Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Three Dead, 12 Wounded After Gunman Opens Fire at Festival; Police Looking for Possible Second Suspect in Attack; Democrats Push for Gun Control After Mass Shooting; Michigan Democrats Eager to Vote Against Trump in 2020; Funeral held for Italian Officer Killed in Brutal Stabbing; Police Say Festival Attacker was 19-Year-Old Man; Spokesperson: Navalny to be Returned to Jail from Hospital; 16-Year-Old Wins $3 Million as Fortnite Champion. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired July 29, 2019 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00] LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Lynda Kinkade live from CNN's world headquarters here in
Atlanta.
Well it's 8:00 in the morning in California where shock is giving way to grief for victims of America's latest mass shooting. A man opened fire at
a popular food festival Sunday afternoon killing three people including this 6-year-old boy. A dozen other people were injured. Police say the
gunman snuck into the festival and appeared to be firing randomly. Families were enjoying the day had to run for their lives. The gunman was
killed and now a manhunt is underway for another person who may have been with him.
Well another little boy who was near the gunman said he thought he was going to die. Heartbreaking words considering that boy is just 7 years
old. CNN's Dan Simon looks at how a day of fun turned into carnage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's going on? What's going on?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaos and confusion erupting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in Northern California. With gunfire sending
people into a panic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was like a firework at first. But then I saw him like point the weapon up like this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just heard pop, pop, pop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I seen everybody that was running getting shot. So I was terrified. I was terrified.
SIMON: The rampage leaving three people dead and at least 11 others injured. One woman telling CNN affiliate KRON her 6-year-old grandson
Steven Romero was one of those killed.
MARIBEL ROMERO, GRANDMOTHER OF VICTIM: This is really hard. There's no words to describe. Because he was such a happy kid, you know. I don't
think that this is fair.
SIMON: Bystanders stepping in to help some of those hurt on sidewalks and on the back of pickup trucks. Just after 5:40 p.m. police received the
call.
DISPATCH: Getting reports of a shooter at the Garlic Festival.
OFFICER: I'm in the area, and it sounds like there is an active shooter in the park. People are running.
SIMON: Quickly racing to the scene on the north side of the festival.
CHIEF SCOT SMITHEE, GILROY, CALIFORNIA, POLICE DEPARTMENT: Officers were in that area and engaged the suspect in less than a minute. The suspect
was shot and killed.
SIMON: Authorities describing how they believe the shooter was able to avoid security.
SMITHEE: It appears as though they had come into the festival via the creek, which borders a parking area, and they used some sort of a tool to
cut through the fence to be able to gain access.
SIMON: The gunshots rang out while the band tin man was doing an encore on the stage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We ran to the other side of the stage, got down to the -- underneath it, and we waited until the police arrived.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They told us you've got to run. There's somebody in the bushes or in the field, so either run, get out of here. Just keep
going.
SIMON: Police are still investigating whether someone assisted the gunman.
SMITHEE: We have some witnesses reporting that there may have been a second suspect, but we don't know if that suspect was engaged in any
shooting or whether they may have been in some sort of a support role.
SIMON: Survivors of the attack say they are grateful they made it out alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were lucky we didn't scream or anything because we were that close. He would have shot us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Sadly, this is familiar ground for America as we have seen so many attacks like this before. CNN law enforcement analyst, James
Gagliano, is in New York and joins us now live. Good to have you with us, James.
JAMES GAGLIANO, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Thanks for having me, Lynda.
KINKADE: This of course was a festival. There are grandparents. They're taking their kids out for an afternoon of fun. Police say they know who
the suspect is. They think there's another one out there who they're hunting for right now. But we don't know much about the motivation. As
far as you can tell, it seems like there was at least some element of planning to this attack.
GAGLIANO: Absolutely. And look, Lynda the most important thing right here for law enforcement is was there another shooter, and if there wasn't
another shooter was there an accomplice. That means someone that provided some type of material support to the active shooter that we know that
police essentially interdicted and took down last night. So that is preeminent for law enforcement right now. We've going to absolutely find
out if anybody else was involved in this conspiracy.
