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CNN NEWSROOM

Shooting in Tennessee. Aired 14:30-15:00 ET.

Aired July 16, 2015 - 14:30   ET

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


[14:30:00] VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: National guard recruiting offices. There appears to be 9 to 12 people inside all rushing around to see if everyone was OK. It appeared that everyone was all right. I'm waiting for him to send me pictures that he shot with his cell phone on the inside of the this recruitment center.

But let me get you another look as we wait for this news conference. I don't know if think photographer can zoom in on them but you can see on the ground here, the blue evidence markers - the blue evidence markers likely marking casings that have been spent here. Several cars still caught in here. We got over to the left - if you can see right next to it, we have the U.S. army recruitment center.

That was the only recruitment center not hit with bullets, from what I can see, and from the property manager's assessment. And he says no one was inside of that office.

Pamela?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Wow, and so from what you can tell, Victor, it appears that these military facilities there in that strip mall were targeted. Which I believe - Victor, stand by. We're going to come back to you in just a bit.

But now we want to go to someone who actually works at that strip mall at a hair salon that is Erica Wright, she's joining us on the phone. Erica, I imagine this was a horrifying experience for you. Tell us what you witnessed, what you heard, what it was like there earlier today.

ERICA WRIGHT: We were in the salon working as normal and we heard a loud pop and that loud pop caused us to go to the door and the front windows to see what that loud pop was. And about the time we got to the window, there was several pop, pop, pops after that. We looked down, the army recruitment office is two doors down from us. We saw a guy in a silver mustang convertible shooting multiple shots into the army recruiting office.

And at that time, we thought, OK we need to run to the back of the building so he doesn't see us, called 911 and about the time we got to the back of the building with our phones and everything, he was leaving the area.

BROWN: And you - when you say "he," you're talking about the shooter. What more can you tell us about the shooter and his demeanor during all of this?

WRIGHT: I didn't actually see his face so I can't attest to that. But I didn't see him jumping around or anything like that. He appeared to be pretty calm. Actually, when he pulled off, we didn't - he didn't - you know, he drove fast but nothing - no burning rubber or anything like that. It was pretty casual.

BROWN: He seemed pretty deliberate, calm, which is what we've heard in other shootings where the shooter is just - keeps that calm

demeanor. I'm curious, Erica, when you were going through this, hearing that pop, pop, pop, what were you feeling? I mean, this is anyone's worst nightmare to be in the middle of something like that right to where it's happening.

WRIGHT: Right. Our first thought was for everybody to be safe and we're going to go to the back of the building until we didn't hear the pops anymore. But about that time, by the time we grabbed our cell phones to call 911, he was finished.

BROWN: Erica Wright, thank you so much for joining us, sharing your story. And I'm glad you're okay and able to come on and talk to us. Thank you.

WRIGHT: All right. Thank you.

BROWN: And we're getting some more information in from Evan Perez who is joining us now. He's CNN's justice reporter. Evan, what are you learning?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've received information from law enforcement that the shooter is believed to be dead and that there is no - not more than just one shooter that was responsible for this attack.

Obviously the question turns to why did the person do this, why did he target these particular military facilities? That's at the top of the minds of the investigators, including, obviously, all of the threats that have been received at the military facilities all summer long. We don't know whether that's connected or not. They are working to try to figure out more about the shooter.

They are going to be executing search warrants at his home to try to see whether or not they can determine what motivation was behind this. But at this point, the scene is now a crime scene. It is not now - they are not working any more to look for anybody else. They do believe that they have contained the situation and now they are trying to solve what exactly motivated this shooting.

BROWN: Evan, the investigation is active. You talk about these threats, these general threats against the military that have been going on for several months now that we have covered. Do we know yet if there were any specific threats, though, against these military facilities?

[14:35:00] PEREZ: We don't know yet, Pamela. We've heard various different reports. There's often conflicting information. We don't know whether these particular facilities have received any threats in the local area or whether or not there is any particular reason why anyone would be trying to shoot at these two facilities. So that is obviously one of the things that they are looking at, one of the things that investigators want to figure out.

We do expect that they will be doing search warrants to try to figure out more about this person, where he got the gun and why he choose today to attack these two facilities.

BROWN: We know that the ATF will be tracing the gun. Evan Perez, our justice reporter, thank you so much.

PEREZ: Thank you.

BROWN: Right after this quick break, we're going to analyze what we see at the crime scenes. Be sure to stay with us. A lot more news after this quick break.

[14:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Welcome back. I'm Pamela Brown. This is CNN's special breaking news coverage. I want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world as we follow what unfolded in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Earlier today, shootings at two military centers. We have learned that the shooter is now deceased but coming into our newsroom, as we speak, very important information. I'm going to toss it to my colleague Victor Blackwell on the ground there.

