which is that the conditions in the Central American Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are inhumane, there is oppression, there is violence, there is corruption, and it needs to change.

And I'm thankful that President Biden has charged Vice President Harris with dealing with that issue, so we can address this challenge once and for all.

BROWN: What kind of signal do you think that sends that he appointed her to take charge of this issue in terms of how much of a priority this is for the Biden administration?

JEFFRIES: Well, it's clear that this is a top priority.

This is the third surge that we have seen over the last 10 years or so. There was a surge during the administration of President Obama. There was a surge, of course, during the presidency of Donald Trump, and now this surge, actually, which began in about April of last year, during the Trump administration, and has continued, perhaps accelerated a bit.

And so, at the end of the day, for us to deal with this issue, we have to address the root causes of the migration, which relate to those Central American Northern Triangle countries. In the comprehensive immigration reform bill that the Biden administration has introduced, they have also indicated that they're going to deal with the root causes of migration, which I think is going to be important, ultimately, if we're able to fix our broken immigration system, do it any humane way, do it in a way that's consistent with America as a nation of immigrants.

BROWN: I want to turn to the shooting in Boulder.

Senator Chris Murphy says, after years of inaction from Congress, he has come to the conclusion that -- quote -- "Congress has become complicit in these crimes."

Is he right? Is Congress complicit?

JEFFRIES: Well, I hope that the Senate is going to act. The House has already begun that process. We have passed H.R.8, universal criminal background check legislation, to ensure that we can keep guns out of the hands of violent individuals who have a high degree of likelihood to cause harm to the American people.

We have also closed the Charleston loophole. And there are other measures that we're going to consider under the leadership of Chairman Jerry Nadler on the Judiciary Committee to deal with the scourge of gun violence in America, which is out of control when you compare it to every other developed country in the world.

And we have 4 percent of the world's population, 40 percent of the world's guns. Many of those guns, law enforcement has no idea where they are, how they got into the hands of criminal individuals, and when they may be deployed to cause harm to the American people, as we have seen over the last week, seven mass shootings, effectively, in seven days, including in the Atlanta area and now in Boulder, Colorado.

So, I agree with Senator Murphy. We have to act. We have to act decisively. It's my hope that that's going to be done in the Senate, as the House continues to do his work.

BROWN: But just very quickly, we hear this every time after a mass shooting, we have to act, we need to do something, and then nothing happens.

So, how concerned are you that we're just going to see that repeat?

JEFFRIES: Well, we will have blood on our hands if Congress collectively fails to act.

But let's understand who the obstacles are. Democrats are working hard to make it easier for people to vote and make it harder for criminals to get access to weapons of war that are not meant to hunt deer, but are meant to hunt individuals.

Republicans in the House and the Senate of trying to make it harder to vote and easier for criminals, effectively, to be able to have access to weapons by turning a blind eye to the carnage that we have seen in America.

So, hopefully, we're going to see some cooperation, or we're going to see that the rules of the Senate need to be adjusted to allow for these priorities of the American people to make it over the finish line.

BROWN: You're talking about the filibuster there. And we are talking about voting later in the show.

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, thank you so much.

JEFFRIES: Thank you so much, Pamela.

BROWN: And just ahead: key evidence in the Capitol riot investigation. We will show you the new video of the officer who died after the riot being attacked with chemical spray.

And Dr. Anthony Fauci is touting what he calls proof-positive that vaccines are slowing the spread of COVID-19.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:29:26]

BROWN: Tonight, we are getting an unprecedented look at a horrific moment during the January 6 insurrection.

New video shows Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick attacked with chemical spray not long before he died.

CNN senior national security correspondent Alex Marquardt is following this investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As the violent insurrection raged at the Capitol Building, new video obtained by "The New York Times" shows Officer Brian Sicknick facing off with rioters on the Western side and how he was wounded.

In the crowd were Julian Khater and George Tanios.

[18:30:00]

Khater, who was armed with both pepper spray and bear spray, according to prosecutors, moved up to within just feet of Sicknick and in a new video can be seen unleashing a stream of chemical spray at the officer. Sicknick is hit and retreats keeling over. A day later, he was dead. Khater and Tanios have been both arrested in charges, for assaulting three officers with chemical spray, including Officer Sicknick.

In the mayhem of January 6th, federal prosecutors are now discovering evidence of more coordination amid the chaos. New court filing alleging for the first time there was collaboration between the far- right extremist groups, the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Messages released by the Justice Department show that Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs discussed on Facebook his communication with Proud Boys leadership, saying, he quote, orchestrated a plan with the Proud Boys for January 6th.

