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IDF Says It Conducted Raids On Northern Gaza Using Tanks Before Withdrawing; Police Manhunt For Maine Mass Shooting Suspect. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 26, 2023 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
BECKY ANDERSON, ANCHOR: The reality on the ground inside Gaza getting bleaker by the hour as Israel makes its deepest raid into the territory.
These are live pictures of the Gaza city skyline. Welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD, I'm Becky Anderson. It is 5:00 p.m. in Gaza, it's 6:00 p.m. here in
Abu Dhabi where we are following two major breaking stories.
First, the heated debate about to begin any moment at the United Nations as diplomats work to break the humanitarian deadlock that is failing
Palestinian civilians. Then, updates expected this hour from the U.S. state of Maine where a massive manhunt is now underway for the person of interest
in two shootings that killed at least 16 people.
We do expect to hear from authorities in just about 30 minutes from now. Well, Israeli forces have conducted what is believed to be the biggest raid
into Gaza since the October the 7th terror attack. IDF says these new images show that forces are conducting targeted raids using tanks in
northern Gaza. They were there before withdrawing.
It could be laying more groundwork, of course, for the major incursion that officials, including the Israeli Prime Minister are saying will happen,
promising even more suffering inside Gaza. And it is that suffering that is being discussed this hour at the United Nations where the General Assembly
is beginning an emergency session on the Israel-Gaza war.
It comes in the face of a Security Council deadlock over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that is now reaching a critical point. Of course, the main
U.N. agency there says it is being -- and I quote them here, "paralyzed by the lack of fuel". Israel insists supplies exist under Hamas control.
Well, to give you a sense of the damage, these are before and after satellite images of one area in Gaza. I've got teams across the globe to
cover this story for you and need reaction to it worldwide. Nic Robertson is in Sderot in southern Israel, Nada Bashir is in the Jordanian capital of
Amman, and Richard Roth is at the United Nations.
And Richard, let's start with you because this is the General Assembly. Of course, the U.N. has not been effective at passing any resolution on this
conflict at the Security Council level. Just talk to us about what they hope to achieve today, and just how significant this could be.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: There will be two days of speeches. The Iranian Foreign Minister will make an appearance. He is
speaking fourth today. There will be a debate between 10:00 a.m. New York Time and 1:00 p.m. But as we've seen over the years, the more divided, the
more deadlock the Security Council is, the General Assembly says in effect, hey, what about us?
The problem is that the General Assembly can vote on a resolution, and this one does not even mention Hamas, but it is non-enforceable, and it does not
have the clout of a Security Council resolution. Of course, in New York yesterday, both a Russia resolution at the Security Council and a U.S.
resolution was vetoed by each other.
And there was a U.S. veto of a different draft a week ago. The issue here has certainly riled up Arab delegation, Muslim nations, so most of those
countries have joined on to this resolution draft. There may be a vote, it's really, Becky, what happened with Ukraine, where the overwhelming
support for Ukraine in the initial months of the invasion by Russia. Becky?
ANDERSON: Standby, Richard, I want to bring in Nic, because what is happening at the U.N. General Assembly, Nic, over the next couple of days
is kind of neither here nor there, as far as what is going on, on the ground quite frankly. As far as a ground incursion is concerned, this is
what Prime Minister Netanyahu had to say last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER, ISRAEL (through translator): We are raining down hell fire on Hamas. We have already eliminated thousands of
terrorists. And this is only the beginning.
[10:05:00]
At the same time, we are preparing for a ground incursion. I will not detail when, how or how many, or the overall consideration that we are
taking into account, most of which are unknown to the public. And this is how it needs to be in order to safeguard the lives of our soldiers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We've seen a large Israeli ground raid into Gaza in the past 24 hours ago. From where you are at this point, what's your perspective on
what is going on?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, so far, not a full ground invasion. The prime minister under pressure not only it appears
from the military, but also from the public for action. He's promised tough action to take down Hamas, and has indicated, and his military chiefs have
all been indicating recently that there would be an incursion.