You mentioned the planning. Yes, here's where we are in 2019 America. We live in a great country with civil liberties and we cherish those civil
liberties. We love our open society, but these type of events have begun to proliferate. When I say type of events, soft target attacks.
[11:05:00] We've hardened things like airplanes and airports. We've hardened things like sporting venues and concert venues. Heck, we've even
put armed guards now into our schools and our churches and our synagogues and our mosques. But an event like this we are undoubtedly lucky that
there were police officers, armed police officers that got to the shooter within one minute. We lost three lives including tragically a 6-year-old,
11 others injured, but, Lynda, I'm here to tell you, could have been much worse.
KINKADE: As you say this was a soft target.
GAGLIANO: Yes.
KINKADE: But it is uniquely an American problem. I just want to go to some statistics. Over 58,000 Americans died fighting in the 20-year
Vietnam War. That same amount of people died from gun homicides in just five years here in the U.S. And as you say, you can do as much security as
you want, uncertain targets, uncertain places like airports, but it's festivals like this you just can't do much to prevent this unless you
tackle the gun issue.
GAGLIANO: OK. I can -- see, that's the third rail sometimes for Americans, and especially for law enforcement folks. But I can give you an
even better example than the one that you just provided in using the Vietnam War statistics. Two years ago in what was then the worst mass
shooting where an individual in Las Vegas killed 50 people at a country concert. He was able to do that damage. Obviously, he had a number of
rifles and he also had bump stocks which have now since been outlawed to some extent. But he was able to kill essentially the same amount of people
that were killed in the bloodiest two months of the Iraq war, the battle of Fallujah which took place in 2005.
For a little comparative analytics here. Now look, last year the FBI has charted 27 different mass shooting events. Mass shootings are defined as
either three or four victims. It happened across 16 states. Eighty-five people lost their lives.
Yes, we have a complicated history in America. We've been around for only 243 years, which is almost a drop in the bucket when you look at Europe or
obviously other places. But the second amendment is important and we just need to find a way to be able to blend in the second amendment and not take
those rights away and yet protect our school children and our Garlic Festival folks.
KINKADE: Absolutely. And just stand by for us James, because we do have where that festival took place at the scene of that crime. Our Sara Sidner
standing by. I just want to get some perspective from you, Sara. The youngest victim -- as I mentioned -- is 6 years old. But there are of
course other kids were there that no doubt are traumatized by what they saw.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. We heard from a 7-year-old who talked about thinking that he was going to die. Other children who
saved their brothers or sisters by putting them underneath a table to get out of the way of gunfire. These kids traumatized on a day when they were
just enjoying themselves at this Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Which by the way is a quintessential part of the summer here in Northern California. Lots of folks love coming to this festival, about 100,000
people enjoy this festival, and Sunday was family day. So lots of children enjoying themselves until this person decided to open fire on innocence,
something that happens again and again in this country.
The person that did this, police have just given a little bit more detail. The suspect according to law enforcement officials is 19 years old. I'm
not going to bother saying his name because what matters are the names of the victims. One of them a 6-year-old little boy named Steven Romero. His
grandmother telling us that he was a happy kid, a kid who like any 6-year- old enjoyed himself and enjoyed life and now his life taken away.
KINKADE: Absolutely. And as you say, this happens far too often. So often that this story is not being covered every minute of the day here in
the U.S. It's just one of the stories being in the mix today. We know that the U.S. firearm homicide rate is 20 times higher than the combined rate of
22 other developed countries. What are people there saying to you about this? Because so often when you see these sort of attacks, everyone sort
of says we didn't think it would happen here.
SIDNER: Yes, I mean, here's what's happening. What happens is that lists start going in people's heads. Where are you not safe? You're not safe at
school, middle school, elementary school, high school, college campuses. You're not safe at a concert. You're not safe now at a Gilroy Garlic
Festival. These things start impacting people as they realize that even inside of a movie theater where there was a mass shooting in Colorado that
you simply can't go anywhere without having the thought that this is a possibility.
[11:10:00] And when you hear people talk about almost every time on these things, you hear someone say I just -- I didn't think it could happen here.