BLACKWELL: Yes, Pamela, I'm at the Lee Highway. A tragic update. A communication coordinator with the mayor's office tells us that there are now confirmed four dead, including the shooter here. Those deceased were killed at the Naval Marine Reserve Center. Also, three wounded. One critical, one police officer, although we do not know the condition of that police officer at this time, and one person treated and released.

So four dead, including the shooter. And three wounded. We do not know where the three that were wounded, where they were shot. But this is now an investigation that has obviously expanded because of multiple deaths here.

Let me give you a look Pamela, things have ramped up here a little bit. We've got more officers from the Chattanooga police department and the sheriff's office. If you can zoom in to the Italian restaurant where you can see officers have made this their work space where they are speaking with witnesses that we have seen get into their cars and drive off and this has now been their makeshift command post at this location as they try to figure out exactly what happened.

Just before the break there was a person who you spoke to about the hair salon, you can see the salon right next door. That's the location from which she saw all of what happened and heard the commotion there that just started before 11:00, we're told, at one of these two locations. Pam, the breaking news update here, four dead, including the shooter. Those killed at the Naval Marine Reserve Center. That's at Amnicola center a few miles from here, three wounded. We don't know where they were wounded. One of them is in critical condition. A police officer with Chattanooga, we don't know his situation right now. Pamela?

BROWN: So four dead, including the shooter. Victor, do we know if any of the victims were members of the military? You said it happened at the Naval Reserve Center there just a few miles from where you are.

BLACKWELL: I would hate to extrapolate from the location if they were members of the military but we do know that it was at a Naval Reserve Center. Hopefully we'll get an update from this press conference that we've been waiting for quite some time now. But no confirmation that those three in addition to the shooter who was killed are indeed members of the military.

BROWN: OK. Victor Blackwell, we certainly do hope to learn more from the press conference and hope to learn more about the motive. Victor Blackwell, thank you so much.

I'm joined by Bill Gavin, the former assistant director of FBI during the 1993 world trade bombing. Thank you for joining us. My first question to you is, we're getting in this very sad information, three people we're killed and then also the gunman in addition to those three and three wounded. What stands out to you as we learn the details of this tragedy?

BILL GAVIN, FORMER ASSISTANT FBI DIRECTOR: Pamela, what stands out to me is this isn't the first time, unfortunately probably won't be the last as you may know back in June of 2009, a similar situation occurred in little Rock, Arkansas, where a recruitment center, two military personnel were standing outside on a rest and they were shot. One was shot dead. The other one was wounded and 13 people were in the center at the time.

And Abdu Hakim Muhajid Mohammed was the shooter. It's a very strategic set of events with those three people deceased right now to try to determine who they might be, military personnel or civilians out on the street is going to be very telling.

BROWN: A lot more to learn here. We have learned that the FBI is taking a lead here with the investigation, Bill. Tell us how the investigation would proceed from here.

[14:45:00] BILL: Well, for the most part, the FBI will be doing behind-the-scenes work. It's a violation of state law, the municipal law, it's a murder and it will be followed by local authorities. But the FBI, in conjunction with the joint terrorism task force, will be having a real good look at the background of this individual, the perpetrator. They will be in his home, lock at his computer, they'll be able to look at his telephone and determine who he was talking to, what might have motivated him to do something like this and is it the - was it a long-time plan or spur of the moment?

The bureau in conjunction with all of the rest of the law enforcement agencies and the intelligence agencies would be taking a good look to determine how this really unfolded.

BROWN: Bill, given your experience and what law enforcement is going to be doing here, in most cases are there not prevent indicators online, on the computer, warning signs?

GAVIN: There may and may not be. I guess it's probably not enough prudent, concrete facts to support a real great conclusion. But usually there is some preparation for this, where did he buy the weapons, the ammunition, who did he contact, where did he get it from? Was it from individuals, from on the street kind of long-barrel weapon?

All of these things they will try to peer back and figure out how it occurred. It's going to be a complex situation. A lot of forensic work. But as you say, there's always something in there that was an vats of what he was doing. The problem is trying to get it to the bottom of it before something tremendous like this happening.

BROWN: Bill Gavin, thank you.

I want to bring in CNN Analyst, Assistant FBI director Tom Fuentes. I know you've been watching these pictures coming in. We've seen evidence response teams here. We've seen the doors of this facility riddled with bullet holes. What do you make of the scene, Tom?

TOM FUENTES, ASSISTANT FBI DIRECTOR: Pamela, the first thing is what Bill Gavin mentioned, trying to identify the background of the shooter, emails, cell phone contacts, friends, neighbors, a search of his residence, of his vehicle.