This, not a full blown incursion, but a preparation for what may be to come. That's how the IDF describes it. Large in scale, but limited in what
it was setting out to achieve. They said that it set out to take out terrorist targets. Terrorists who they said who were planning operations
against Israel. That was the scope of it.
But large, it seemed to us on scale, because we watched part of it and listened to it unfold behind us here last night. We can see the tanks
firing shells across the skyline there. And here are some the type of detonation that we haven't heard before. It was hard to tell what it was,
but this operation, at least, here, does seem, in military terms, to potentially pave the way for more to come.
Because you don't go in, in military terms, and take out part of the enemy's infrastructure and walk back and leave it for them to rebuild over
a few days before you approach it again. So it does seem to be that the army is moving closer to that incursion. I have to say, to the point about
what's being discussed that the U.N., I think there was an expectation that part of the pause before the incursion might have given the space for
successful conversations at the United Nations.
That clearly isn't happening, and the military here is getting closer to their ground goals, which is perhaps a bigger incursion, Becky.
ANDERSON: There are still, of course, some 200 hostages being held at least as we understand it in Gaza. And we know that those mediation efforts
continue with Qatar front and center in talks between Hamas, of course, mediating talks between Hamas and then speaking to the Israeli side. No
more information as of yet, but we know those talks continue.
That's a story then on the ground from Nic Robertson's perspective where he is. Nada, I want to get to you. The Jordanian Foreign Minister -- King
Abdullah of Jordan, have not been holding back in their position on all of this. We know that Jordanian Foreign Minister will be speaking at the U.N.
Jordan, of course, an ally of both the U.S. and Israel, well, certainly has, you know -- has ties, and has been very critical of what is going on,
warning the world against displacement. Let's just remind ourselves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANIA AL ABDULLAH, QUEEN CONSORT OF JORDAN: I mean, there is a glaring double standard here. And it is just shocking to the Arab world. This is
the first time in modern history that there is such human suffering and the world is not even calling for a ceasefire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's Queen Rania, of course, speaking to my colleague Christiane Amanpour a day or so ago. Just explain Jordan's position if you
will.
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, look, Becky, the Jordanian government, the Jordanian royal family have, as you said, been very vocal about this
from the start, and they have been very firm and very clear on their position. They have condemned unequivocally the attacks, the killing of
civilians in Gaza and West Bank.
And of course, have condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7th against Israeli civilians as well. But they have been very clear about seeing this
as a much broader issue. They have been vocal about the situation beyond Gaza as well also in the West Bank. But when it comes to Israel's war on
Gaza, they have been vocal on the diplomatic front.
The Jordanian people have been vocal here on the streets. Jordan's King Abdullah II has spoken repeatedly. He spoke at the Cairo Peace Summit over
the weekend.
[10:10:00]
And of course, we have heard from Jordan's deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister speaking in the U.N. Security Council framework. They have
called for an immediate end to the war, for an end to the violence that we are seeing, for an end to Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. They have
called for the unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, getting into Gaza to an end to the siege, to allow food, medicine, water, electricity, and
crucially, of course, to allow fuel to get into the Gaza Strip.
And as you said, they have rejected any suggestion, any prospect of the forced displacement of the Palestinian people. Once again, particularly,
fears around Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to evacuate for the southwards, potentially leading to further evacuations beyond territorial
borders.
That has been rejected flat out by the Jordanian government who have described this as both a war crime and a red line for the Jordanian
government. And that has been echoed by Arab leaders across the board. And of course, as we have heard, there is real hope that there could be some
sort of peaceful resolution.
And in any prospect of a peaceful resolution, Jordan will be a key stakeholder, a key player. They have called for international efforts to
move towards mediation with a two-state solution in mind for lasting peace. That has long been the focus for the Jordanian government, and it certainly
continues to be. And we have seen intense diplomatic efforts.
