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CNN NEWSROOM

Seventeen People Shot in New Orleans; All Three Victims "Doing Well"; Brother Arrested in 8-year-old's Death; Boston Bombing Victim Honored; Benghazi Revelations; IRS Targeted Conservative Groups

Aired May 12, 2013 - 19:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Happy Mother's Day -- Happy Mother's Day, mom -- and mothers to be like producer Lisa Aiken (ph) who's talking to me in my ear right now who's probably surprised that I'm saying this. A couple more of Mother's Day greetings now from our military heroes --

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CORPORAL RACHEL HARTWELL: Hi my name is Corporal Rachel Hartwell in Agadir, Morocco at Second Landing Support Platoon and I'm giving a shout out to my son Mikey in Melbourne, Florida. Thank you making me the happiest mom on this Mother's Day.

STAFF SERGEANT YOUNG: My name is Staff Sergeant Young, with (inaudible) Afghanistan. I would like to say happy Mother's Day to my mommy in Birmingham, Alabama. I love you.

SGT RAY LEWIS: Hello my name is Sergeant Ray Lewis from Reinforced Reserve Public Affairs out of Agadir, Morocco. I would like to give a shout out to my mother, Sheryl, in Ocean Side, California. Happy mother's day and I love you and I'll see you soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Hello everyone, top of the hour, new information this hour about a shooting in New Orleans to tell you about. Police now say 17 people were wounded earlier today when shots rang out during a Mother's Day parade. But their injuries are not life threatening. The youngest victim is nine or 10 years old grazed by a bullet to her side. Police say they're looking for two or three suspects. And they're looking for motive as well.

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CHIEF RONAL SERPAS, NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT: It appears that these two or three people just for a reason unknown to us started shooting at, towards, or in the crowd. It was over in just a couple seconds. Police were everywhere, and we hope that anybody who saw anything will give crime stoppers a call to help us get to the bottom of this case as quickly as possible.

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LEMON: Well police say they are confident they'll make arrests soon.

We want to get right to Cleveland now where prosecutors say they will most likely file more charges against Ariel Castro. He's already held on $8 million for kidnapping and raping three women and holding them captive in his house for years.

Today we're hearing how Castor's family is reacting from his brothers themselves. Police, well they cleared them of any wrong doing, but they're worried people may not know that. Much more when I go live to Cleveland in just a moment.

All three women who are now released from captivity they're all doing fine. And that's according to their attorney, even Michelle Knight who was held captive the longest her family isn't sure where she is this weekend but in a statement she says, she'll reach out to loved ones quote, "in good time".

And look at this video, it's brand new to CNN and it was shot last Monday by somebody in that Cleveland neighborhood. These are Cleveland police officers converging on the Castro home, forcing open the door and setting those women free. A woman who was passing by stopped and shot this video with her cell phone.

Live now to Cleveland and CNN's Martin Savidge. Martin, you talked face-to-face with Ariel Castro's two brothers. They're only talking to CNN. They are not accused of anything, but they're still concerned and they're in hiding. Why is that?

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we're talking about the brothers Pedro and Onil. They were arrested of course at the same time that their other brother Ariel Castro was arrested. But they have been cleared by authorities and the investigation apparently shows that they had nothing to do with the abduction of those three women.

However, their pictures were out there, their names were mentioned and all three of them they believe have been sort of cast in the minds of many people as being a monster. They are not the monster, they say there is only one and that's their brother Ariel.

So they wanted to speak out to clear their names and most of all to tell the families of those three women that they did not know anything. Listen to the conversation.

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MARTIN: Do you worry now that people will always suspect that you actually did have a role?

ONIL CASTRO, ARIEL CASTRO'S BROTHER: Absolutely.

PEDRO CASTRO, ARIEL CASTRO'S BROTHER: Yes. O. CASTRO: And the people out there that know me they know that Onil Castro is not that person and has nothing to do with that. Would never even think of something like that. I was a very liked person -- individual. I've, never have any enemies. There's no reason for anybody to think that I would ever do something like that. It's a shock to all my friends they couldn't believe it.

P. CASTRO: The same. I -- I could never think of doing anything like that. If I knew that my brother was doing this, I would not be, I would not -- in a minute I will call the cops, because that isn't right.

But yes, it's going to haunt me down. Because people are going to think Pedro has got something to do with this. Pedro don't have nothing to do with this. If I knew, I would have reported it, brother or no brother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: And they continue they say to receive death threats now despite the fact that they have been cleared by authorities. They have not been able to go home. They say at least one of their homes has been broken into and the windows broken as a result of rocks thrown. They still feel that many think of them as suspects as well -- Don.

LEMON: Martin how would you characterize the brothers' state of mind. Are they angry? Are they embarrassed? Are they nervous about all of the attention?

SAVIDGE: They're definitely not angry. That's -- that's nothing in their emotions. They are frightened -- their families are frightened because of what I just mentioned, the death threats there. And they apologize for their brother Ariel/ who by the way they refer to throughout the interview as a monster and a person who they say is dead to them. A person who is no longer considered part of their family.