That's happening less and less because people say, look, we saw something happen at a nightclub. We saw something happen in Las Vegas with hundreds
of people shot. And now we're experiencing here. I knew it may come to my community. It is always devastating. It always changes people as they go
through this, and again, especially for the children. Who are complete innocents or looking around and wondering what is going on, and that fear
and terror being put into their souls as very, very, very young people. This will likely affect them for their entire lives.
The moment, for example, that they watched bullets flying or that they saw somebody get shot. People were standing there, just sitting ducks but in a
place where you should be able to just enjoy yourself and relax. And now all this tension and this community trying to deal with the fact that this
beloved, really truly beloved festival has been marred by this shooting.
KINKADE: Absolutely. Sara, good to have you there on the ground. I want to go back to James. Because James, you were mentioning earlier about this
balance, trying to regulate the gun industry while maintaining second amendment rights. This shooter was killed by police within a minute of
this shooting occurring, and so often when we hear gun lobbyists argue for more gun rights, they say that a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy
with a gun. This didn't seem to happen here. Clearly law enforcement shot him dead pretty quickly.
GAGLIANO: They did. And again, I mean, it could have been much, much worse, and that's certainly not diminishing the complex issue that it is.
Yes, is a gun issue. It's also a mental health issue. And, Lynda, in the United States a 16-year-old kid just won the Fortnite contest, which was a
video game contest. He won $3 million. We also have a violent culture here whether it's movies or TV or video games. I'm not suggesting that any
one of those things is the reason or the catalyst, but you put them together and you have this perfect storm, which is what we're experiencing
right now in the United States.
KINKADE: Sure, but you can't say that other developed countries don't have video games, other kids aren't spending a lot of time on screens. This
problem of mass shootings is very unique to the United States.
GAGLIANO: Yes, that's a great point. We have 330 million people. There are approximately 330 million firearms in Americans' hands. How do we
change that? I mean, we can make all the different background checks we want now. We can outlaw any kind of weapons, but it just doesn't change
the fact that those weapons are still out there in people's hands.
KINKADE: All right, James Gagliano in New York, our law enforcement analyst. Sara Sidner in Gilroy on the scene there of this latest mass
shooting. Good to have you both with us. Thank you.
GAGLIANO: Thanks Lynda.
KINKADE: Last hour U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about the shooting. The President, again, offering prayers but he didn't say anything about gun
laws. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While families were spending time together at a local festival a wicked murderer opened fire and killed
three innocent citizens including a young child. We grieve for their families and we ask that God will comfort them with his overflowing mercy
and grace. We're praying for those who are recovering right now in the hospital.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: You can bet that gun control will come up when the U.S. Democratic Presidential candidates square off in a second televised debate.
This round will take place over two days in Detroit, Michigan, starting Tuesday right here on CNN.
And many of the candidates are already tweeting about that mass shooting in California. Bernie Sanders calls it sickening and says, quote, our corrupt
political system, which is controlled by the gun lobby has a lot of waking up to do.
Joe Biden tweeted. This violence is not normal. How many more families will have to lose a loved one before we fix our broken gun laws. We must
take action starting with real reform.
The candidates are also speaking out about President Donald Trump's attacks on a powerful U.S. Congressman in his predominantly black district in
Baltimore. The President digging in today slamming Elijah Cummings in new tweets. He started a firestorm over the weekend when he called Cummings'
district disgusting, rat and rodent-infested and filthy.
You may remember Mr. Trump also repeatedly used the word filthy when bashing the remarks of four minority Congresswomen, filthy, infested
language usually associated with vermin, not human beings.
[11:15:00] Well indeed Mr. Trump says no human would want to live in Cummings' district. While Republicans remain silent about his attacks,
many Democrats aren't mincing words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT) DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's unbelievable that we have a President of the United States who attacks
American cities, who attacks Americans.
Our job is to bring people together, to improve life for all people. Not to be a -- have a racist President who attacks people because they are
African-Americans.
JULIAN CASTRO (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This guy is the biggest identity politician that we have seen in the last 50 years, and he engages in what's
known as racial priming. Basically using this language and taking actions to try and get people to move into their camps by racial and ethnic
identity. That's how he thinks he won in 2016, and that's how he thinks he's going to win in 2020.
BILL DE BLASIO (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This President is trying to distract people from the larger reality of this country. So he uses the
racist appeal.