Two weeks before the riots, Meggs wrote, we have made contact with Proud Boys, and they always have a big group, force multiplier. Three days later, Christmas Day, Meggs wrote to someone about the Proud Boys, saying, I've been communicating with the leader. We are going to march with them for a while then fall back to the back of the crowd and turn off. Then we will have the Proud Boys get in front of them. We will come in behind Antifa and beat the hell out of them.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: You have what appears to be evidence of an agreement on presence at this riot, on positioning at the riot and on engaging and violence. So if nothing else, it could be it -- could be evidence of a conspiracy to commit a violent assault.

MARQUARDT: Prosecutors say the communication shows evidence of coordination but have yet to alleged conspiracy between the groups, something that at least Oath Keepers have been charged with along with several Proud Boys. Court filings show Meggs discussion rallying 50 to 100 Oath Keepers to Washington for January 6th.

In one message, Meggs had also sent a list of gear to bring, including body armor and weapons. D.C. is no guns, Meggs wrote, so mace and gas masks, some batons. If you have armor, that's good, all of the communication released by the Justice Department to argue against releasing Meggs from jail before trial. He has pleaded not guilty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT (on camera): The Justice Department also says that it has receipts, credit card receipts, showing that Meggs reserved four hotel rooms here in Washington, D.C. They also said that they have records of meetings showing that he held planning sessions for the January 6th insurrection.

Pam, his wife, Connie Meggs, is also an Oath Keeper member and has been seen in the past acting as a bodyguard for longtime Trump confidant and political adviser, Roger Stone. Pam?

BROWN: Alex Marquardt, thank you very much for the latest there.

Now, let's bring in CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez. So, Evan, the two men that attack Officer Sicknick have only been charged with assault. Could this video open them up to murder charges?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the video, Pamela, that prosecutors have been using, first of all, to try to detain them while they await trial, and one of the things that's still missing is the official -- the final medical examiner findings to show what was the cause of death for Officer Sicknick.

Right now, as you pointed out, they're only charged with assaulting Sicknick and two other officers, and the key here has been, and this is one of the things that made this such a difficult case for investigators, is trying to show that, essentially, using this bear spray and sickening Officer Sicknick led to his death. That's been the key. And it still remains a very difficult case at this point.

BROWN: And we're also learning more, Evan, about the coordination between two far-right extremist groups in that mob, the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys. Does the new evidence bring prosecutors any closer to sedition charges?

PEREZ: You know, that's one of the things that prosecutors are trying to draw a picture of which is that these two groups, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, in this case, Kelly Meggs, who's alleged to be a leader of the Proud Boys -- I'm sorry of the Oath Keepers who came to Washington, D.C., that there was a conspiracy between the two groups.

What the prosecutors are not saying however in those court documents is that there was an overarching conspiracy to attack the Capitol, to sack the Capitol on January 6th. And so we're still waiting. Obviously, this is still an ongoing investigation. You know how hard it is to painstakingly put this picture together, and that's one of the things we're still waiting to see from them.

At this point, what we're told is there's no evidence of an overarching conspiracy on this right now. It appears that they were conspiring to take on Antifa, people who they thought they were going to encounter before getting to the Capitol.

BROWN: All right, Evan Perez, thank you so much.

[18:35:00]

PEREZ: Thanks.

BROWN: And just ahead, the real world impact of coronavirus vaccines, details of a new study showing the infection rate among those who have been fully or partially vaccinated and those who have not.

Plus, senators clashing over a major voting rights bill, we're going to talk about it with Global Human Rights Leader Martin Luther King III.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Well, tonight, we are following new efforts to temp down concerns about AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, ahead of its request for FDA authorization. The company is now promising to update potentially outdated information from its vaccine trial in the U.S., this as the chief scientist of the World Health Organization is defending the vaccine.

[18:40:06]

We're joined now by Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Dr. Jha, good to see you as always.

So, the World Health Organization says the benefit of AstraZeneca's vaccine clearly outweighs the risk, but the company has had some real trouble working with regulators and communicating with the public. What does AstraZeneca need to do to fix that?

DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Yes, so good evening, Pamela. Thank you for having me on. This is a very good vaccine, and we've got lots of experience, millions of people across Europe have gotten it and all the data suggests that it's a very good vaccine. The problem is the company has done a terrible job communicating with the public about the efficacy of the vaccine and they have done a terrible job communicating with the regulator.

So they could follow the lead of other companies, be very open and transparent share data. They're just not doing that, and I think it's really harming people's confidence in what is actually a really good vaccine. BROWN: As Dr. Fauci said, they made an unforced error. Speaking of Dr. Fauci, he highlighted the study during today's task force that it shows among employees at the U.T. Western Medical Center in Texas, the infection rate for the unvaccinated was 2.61 percent. It was 1.82percent for the partially vaccinated and just 0.05 percent for the fully vaccinated. So given these numbers, are the vaccines living up to the hype?