So you know what you can sense most of all is the tension inside of them. There is a -- there is a feeling that they just want to let people know that they were not involved and -- and of course, the obvious question that we get to tomorrow is how is it possible, how you could be his brother, how could you be so close and not know anything? And their answers are fascinating.

LEMON: All right. Thank you very much for that Martin. I look forward to that and be sure to see Martin's full exclusive interview with Ariel Castro's two brothers. We'll run it start to finish tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time. So tune in live or set your DVR to catch CNN's STARTING POINT tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.

We want to go now to Indiana where investigators are investigating a quadruple homicide. Police in Waynesville, about halfway between Indianapolis and Louisville Kentucky, say all four have been shot to death -- three men in a living room, a woman in a bedroom. Investigators don't have anybody in custody and no suspects right now.

To New Jersey now, three young hostages are free after a police raid ended a 37-hour standoff. Police burst into a home in Trenton today and found the bodies of a woman and her 13-year-old son. They were killed about two weeks ago. Three more of the woman's children were being held hostage by an armed gunman. Police shot and killed the gunman who is 38 years old. They say the man was the woman's boyfriend, but not the father of any of the children involved.

A rural California community is in shock today after an arrest has made in connection with the death of 18 -- of 8-year-old Leila Fowler. Police have arrested the girl's 12-year-old brother on homicide charges. The two were home alone last month when she was found stabbed to death.

CNN's Dan Simon is in Valley Springs, California. Dan this small town was under the impression that there was a killer on the loose, now there's -- it's not. What do they think about all of this? What do they make of this?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well you know Don it's a story we know all too well -- a small town reeling after a mysterious murder. This one takes a crazy turn where the 12-year-old brother is accused of fatally stabbing his 8-year-old sister. As you said this community thought a killer was on the loose. They fear that there might be more victims forthcoming.

This is how the sheriff announced the charges last night. Take a look.

SHERIFF GARY KUNTZ, CALAVERAS COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: At 5:10 p.m., detectives arrested Leila's 12-year-old brother at the Valley Springs substation and on charges of homicide.

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SIMON: Well the brother originally told authorities that he was home alone with his sister. That there was an intruder in the house that he saw that intruder running away, described as a six foot tall man, somebody with gray hair, everybody was on the lookout for this killer. Lo and behold the 12-year-old was arrested.

This -- this is something that -- it really came as a huge surprise to everybody. The 12-year-old was visibly seen with his family. You know he was out at vigils and seems very distraught. And we talked to folks in the community. They didn't really see this one coming. Take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn't want to believe it. I didn't -- and you kind of thought so, but it's not something that you want to believe.

MORGAN USSERY, SUSPECT'S CLASSMATE: Well I went to the kids' plays he always went next door to like talk to his sister and give her a hug.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: So now Don the question becomes motive, why would this 12-year-old just suddenly stab his sister to death? That we don't know, was there some sort of confession as well? Was there DNA evidence? What ultimately made the investigators suspicious? Hopefully we'll have some more answers perhaps as early as tomorrow -- Don.

DOBBS: We'll find out in the coming days. Thank you Dan Simon.

A survival of the Boston marathon bombings just discharged from the hospital after losing a leg honored at Fenway Park. That's next.

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LEMON: The last time Heather Abbott saw a game at Fenway was the day of the Boston bombings. She left Fenway to watch the end of the Boston marathon and when the bombs exploded, she lost her left leg. She returned to Fenway yesterday to experience the thrill of a lifetime.

Here is Paula Newton.

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PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Even in Cambridge, the place the Tsarnaevs called home for years the days are mercifully quiet again. More and more talk of terror gives way to what you would expect here. How are those Bruins and Red Sox doing?

(on camera): The Red Sox at Fenway Park, you know what could be better tonic for this city now so determined to carry on? You know for many victims and their families, going to sporting events like this is really have been part of their rehabilitation and their recovery.

(voice over): With undeniable courage Heather Abbott is back at Fenway Park. It was a Red Sox game on the day of the marathon that brought her to Boston. After the game she was grabbing a bite to eat at the race finish line. And then, there, the bombs went off. She lost her left foot.

And so imagine the strength it takes to come back to Fenway and throw out the first pitch. Abbott is firm there's no use looking back, she says.

The investigation does continue. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev the younger brother is still recovering in a prison hospital and will likely face more criminal proceeding in the next few days. Catherine Russell Tamerlan Tsarnaev's widow has hired a new lawyer with expertise in terror cases. Investigators still want to question her.

And then there is Tamerlan Tsarnaev an FBI team is still on the ground in Russia investigating what context and influence extremists might have had with him.

DAVID FILIPOV, BOSTON GLOBE: We don't have that evidence but that's the evidence that everyone is looking for, that connection, that link.