There is a conman reality of Donald Trump, it's a classic bait-and-switch maneuver every time.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To be attacked by a President issuing racist tweets is beyond insulting. It is disgusting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Let's bring in CNN's Athena Jones for more. She is following all the developments from Detroit this morning where that debate will take
place. Athena, good to have you with us. A lot to cover, but I want to start first with the gun issue. Another mass shooting, no doubt it will be
discussed tonight, discussed at both debates -- the Democratic Presidential debates. The question is will any of these candidates offer any real
solutions? Because so often after a mass shooting here in the U.S. we see a lot of talk but not much action.
ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Lynda, well that is the question. And we did hear from President Trump talking about thoughts and
prayers. We've heard from Democrats on Twitter last night and this morning. Also sharing their thoughts and prayers but talking about real
action. And this is going to give Democrats a chance to talk about their plans for tackling this crisis on the debate stage.
Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, several have put out plans to tackle gun control. Some would say that Cory Booker's is among the most ambitious.
He has said that we are going it give the NRA a fight they've never seen. He wants to implement making it necessary to have a gun license. So you
would be required to have like a driver's license or passport, required to give fingerprints, have an interview, pass a gun safety course.
Kamala Harris has put out a plan saying that she wants to give Congress 100 days to act on gun control or gun safety. If they don't, she has a plan
that has several points. One of them being near universal background checks. She wants to require every gun seller who sells five or more guns
a year to have to conduct a background check. She wants to revoke the licenses of gun dealers who don't do so.
So there are some real plans that Democrats will have a chance to talk about on the debate stage a couple of nights from now. And they're going
to be eager to do so because we know that gun control or gun safety is an important issue to Democratic voters. We've seen a poll conducted by CNN
just in the last couple of months showing 65 percent of Democratic voters want to see the Democratic candidate be willing to take measures, strict
measures on gun control.
KINKADE: And Athena, just on the racism row, no doubt the candidates again will be weighing in on that given the President is now going off civil
rights activist reverend Al Sharpton.
JONES: That's certainly going to come up on stage a couple of nights from now as well. And you heard in that lead into me several of the candidates
weighing in on the President's racism they call it. We heard Pete Buttigieg saying that look, America elected a black man Barack Obama
President twice and then elected a racist. And so we can expect more of that discussion on the debate stage. I think that one thing that is
important to keep in mind in all of this, is that, you know, this is certainly a distraction.
And if you listen to some of the President's sort of allies and advisers in recent years, we've heard them say out loud that if they believe that
talking about race for the President can be good for revving up his base and distracting Democrat voters and candidates from talking about issues
that may help them with voters like the economy.
So that's something that could also come up. People on stage saying, look, he wants to divide us. But we're not going to be distracted. We're going
to talk about kitchen table issues.
KINKADE: All right, Athena Jones, good to have you there for us in Detroit. We will speak to you again soon. Thanks so much.
In the 2016 Presidential election Mr. Trump won the state that's hosting the debates, but only by a razor thin margin. Now many Democrats in
Michigan are determined to turn things around. As CNN's Miguel Marquez reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[11:20:00] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How motivated are you to vote in 2020?
ANTONIO "SHADES" AGEE, DID NOT VOTE IN 2016: I'm motivated as heck because look at who we've got now.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Detroit artist Shades, a muralist, in 2016, didn't vote.
MARQUEZ (on camera): Do you regret not voting in 2016?
AGEE: No, I'm OK.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): He felt the Democratic nominating process was rigged. He liked Bernie Sanders then and likes him now. But this time,
like many who sat on their hands in 2016, he plans to vote.
AGEE: I don't know about sitting on my hands -- not this time. I do have to make a decision, but I've still got to figure out what's going on.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Every vote here counts. Donald Trump won Michigan by 10,704 votes in Wayne County, Detroit, its biggest city. Seventy-six
thousand fewer voters pulled the lever for Clinton than Obama in 2012.
TASHAWNA GILL, FOUNDER, UNITED PRECINCT DELEGATES: Michigan was a Bernie state, you can say. Bernie started early. That's what people don't know.