All of that to try to determine what would have motivated, what was the reason that this person wanted to do this. Now, maybe it's something like the individual applied to be in the U.S. military and was rejected and has a personal complaint against the military and it's not related to terrorism or politics or ideology. So if that's the case, then it's going to be a state and local violation for murder.

But if terrorism is determined to be the motivating factor here, then the FBI will have primary jurisdiction, the JTTF, Joint Terrorism Task Force, will take the lead in this and they'll do everything they can to try to determine whether others were involved, whether he was self-motivated, receive instructions online.

You know, who this person was in communication with prior to this. Were there any signals missed? Was there something on social immediate KBRA that should have been detected or reported to the authorities. All of that will come in due time if it's determined that the information they find out about this individual indicates terrorism.

BROWN: Tom, stand by. I want to bring in CNN justice reporter Evan Perez. He has new information about the terrorism question you were just talking about. Evan? PEREZ: That's right. We've heard from a couple of different

sources, at least at this point, the investigation is not believed to be linked to terrorism. The shootings are not believed to be linked to terrorism. At least there's no indications so far of that yet. So obviously this is a very early stage in the investigation. The FBI has taken over this case and because it is two military facilities, it becomes a federal crime scene, that the FBI is now in charge of leading the investigation.

But at this point, there's no belief that terrorism is part of this. We talked about the different threats that military facilities have received. One of the questions that authorities have to solve, were there any threats aimed at these two military facilities, the two offices that the shooter targeted today, whether there's any indication that they made at the officers in the past, that's the question now.

[14:50:00] We know from previous incidents like this, there's usually something. Somebody has some kind of beef and the government is not clear at this point. Those are the open questions now being - at the top of the minds of the investigators to try to solve what happened here.

Pamela?

BROWN: We hope to learn more at this press conference. Evan Perez, thank you very much. Evan is reporting there at that scene and we're also learning that three were killed, three hurt in the shootings. Be sure to stay with us. We're going to take a quick break and we'll have more after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: Welcome back to CNN's special news coverage. I'm Pamela Brown. Thank you so much for being here, we want to welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. We are covering what happened on the ground in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Two shootings and the shooter is deceased.

[14:55:00] According to my colleague, Evan Perez, we have also learned that three people were killed, three wounded. We are awaiting a press conference from police there on the ground in Chattanooga. Of course, we'll bring that to you live as soon as it happens. For now, I want to go to our analysts.

I'm joined by former Navy SEAL, Jonathan Gilliam and law enforcement analyst Harry Houck. Authorities do not believe that this is terrorism related.

HARRY HOUCK, LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Right.

BROWN: Does that mean that they found something?

HOUCK: Yes. They found something either on the shooter's body or then they executed a search warrant in his apartment or wherever he lives and if they found something indicating why he had done this. That's the only way we can know right now and rule out terrorism.

BROWN: Jonathan, what is your take?

JONATHAN GILLIAM, FORMER NAVY SEAL: A lot of times when we have these investigations, it's a serial number for a vehicle or they could have simply identified this guy. He could be somebody who works on the facility who has had a beef and they know about it. Anything is in play. When you see these investigations unfold quickly like this, there's one thing that identifies where the threat was and where it came from. But what is interesting to me is how far away these two facilities are.

BROWN: Five or six miles or so.

GILLIAM: That's not across the street. That's somebody who has a plan to get from point A to point B.

BROWN: Right. And the military recruitment center is in the strip mall. If we can pull up the footage of one of the scenes that we have access to, I'd like to pull it up so that, Jonathan, you can react to it.

GILLIAM: Sure.

BROWN: Two to three dozen bullet holes.

GILLIAM: Because we have this other location that was attacked, we can now clearly say that the military was the target of this.

There's no doubt that it wasn't just a strip mall, that he found somewhere else to shoot. You have a reserve center and recruitment center. I'm going to go out on the limb and say it's an automatic weapon. Not a pistol.

HOUCK: Assault rifle type thing. High-capacity magazine, also, to be able to shoot that many rounds in that short of a time.

BROWN: And that's what the witnesses said, that it was an automatic rifle. We'll be back after 60 seconds. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN's Breaking News.

BROWN: An update now on our breaking news. A gunman has opened fire at two locations. A navy reserve center and a military recruiting center. Both in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We can now confirm that three people are dead and three are injured, including a police officer. The threat appears to be over with an official saying this lone shooter is now dead.

This is the aftermath of one of those shootings. Take a look at the storefront of a military recruitment center. Too many bullets to count is how one witness described the chaos. The entire city on alert as schools and hospitals went into lockdown.

There are no ties to terrorism, so far. I want to get straight to Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon.

Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, we have talked to a number of U.S. military officials and what they are telling us is, at this point, they have no information that would indicate any of the deceased people that are being reported on are U.S. military personnel.

No indication that any military personnel at this point were killed in this incident.