NEWTON: David Filipov is a veteran "Boston Globe" reporter who lived in Russia for a decade. He had spent the last months trying to retrace Tsarnaev's path to extremism. The older brother he says clearly went looking for literature and videos about it.

FILIPOV: Now did looking at that convince him, hey I'm living in a place surrounded by Americans, Americans are killing Muslims therefore I have to go out and kill Americans? This idea that I'm so radicalized, I identify the enemy with these people here and I'm going to kill them -- that's something that rational people have trouble with.

NEWTON: And that's what this city is starting to come to terms with. But the investigation becomes more complicated the simple question of why is almost impossible to answer.

Paula Newton, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Senator John McCain, never shy about his feelings for the Obama administration, now he's crying cover up. That's next.

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LEMON: Eight months after the Benghazi attacks and some critics say the White House is still being dishonest. The Obama administration is under new pressure after an e-mail chain revealed this week showed how talking points got edited and watered down by multiple agencies.

Some Republicans say the White House needs to come clean.

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SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R), ARIZONA: I would call it a cover up. I would call it a cover-up in the extent that there was willful removal of information which was obvious. It was obvious.

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CALIFORNIA: The American people were effectively lied to for a period of about month. This was a terrorist attack from the get go. They were in fact covering up an easy attack that succeeded that was from the get go really about a terrorist attack. It was never about a video.

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LEMON: Senator McCain and Congressman Issa are calling for investigations. The White House says it was open with the public once the facts about Benghazi were known. The IRS is in hot seat for targeting conservative groups' tax documents. The agency has apologized for inappropriately singling out groups with the words "Tea Party" or "Patriot" in their names. Republican Congressman Darrell Issa says the apology is not enough.

He told CNN's Athena Jones there must be repercussions.

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ISSA: In 2011 when the IRS knew, the question is who knew, when did they know, and why should they be able to keep their jobs if they were part of knowing about a criminal activity that continued. We certainly know that we need to get to the bottom of it and then we need to have the institutional changes occur so this doesn't happen again.

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LEMON: The White House says President Obama is concerned about the IRS situation and any misconduct must be dealt with swiftly.

First Lady Michelle Obama is celebrating the class of 2013. She gave the commencement address at Eastern Kentucky University yesterday and encouraged graduates to get out and serve their community.

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MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Graduates, you can't stop serving once you leave here. Whether you've worn our country's uniform or not we're all called to serve and to give back to those around us. And you don't have to travel across the globe or even across the country to find ways to serve.

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LEMON: CNN affiliate WTVQ reports the university was chosen because of its programs and services designed to help veterans further their education.

"Saturday Night Live" funnyman Seth Meyers, he's leaving the show but he's not going far -- that's next.

But first this -- I want to tell you about a CNN film about courage and overcoming the unimaginable. It highlights the difficulties facing millions of girls around the world.

We begin our journey in war torn Siberia Leone (SIC), where a civil war left an entire generation uneducated.

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SARA: My name is Sara. I love reading. I love writing stories.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sara is a natural story teller. But the young woman with a Tinkerbell backpack doesn't write fairy tales. SARA: They opened a school at the village. And the girls wanted to go to the school, but her parents say that only the boys are supposed to go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a story of war-torn Sierra Leone where poverty, forced marriage and violence have kept many women from getting an education. Women like her mother.

SARA: She can't read and she can't write. But I can read and write. I think that makes a big difference between me and her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sara went to live with her aunt who is a teacher so she could go to school.

SARA: She's educated and she wants me to be like her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is part of a project called Girls Making Media.

Sara is speaking up because she wants a different ending for herself and other girls.

SARA: I report on the gender discrimination against girls in Sierra Leone. If you do that through the radio, I think people deep in the village will hear something about it.

My dream is for me to become a super star of Sierra Leone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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LEMON: Another late night domino about to fall on NBC. "Saturday Night Live's" Seth Meyers has a new gig. The network named him to take over as host of NBC's "Late Night". Meyers replaces Jimmy Fallon, of course, who in turn will boot Jay Leno's out of his seat on the "Tonight" show early next year.

So what happens when Jodi Arias goes to Congress? Take a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The chair calls Miss Jodi Arias.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman, if you ask mew, I think this witness has been called today for the sole purpose of boosting the ratings for these hearings and getting the media to cover them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is a very mean and hurtful thing for my college to suggest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When were you first made aware that our consulate was under attack.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it still going on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. It happened last September. But my question --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who do you think did it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we know who did it. It was Ansar al- Sharia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, if you know who did it, then why are you holding these hearings?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miss Arias, the way these hearings work is we ask the questions and you answer them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I'm sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's all right. Does anyone else have a question for this witness? Anyone.

Ok, well, thank you for coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You bet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While I got you here, that story you told about your boyfriend attacking you, that was BS, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh totally, he never laid a hand on me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes, it sounded fishy to me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You and the jury.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: I'm Don Lemon. CNN special report "ESCAPE FROM CAPTIVITY" begins in two and a half minutes here on CNN.

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