Hillary came here late.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Michigan political organizer Tashawna Gill says the Sanders-Clinton friction and the DNC's part in it turned off voters in
2016. Today, she's seeing none of that.
GILL: Democrats know how important this is, right, to win. And the DNC now is doing a wonderful job, I can say, of staying out of it and let the
process happen.
MARQUEZ: So turned off by Democratic infighting in 2016, Dennis Black, son of auto-working union Democrats, voted for Green Party candidate Jill
Stein.
DENNIS BLACK, DEMOCRATIC VOTER: Strong Democrats -- always has been. Always probably will be.
MARQUEZ (on camera): Who did not vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
BLACK: That's correct, that's correct.
MARQUEZ: Why?
BLACK: Hillary was not the candidate for our community.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Then he backed Bernie Sanders in the primary. Today, he likes Elizabeth Warren. But no matter who becomes the nominee --
MARQUEZ (on camera): Joe Biden? What if Joe Biden is the candidate?
BLACK: If Joe Biden is the candidate, then we will be working to leverage what we can. And yes, I would be voting for him.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Democrats here upbeat after a strong showing in the 2018 midterms, sweeping statewide offices and flipping two Republican House
seats.
MARQUEZ (on camera): Can you maintain it for a November third, 2020?
JONATHAN KINLOCH, CHAIRMAN, DETROIT'S 13TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC PARTY, VICE-CHAIR, MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: There is no damn
choice. We'll have to do that -- absolutely.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Jonathan Kinloch chairs Detroit's 13th Congressional District Democratic Party and is a vice-chair of the state party. He says
Democratic enthusiasm remains high, especially among African-Americans
KINLOCH: In Michigan when black folks vote we win. And I assure you that the African-American vote will turn out in 2020.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Remember not to miss the next Democratic debates. They will be live on CNN on Tuesday and Wednesday. Coverage beginning at 8:00 p.m.
eastern time here in the United States, but you can see encore presentations at 10:00 a.m., Abu Dhabi, 2:00 p.m. Hong Kong the day after,
only on CNN.
Mr. Trump has named his choice for the next director of national intelligence, one of the most powerful and sensitive jobs in the
government. It's representative John Ratcliffe, a staunch Trump supporter who has less than five years of national experience under his belt.
Sources say Mr. Trump was so impressed by his attacks on Robert Mueller during the former special counsel's testimony last week that he wanted
Ratcliffe for the job deeming him a warrior.
If confirmed he would replace Dan Coats who has publicly disputed Mr. Trump's assessment of security issues ranging from Russia to Iran to ISIS.
Still to come here on CONNECT THE WORLD, the Italian police officer who was allegedly stabbed to death by two young Americans is being fare welled.
His funeral held in the same church where he was married less than two months ago. We're going to have a live report from Italy on that ahead.
Also, a Kremlin critic hospitalized and Russian officials say it was an innocent allergic reaction. But a doctor says something far mar more
sinister could be to blame.
And later, as a kid $5 felt like a fortune, but what about the teenager who just won not one, not two, but $3 million from playing a video game.
[11:25:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. Mourners in Italy have said their final good-byes to a police officer who was brutally stabbed to death. Mario Cerciello
Rega's funeral was held in Naples earlier in the same church where he was married almost two months ago.
Police saying he was stabbed 11 times after a confrontation with two American tourists. They also said one of the suspects, 19-year-old
Finnegan Lee Elder confessed to Friday's murder, but court documents show the two teens are now pointing the finger at each other.
Let's get you to the ground now where the victim's funeral took place. CNN contributor Barbie Nadeau is there for us, and what a horrific farewell for
an officer married in that same church not long ago.
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That's absolutely right. It was a very emotional morning here with the same people who attended the wedding
essentially now attending the funeral. And now the focus is on the investigation and on the fate of these two Americans accused in this
stabbing death. We spoke to the mayor of this small town, and let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALVATORE DI SARNO, SOMMA VESUVIANA MAYOR (through translator): This is not about Americans. This is about two bad men who killed a man who in
that moment was carrying out his duty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NADEAU: That's right, and you know, that is the sentiment right now, that this is not about Americans in general. It's about these two particular
Americans, and the investigation continues. Right now we're going to see full force for justice for this police officer carried out in Italy, and
the two young men are turning against each other as you said. And there's a lot of the narrative driven by the police, but we'll soon be hearing from
the gentlemen, the young Americans defense lawyers. And then I think we're going to start seeing some more of the details of this very complicated
crime play out -- Lynda.
