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Volodymyr Zelenskyy Addresses United Nations; Jimmy Kimmel Returns; Deadly Shooting at Dallas ICE Facility. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired September 24, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The FBI investigating what it calls an act of targeted violence, a shooter opening fire at an ICE facility in Dallas, killing two detainees. Agents say rounds found at the scene have anti-ICE messages.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Plus: a defense of free speech, Jimmy Kimmel returning to his show and insisting that his show isn't that important, but the right to speak out freely is, though President Trump says he's not finished with his attacks on Kimmel or his network.

And winning back what they lost, President Trump saying that Ukraine could retake all the land that Russia has conquered. The Kremlin, though, says that idea is deeply mistaken.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: We are starting with our breaking news, the Department of Homeland Security providing a new update on the deadly shooting outside an ICE facility in Dallas, where officials are now saying two detainees were killed in the attack, another wounded, in serious condition at this hour.

The gunman is dead from what they're describing as a self-inflicted gunshot.

SANCHEZ: Officials also say that no law enforcement officers were injured when the shooter opened fire from an elevated position near the facility. FBI Director Kash Patel shared these images of rounds found near the gunman. He says they show an ideological motive behind this attack.

Here's what the lead FBI agent in Dallas said earlier.

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JOE ROTHROCK, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: The FBI is investigating this incident as an act of targeted violence. It is, unfortunately, just the most recent example we have seen of targeted violence. Early evidence that we have seen from rounds that were found near the suspected shooter contained messages that are anti-ICE in nature.

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SANCHEZ: Let's go now live to Dallas with CNN's Ed Lavandera, who's on the scene.

Ed, obviously, still an active crime scene. What are you hearing from sources there?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're still trying to get to the bottom of what the motivation was in all of this.

We have heard authorities, federal authorities and Senator Ted Cruz, for example, very quick to point out that they believe that this is a targeted attack and blaming the anti-ICE and anti-immigration officer rhetoric in all of this.

But let me walk you through what we know so far. Just before 7:00 a.m., authorities say that the shooting took place. This is like -- if you just go straight behind through these trees, the ICE processing facility is about three or four buildings down that way. And that has been the center and the focus of all of this.

According to Department of Homeland Security officials, they believe that a -- quote -- "sniper" fired indiscriminately at a van arriving here at this processing center and that that is where the three victims, detainees, two of which were killed, according to a DHS official just before 7:00 a.m.

This entire area around the ICE processing facility has been shut down as investigators have been working through this crime scene as well. When law enforcement officials, Boris and Brianna, came out a little while ago, they were very reluctant to say, in fact, went to great lengths to avoid saying that the victims in today's shooting were the actual detainees that were in the custody of ICE officers here at this processing facility.

We're not exactly sure why they wouldn't specify exactly who the victims were at that moment, but we have now learned that the victims indeed are detainees that were in the custody of ICE officers here at the scene.

But the scene remains an active situation as investigators say that this was a targeted attack and officials so far are saying that they believe that this was motivated by an anti-ICE message and motivation in all of this. But we're still trying to get more details on all of that and more context, if you will -- Boris and Brianna.

KEILAR: Ed, do we know more about this facility?

LAVANDERA: Well, it's a processing facility, and it butts up right against Interstate 35, obviously very busy. This happened during a rainstorm in the middle of rush hour traffic this morning. But this is a small facility in the middle of commercial real estate

property here. And we do understand that the immigrants that are brought here are actually here for a very short time before they are moved on to other detention facilities that are for longer-term holding.

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So this processing facility doesn't really have a lot of immigrants that are being held here for long periods of time, but we do understand that, especially in these early morning hours, that it can be a very active situation with many immigrants being processed through here.

KEILAR: All right, Ed Lavandera live for us there in Dallas.

For more on all of this, let's bring in Donell Harvin. He's a former head of homeland security and intelligence and now a member of the faculty at Georgetown University's Emergency and Disaster Management Program.

So, Donell, in today's presser, the FBI is calling this an act of targeted violence. They're saying these messages were on rounds that are anti-ICE. The FBI director sharing a picture of that, which we have showed our viewers. What does that tell you and what other questions do you have about the motive?

DONELL HARVIN, FORMER D.C. CHIEF OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE: Well, it's still early in the investigation, so I don't want to give too much credence to that, but it lends itself to this heightened environment of political violence that we have seen, as the FBI director talked about.

In my assessment, I would say this is probably a targeted act of violence. Oddly enough, however, this administration has drastically cut federal funding to combat, detect, and deter this type of violence. And so, obviously, the investigation will unfold. They're certainly looking at any electronic devices this individual had, any communications, the normal rigmarole that we do when we have these type of things.

Brianna, it seems like you and I are on every week. Every week, it's some type of -- different type of attack. And I think it all speaks to the heightened threat environment that we're facing currently.

SANCHEZ: And, Donell, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the engraving a message on shell casings, on the weapons used to launch attacks like this, that's becoming more of a trend.

HARVIN: Yes, certainly.