JHA: Yes, this has been a pleasant surprise. We saw a phenomenal data out of its real, 600,000 people were vaccinated and then again we saw a greater than 95 percent effectiveness in the real world, not just in clinical trial. And then the study this morning from -- Dr. Fauci highlighted similarly that this massive benefits from vaccinations suggesting that what we saw in the clinical trials really are going to pay out in the real world as well.

BROWN: So I want to also talk about how states are handling the vaccines because several are opening up vaccine eligibility to anyone adult who wants one. Once the vaccine supply starts outstripping demand, how should that change our vaccination strategy?

JHA: Yes, it's a really good question. You know, we are seeing some states open up. I'm worried that some of the states that are opening up because they actually have a lot hesitancy, and they're not doing the hard work of making sure that people have access, that people are getting good information, and they're just opening up eligibility. That's going to be the work ahead of us.

Right now, it's still demand more than supply but pretty soon supply will outstrip demand and we will really need to work on getting people information, making sure it's accessible, making sure it's easy to get vaccinated.

BROWN: I also want to talk about the current trends with coronavirus. CDC Director Walensky says she is worried about some of the current data trends, that Americans are beginning to travel again, starting to go back to the way they were before the pandemic. States are lifting restrictions. We can't eliminate all risks. So how should Americans reduce the risk as they slowly move toward normalcy?

JHA: Yes, I agree. We're not going to get to zero COVID any time soon and that's not the goal, necessarily. What we want is -- so, first and foremost, I think we should keep most restrictions that we have right now in place until all high-risk people are vaccinated.

That's probably four weeks away, I think, that all high-risk people will at least have one shot in. After that, I think we can begin to relax in a more measured manner. I think summertime, things are going to look really good.

We may have to still have some precautions but I think we'll very close to that point where life really gets back to a new normal.

BROWN: We're all looking forward to that. Dr. Ashish Jha, thank you so much.

JHA: Thank you.

BROWN: And just ahead in The Situation Room, I'll speak with Martin Luther King III about the push from Senate Democrats to expand voting rights as many GOP-led states consider restricting access to the polls.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:48:17]

BROWN: And just into THE SITUATION ROOM, news of a new provocation by North Korea.

Let's go to CNN Pentagon correspondent Oren Liebermann.

What are you learning, Oren?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: North Korea may well have launched a ballistic missile, according to the Japanese coast guard, which warships in the area that this may have been a ballistic missile launch coming from North Korea and warned those folks to look out for falling debris. Meanwhile the South Korean joint chiefs said the North Koreans launched what they call an unidentified projectile.

We are certainly waiting for more information from them, that projectile launched towards the sea towards Japan, off the Korean peninsula. This would be the second launch in just a matter of days from North Korea. Let's remember over the weekend, North Korea carried out too launches of what was called short-range projectiles, possibly cruise missiles or large artillery.

There were no statements surrounding that and it went fairly quietly, this a much bigger statement, potentially a ballistic missile as we wait for more information that will be much larger scale and a much bigger challenge, much bigger statement to the Biden administration. There are some officials and analysts who expected the North Koreans to make some sort of provocative action at the beginning of an administration as they have done in the past.

This may well be that statement. We have to wait for more information about what was launched and what exactly the power of that projectile was before we know that for sure and that's certainly what we are watching for and South Korea and Japan put out statements immediately. They didn't do that over the weekend, an indication that this is something up on the radar immediately.

Pamela, it's worth remembering that the Biden administration and senior administration officials said the launches over the weekend were fairly normal and at the lower end of the spectrum. It's fairly unlikely they will say this about this launch. We are certainly waiting to see their.

[18:50:02]

BROWN: And how else do you expect the U.S. to respond to the missile launches? LIEBERMANN: Well, crucially, we learn more about that response next

week, and that's when the national security adviser hosts the national security advisers from Japan and South Korea. The administration has said they're wrapping up their review of North Korea's policy and tracking that forward, moving forward on that is with U.S. allies in the region, Japan and South Korea, that's what we learn more about how the U.S. is expected to handle North Korean moving forward.

Let's remember again that the U.S. had tried to reach out the North Korean diplomatically last month. There was no response there, no engagement.

Still the White House believes diplomacy with North Korea is possible.

BROWN: All right. Oren Liebermann, thank you so much.

Coming up in the situation room, friends and family share heartbreaking stories of the loved ones they lost in the Colorado shooting rampage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: I'm going to get back to CNN Pentagon correspondent Oren Liebermann with more on this North Korea situation -- Oren.