KINKADE: Yes, it certainly is complicated. Barbie Nadeau, good to have you on the story. Thanks so much.
Coming up next, he called for protests and ended up in prison and then in hospital. We're following the path of Russia's most outspoken opposition
figure. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. Well let's take another look at our top story. Officials in California have now identified the person who opened fire at a
food festival Sunday as a 19-year-old man. They say an Instagram account under his name makes reference to the Garlic Festival. The posts blasted
people of mixed race and white people from Silicon Valley. It also made a reference to an apparent white supremacist writing. The gunman killed
three people and wounded a dozen others before he was shot and killed. One of his victims was 6-year-old Steven Romero. Here's what his grandmother
said afterwards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIBEL ROMERO, VICTIM'S GRANDMOTHER: Wanted to know that they got this person and that there's justice. This is really hard. There's no words to
describe because he was such a happy kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Police are now looking for another person who may have been with the shooter.
In Russia the country's most outspoken opposition figure is heading back to jail, according to his spokesperson. Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was
hospitalized on Sunday with what was described as an acute allergic reaction. A doctor says he may have been affected by an unknown chemical
substance. Navalny was arrested last Wednesday after he called for an opposition protest where more than a thousand people were detained. Our
CNN Moscow bureau chief, Nathan Hodge, is joining us live from Russia's capital. Good to have you with us, Nathan. So the big question is whether
this was an allergic reaction or whether he may have been poisoned.
NATHAN HODGE, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Lynda, we still don't know precise reason why Alexei Navalny ended up in a hospital on Sunday. But we can say
this, his hospitalization sent a ripple of fear and concern through Russia's embattled opposition.
It's worth recalling that back in 2015, the man who was Russia's lead opposition figure, Boris Nemtsov, was shot dead not very far from the
Kremlin. And this all happened -- Navalny's hospitalization happened after he had been detained as you pointed out, after calling for demonstrations
in central Moscow, calling for free and fair elections. And the authorities made it quite clear in advance both with the arrest of Navalny
and other leading opposition figures that they would be cracking down hard, and they carried out over a thousand arrests and forcefully broke up those
protests on Saturday -- Lynda.
KINKADE: Most people will of course remember what happened to opposition politician Boris Nemtsov who was gunned down outside the Kremlin back in
2015. Russia certainly is a country where opposition to the Kremlin can be dangerous.
HODGE: Lynda, that's right, and of course Navalny himself has been jailed multiple times, and he was also attacked physically. He was splashed about
two years ago with a green antiseptic dye, and he lost part of the vision in one of his eyes. So, again, there's a lot of concern. There has been a
pattern of attacks, of intimidation of the opposition, and Saturday's rally was unsanctioned. It wasn't allowed to be held, although there have been
previously held rallies that were allowed by the authorities.
The city officials here and the police made it clear that Muscovites would be taking matters -- their own safety into their own hands if they took
part in Saturday's demonstration, and the police were out in force. CNN team was there.
[11:35:00 We saw many, many arrests. Police buses were there in position to haul away many of the demonstrators who were coming out basically to
call for opposition figures to be able to participate in municipal elections that are coming up in September. So certainly the stakes a quite
high. And we're still waiting to see how the Kremlin in fact reacts to the weekend's events -- Lynda.
KINKADE: So it's still a few months away before those elections and at this stage some opposition figures are being barred from being able to
register to run in the elections. Any indication as to whether we will see more protests in the coming weeks and months?
HODGE: Lynda, that's the big question here because, you know, there's been a building momentum in many ways of protests here in Russia. About a year
ago there were protests over proposed pension reforms that then became law, that were highly unpopular. And of course, Navalny has held a number of
street demonstrations that have rattled the Kremlin. But it's important to point out as well that Putin has still maintained fairly high ratings,
although they have slipped in recent months. And certainly so it's going to be very interesting to see, again, how the Kremlin responds to this kind
of street action from the -- from the country's embattled opposition -- Lynda.