And I don't want to use the word copycat, because this is not an identical type of attack. But what you will find is that, particularly in the online threat community that really emulates the types of attacks, they will do things like this. And we have seen this with various attacks, certainly with the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk just a little bit over a week ago.

We have seen this with other incidents as well, Luigi Mangione, the case that he's alleged to have shot the CEO. And I think this is a trend. They're trying to make a statement, especially when they're planning on not coming out of the attack alive and taking their own life.

KEILAR: And officials highlighted at this press conference multiple shootings at immigration facilities in Texas, including a July 4 one where a group of assailants targeted a Fort Worth facility that authorities did describe as a coordinated attack.

What's the risk level, Donell, to immigration officials right now?

HARVIN: Yes, it's incredibly high. It's the highest I have ever seen.

You may recall a few years ago we had threats to FBI agents. But, Brianna, it's not just Customs and Border and ICE. There are a lot of other federal agencies that are participating in these deportation operations. Customs and Border, one of them clearly ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshals, and they really all have to look at their threat environment, securing their facilities, making sure that this type of event doesn't happen.

You have hundreds, if not thousands of facilities where individuals doing federal law enforcement in support of the deportation operations are working out of. And they all have to be taking a real close look at how their security posture is today.

SANCHEZ: To that point, should immigration facilities, not just in Texas, but around the country, look at hardening their security and adding additional layers of protection?

HARVIN: I mean, once again, the details for this attack are still coming out.

But, Boris, this is someone who was an assailant that was in a sniper position. I mean, you would need a countersniper team or your own snipers on the roofs of your federal facilities to do that. I think it's really hard.

I mean, what we're seeing now is not only a rise in political violence. We have more guns in this country than we have human beings. And we have a lot of people that are in the far extremes of the political spectrum, both left and right, that are taking matters in their own hands and solving their political grievances with weapons.

And so until that threat environment, until those threats against ICE, that rhetoric against ICE ratchets down, we're going to continue to see, unfortunately, these type of attacks, I believe.

KEILAR: Donell Harvin, great to speak with you. Thank you.

HARVIN: Thank you.

KEILAR: Still ahead: Jimmy Kimmel back on the late-night stage with an emotional message for his audience. We have new reaction to Kimmel's monologue and what President Trump is saying about his return.

SANCHEZ: Plus, Ukraine's president addressing the U.N. just hours after what Zelenskyy calls a big shift by President Trump when it comes to his stance on the war with Russia.

Also, prices are up, and some of the country's top business executives say that Trump's tariffs are partly to blame. We have some new CNN reporting in just moments.

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Don't go anywhere.

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SANCHEZ: Back on TV and not backing down. Jimmy Kimmel returned to late night, defending free speech and offering no apologies one week after he was pulled from TV. And in the face of new threats from President Trump, Kimmel made it clear that he won't be silenced.

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KEILAR: Yes. And in between the jokes and the jabs of last night's monologue, there was also a lot of emotion from Kimmel. He fought back tears while he addressed the controversy that led to his suspension.

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JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": I have been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don't think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me. If you don't, you don't. I have no illusions about changing anyone's mind.

But I do want to make something clear because it's important to me as a human, and that is, you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don't...

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KIMMEL: I don't think there's anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it. I still do.

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KEILAR: CNN entertainment reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister is here. It's a long monologue. I think it's worth listening to, Elizabeth,

certainly if you're going to be talking about it and opining about it, I wonder how Hollywood's reacting to it.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the Hollywood reaction this morning is very strong, Brianna.

As you said, Kimmel did not back down. He did not offer an apology, but as we saw there, he did attempt to explain his intention and obviously we saw him getting choked up there. But, look, just a few days ago, Disney was perhaps on the verge of a Hollywood boycott. People in Hollywood were saying, we will not work with Disney if you don't bring back Jimmy Kimmel. People were saying, we are canceling our Hulu subscriptions and our Disney+ subscriptions.

And, today, that has all changed. There is a ton of goodwill in Hollywood for Jimmy Kimmel. And something I want to point out, here in L.A., Jimmy is a huge presence. He's the only late-night host in Los Angeles, so people, when they visit him, these celebrities don't feel like they're on a press tour. They really feel like they are going home and talking to a friend.

So you see Glen Powell right there, the first guest back. He posted this morning saying that it was such an honor to be back on Jimmy's show, so a lot of Hollywood support this morning.

SANCHEZ: And, Elizabeth, we heard from President Trump opining about Kimmel's return. What did he say?

WAGMEISTER: Yes, so President Trump took to his TRUTH Social before the show even aired, and Jimmy had already taped his show, so he was not able to talk about this.

But part of what he says is that: "I can't believe ABC fake news gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his show was canceled. Something happened between then and now because his audience is gone and his talent was never there."

Now, I'm not going to read this all because it's very long, but one thing that I do want to tell you is, I can debunk that part where he says that ABC told the White House that this show was canceled. I know from my sources that ABC and Disney have never said that this show was canceled. They have not said that publicly. They have not said that privately. I am told that they did not tell that to the White House.