[18:55:03]

LIEBERMANN: Pamela, we've learned it was the launch of two ballistic missiles from North Korea just a short time ago. It's unclear if it was short-range, medium-range or long-range ballistic missiles such as an intercontinental ballistic missile. But we have confirmed from a senior U.S. official that it was, indeed, two ballistic missiles the North Koreans launched towards the sea off the Korean peninsula.

The U.S. is able to track North Korea's weapons test using radar and satellites, and it's possible to pick up the heat signature of a launch, especially a ballistic missile, almost immediately. So, that's part of the information that the military and the intelligence community are analyzing to figure out exactly what it is the North Koreans launched. Because this was two ballistic missiles, it is much more of a provocative statement, much more of a provocative action and North Korea's and the launch over the weekend and what would have been a short-range projectile, possibly a cruise missile.

This is a much more powerful statement with the Biden administration coming as it does right before the U.S. national security adviser meets with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts and, of course, right on the tail of the secretary of state and the secretary of defense visiting the region and the conclusion of the U.S. South Korean joint military exercise. The North Koreans were expected to make some kind of statement and this, it seems, could be that statement, the launch of 2 ballistic missiles from North Korea into the sea off the Korean peninsula.

BROWN: All right, Oren Liebermann live from the Pentagon, thanks so much. And finally tonight, a new and very emotional tributes to the victims

of the Colorado shooting massacre. Friends and loved ones are sharing their stories and their grief.

Our Brian Todd is putting it all together for us.

And, Brian, we've learned more about the 10 men and women who lost their lives.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have, Pamela. We wanted to put forth names, faces, and real stories there behind these victims. The night we have a much better sense not only of who they were up also about the shooter took away.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): It's the thought of great times not experienced, opportunities missed which seems to prevail when friends and loved ones talk about Boulders victims.

ROBERT OLDS, UNCLE OF SHOOTING VICTIM RIKKI OLDS: She didn't get to experience motherhood. She didn't get to experience marriage. She didn't get to -- she was 25 years old. She didn't get to experience a lot of the stuff that we get to experience in life.

TODD: Robert Olds is talking about his niece, Rikki Olds, front end manager at the King Soopers in Boulder. Rikki was known as someone who did goofy dance to make people laugh and was good at dealing with customers.

Her co-worker Maggie Montoya gives a wrenching account of having to walk past Rikki Olds' body as Montoya was being let out of the store by police.

MAGGIE MONTOYA, SHOOTING SURVIVOR, CO-WORKER OF VICTIM: I saw a body and it was just an instinctive look over and that's when I saw that it was Rikki. And then all of us in the staff, we all knew who it was and it all came crashing down, seeing someone I knew dead there. We weren't going to be able to walk out to her family or walked out the store.

TODD: Another moment lost. Sixty-one-year-old Kevin Mahoney won't get to see the birth of his granddaughter.

Mahoney's daughter, Erika, posted a picture of her and her father at her wedding last summer and tweeted, I'm so thankful he could walk me down the aisle last summer. I am now pregnant. I know he wants me to be strong for his grandfather. I love you forever, dad. You are always with me.

A neighbor spoke glowingly of Kevin.

DEBBIE BRINLEY, NEIGHBOR OF KEVIN MAHONEY: Kevin was incredible. He was an incredible father, an incredible spouse, an incredible neighbor. He was just a wonderful, wonderful man who didn't deserve this at all. We are devastated as a community. TODD: Friends and coworkers of clothing store owner Tralona Bartkowiak

will no longer experience her genuine empathy for others.

MATISSE MOLINA, FRIEND OF SHOOTING VICTIM TRALONA BARTKOWIAK: Honestly, she was the most amazing person I've ever met in my life. She is so kind and loving and accepting. For example, she would tell people who came into her store and admitted they were going to steal, she would give them stuff for free anyways. There really aren't any words that can describe who she really was because she so amazing.

TODD: What friends remember about 59-year-old local theater actress Suzanne Fountain, her natural ability to lift others up.

HELEN FORSTER, FRIEND OF SHOOTING VICTIM SUZANNE FOUNTAIN: She was the type of person that if you are having a bad day or you are having a tense moment, and she was around, you saw that smile and she just read light up the room.

MARTHA HARMON PARDEE, FRIEND OF SHOOTING VICTIM SUZANNE FOUNTAIN: I loved her immediately. I think that's just what happened when people met her. She was a bright light. A peace lover.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: And from that sadness to one charring account of what it's like to experience such a close loss so quickly, John McKenzie, the husband of shooting victim Lynn Murray told "The Washington Post" that after he learned after his wife's death, quote, I walked around screaming at the world for two hours and I try to talk to my wife. Quote, God, you have no idea, he said, I'm never going to see her again -- Pamela.

BROWN: That gave me chills.

Brian Todd, thank you for that report.

I'm Pamela brown and thank you for watching.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.