KINKADE: All right, Nathan Hodge, we will stay on this story. Good to have you with us from Moscow, thanks so much.
We are following this story closely. You can find more information at this point in time on CNN.com where we delve deeper into this Kremlin critic and
the impact from the protests which he called.
Still to come here on CONNECT THE WORLD. Remember when your parents told you not to play video games as a teenager? Well, they may be about to
change their tune. We'll explain how a gamer has just changed lives forever.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will watch shots going down, can't connect with that one. The final moments of Fortnite.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my gosh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bow down, bow down to Bugha!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: If you have absolutely no idea what you're looking at or what Bugha is, why you should bow down to one. Well, you are hardly alone. Let
me clue you in and the answer is simple. It's Fortnite. Still lost. Let's start by meeting Bugha.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your world champion, Bugha!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: He's better known as Kyle Giersdorf in real life, and he is sitting pretty on a $3 million pile of cash for playing a video game. And
by the way, just dropping it in there, he is only 16 years old. $3 million, 16 years old, not numbers you see together very often. Well, this
is the game. It's called Fortnite. It's basically a massive online multiplayer shooting game. More than 200 million people play. Let's bring
in CNN's Clare Sebastian live from New York. Are you one of those players?
[11:40:02] CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Lynda, I'm flattered you would even ask that given the age of the players in that
tournament. I have to confess I'm about 20 years too old for this. But given the size of the sums it's probably a time to take a look. This was a
huge prize pool, it was $30 million the entire prize pool, because 3 million of that went to the top player. But anyone who made it through to
the finals after ten weeks of qualifying got at least $50,000. All of this is a life changing sums. And of course, the ages are also staggering, 16
is the age of the winner. The duo pad that won the kind of double championship was 16 and 17 from Austria and Norway. People had come from
all over the world.
And I think one of the reasons why we see such a young age of players is because Fortnite -- at least the most popular version of the game -- is
free. You don't have to pay for the game. You can just download it. They make money through monetization of in-app purchases, things like movements
for the players, things like virtual weapons. And I think that's why we have the $0 barrier to entry, why younger and younger players are getting
involved. And they're making big sums of money, Lynda, even outside of these tournaments.
But I will say again, Fortnite has become a huge sensation. But it's slightly waning in popularity. So you do see the makers -- the company
behind this epic games putting on great big tournaments like this in an effort to build up that audience again.
KINKADE: Yes, it really is unbelievable, especially when, I mean, I'm sure you're the same. You grow up. Your parents tell you get away from the
screens. Put the video games away. But for the most successful kids here, the average age was 16 years old. Many of them are playing for eight hours
a day, some even giving up school to be home schooled so they can play more.
SEBASTIAN: Yes, it's pretty extraordinary. This is kind of a different generation of kids. Some are making six figure salaries -- as I said --
outside of even these tournaments through things like growing their audiences on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. They have endorsements and
sponsorships. So I think a lot of people see it as a real career path.
And it's even, Lynda, creeping into schools. Eight U.S. states -- including where you are in Georgia now -- see it as a competitive varsity
high school sport. It's being allowed to be done in school. So I think that really tells you something. But of course, you know, it is somewhat
difficult for those of us who are a little older than 16 to understand how people cannot only play it for eight hours, but also watch other people
play it for eight hours. But that of course is how you get players becoming celebrities.
KINKADE: Yes, I want to ask you about the sport, how this can be considered a sport. Obviously, they're sitting in front of a screen, and I
can't imagine these 16-year-olds can make this sort of money playing other sports on this sort of scale.
SEBASTIAN: I mean, you certainly can't. But to put it in context, the Tour De France that also happened this weekend, the prize money was just
about $500,000. The winner of the Fortnite World Cup got about six times that. In the Arthur Ashe stadium where this happened, the U.S. open has
also played there. The top prize there is $3.8 million. So just a little bit more. But in that ballpark, it is a staggering amount of money for
really not getting out of your chair.
And really is Clare Sebastian incredible. Good to have you with us. Thanks for that comparison.
I'm Lynda Kinkade. That was CONNECT THE WORLD, thanks so much for watching. Much more ahead with "WORLD SPORT" and Alex Thomas. Stay with
us.
[11:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)
[12:00:00]
END