This show was never canceled. I have been reporting from day one that Jimmy Kimmel was never fired. The intention was always to find a path forward. Now, Jimmy Kimmel, as you said, he did not back down. So, even though he did attempt to unify the country, say that we don't all have to agree on politics, of course, he did speak about President Trump.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KIMMEL: The president of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can't take a joke.

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WAGMEISTER: He was he also brought on a surprise guest, Robert De Niro, who was playing the head of the FCC. So you had one of Trump's biggest critics, Robert De Niro, with another one of his biggest critics, Kimmel. So he didn't back down with how he feels about the president.

KEILAR: Yes, Kimmel also sort of poked fun at Trump for making fun of his ratings, because he said, essentially, well, I'm going to have ratings tonight.

Now, we don't know, Elizabeth, what his ratings were, but there was so much attention on his show. Do we know how he's doing in terms of online reach?

WAGMEISTER: Yes. So we are waiting for the linear ratings, those TV ratings who watched live on ABC. But, online, this is blowing up. It is not just what everyone is talking about. But if you look at Jimmy Kimmel's YouTube, 12 million views already just for his monologue.

And that is on its way to reaching a record. Jimmy Kimmel's biggest monologue is when he spoke about his young son's health issues. And that's when he really started to delve into politics, talking about health care. But this is likely going to break online records for Jimmy Kimmel.

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And I expect that, when we do get those TV ratings, that they are going to be massive, relatively speaking, to Kimmel's regular ratings.

SANCHEZ: Elizabeth Wagmeister, thanks so much for the reporting.

Still ahead: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at the United Nations and warns that Moscow wants to expand the war, a warning that comes after President Trump made an abrupt shift on the conflict.

KEILAR: And a huge sinkhole swallowing cars in Thailand. Look at this thing, rescue workers even having to dodge this mudslide once they were down inside of it.

We're going to show you more of what's just stunning video ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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[13:25:17] KEILAR: A call to arms at the U.N. General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issuing an appeal to world leaders for more military aid, so that Ukraine can keep fighting Russia, and also warning that the weapons of war are evolving quickly, with the world entering a new era in military technology.

SANCHEZ: President Zelenskyy's big address today follows some unexpected and unprecedented support from President Trump.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We count on the United States. I appreciate the support we are receiving. Yes, much depends on the G7 and G20, but, but, in the end, peace depends on all of us, on the United Nations. So don't stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on.

Please speak out and condemn it. Please join us in defending life and international law and order. People are waiting for action.

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SANCHEZ: CNN's Jim Sciutto is live for us at the United Nations.

Jim, what else stands out to you from Zelenskyy's speech?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Boris, I think it's President Zelenskyy's deliberate effort to internationalize the war in Ukraine.

He said that Ukraine is just the first. He's made this argument for some time, and that is that Ukraine is in effect defending Europe from further Russian aggression. And he's got a stronger argument to make in this last week or so, given that you have had these Russian air incursions over several NATO allies. You had the drones over Poland.

You had MiG -- armed Russian MiG aircraft over Estonia. And then you had these drones that were disrupting civilian airspace in Europe as well, all over NATO allies. And he quite deliberately made a point of saying, this is a threat to all of us.

And that's not by accident. The other thing that stood out to me is that he had an audience of one for portions of this speech. He said -- and I have to imagine addressing Donald Trump, he said, God saved Trump from the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. And he also made a point to mention the Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered so horribly in North Carolina.

And, as you know, that's become quite a story in right-wing media. I think you can see in those mentions there a sense, a deliberate effort by Zelenskyy to say, listen, I'm hearing where your focus is as well. And we know, from Trump's past, he often responds to praise like that or mentioning issues that he finds important.

KEILAR: And how are world leaders there viewing what President posted -- what President Trump posted about the war in Ukraine? SCIUTTO: Yes.

KEILAR: Are they putting sort of, like, stock into what he said?

SCIUTTO: It's a good question, Brianna.

I think -- I polled a lot of people after that social media posting yesterday to see their reaction. Certainly, Ukrainian officials and others welcomed the statement. They were not expecting it. It is very strong public backing for Ukraine.

But given they have seen President Trump change his position on Ukraine more than once over the course of the last several weeks and months, for instance, moving deadlines for action for additional economic penalties on Russia, they take it with something of a grain of salt.

And there are some Europeans who saw -- they read something else in the tweet, something of Trump handing the war off to Europe. And we have heard language like that from him before, this sort of sense that, well I have got confidence in Ukraine. You're doing a great job on your own. And there are some who worry that this was a sign that he was in effect leaving the war to Europe.

I mean, listen, the proof will be in the pudding, right, what kind of action we see over coming days and weeks. But it's also true that President Trump is clearly, clearly running out of patience with Vladimir Putin.

KEILAR: Very interesting to hear what they're thinking of that.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

KEILAR: Jim Sciutto, thank you so much for your reporting from the U.N. General Assembly.

SCIUTTO: Thanks.

KEILAR: And minutes from now, Texas Governor Greg Abbott will speak on today's deadly shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas. We do have new reporting on the attack that the FBI is calling an act of targeted violence.

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