I mentioned the Cairo Peace Summit over the weekend, the Jordanian Foreign Minister and deputy Prime Minister speaking at the U.N. Security Council,
speaking today at the U.N. General Assembly framework. There have been those intense efforts. We know of course, that Jordan is a key ally of the
United States, and there have been discussions on that front as well.
In fact, just yesterday, as well, we saw President Macron meeting here in Jordan with King Abdullah. He described Jordan as an essential partner in
this crisis, in trying to mediate some sort of resolution. But of course, this is an issue which is really personal and deeply important to Jordan,
not only because of the proximity and the history and the involvement of Jordan in the Israel-Palestine conflict, but of course, also because more
than half of the population here are either Palestinian or Palestinian descent.
And this is a country that is home to more than 2 million Palestinian refugees. So, this is a deeply central issue to the Jordanian government.
There are -- I have to say a little hope that we will see any sort of resolution from this U.N. General Assembly. There was no resolution at the
Cairo Peace Summit.
Those diplomatic efforts will continue, but as we continue to see the airstrikes raining down on the Gaza Strip, while that death toll continues
to mount in Gaza, that pressure is only growing. And of course, as I mentioned, we are seeing it on the streets as well, continuous protests,
rallies, vigils, being held here in Jordan in solidarity with the Palestinian people. And that is certainly being reflected across the
region. Becky?
ANDERSON: Let me get back to Richard Roth then -- thank you, Nada, thank you, Nic. Let me get back to you, Richard, anything that comes out of the
U.N. here, of course, is a non-binding resolution. And you know, through Ukraine, and now with the Israel-Hamas conflict as it stands at present,
but there's clearly a wider story here on a political solution or a political horizon possibly for Israel-Palestine.
The U.N. has been seen time and time again to just not seem equipped for needs at this point. It just doesn't feel like it is equipped to do a job
that so many people around the world would expect it to do. Come together with a call for action. At this point, Israel has called for the U.N.
Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres to resign.
Just remind us why? This isn't certainly the first spat that Israel has had with the United Nations, it probably won't be the last. But you know, why
did he call for that resignation? What was it that Guterres said that riled the foreign minister so much? And we talk about whether the U.N. is really
equipped for purpose at this point. Is it?
ROTH: Well, they keep opening the doors and people show up. But it's really not as relevant as it used to be. And let's look at what's been
going on. I mean, Hamas is not a U.N. member country. When they established the U.N., it was for --
(CLEARS THROAT)
Pardon me, a country A, invading country B. Here you have a terrorist group attacking a U.N. member state. Now, the Arab countries say, why is Israel
bombing the heck out of everyone in Gaza? What gives them that right? Well, the U.N. Charter talks about states having the right to defend themselves.
The U.N. was always seen as the peace broker. Guterres, the Secretary- General, gave a speech in the Security Council, which was critical of Hamas and what they've done, but it also said that these attacks on Gaza did not
happen in a vacuum. And that really got to the Israeli delegation there, and the Foreign Minister said, what world are you living in, looking at the
Secretary-General?
[10:15:00]
And also saying that Israel has a right to defend itself against terrorists who beheaded babies. So at the moment, the peace agreement, if there is
one, is not going to happen here at the U.N. And sorry to say that, but we've been through this before. This meeting, today, is an emergency
meeting, but it's really the first one since 2018 on this topic.
The Arab countries are hoping to be able to vent, to get -- as you mentioned, as our colleague did the spirit of the streets, to put it on the
record here at the U.N.
ANDERSON: I was in Israel on this story for two weeks, I've just got back, and it is good to be having this discussion, at least in principle, about
conversations being had at the United Nations. But I have to say it's so frustrating to see these resolutions, these draft resolutions, come and go,
and for so little to be achieved. It's good to see member countries having the opportunity to have this discussion at the General Assembly.
But quite frankly, you know, what is happening on the ground is happening in real-time at this point. Thank you all very much indeed for joining us.
Let's get you some live pictures of Gaza. And these are -- what? Mid to late afternoon, you see an awful lot of smoke rising from behind a building
there at 5:15 p.m. in Gaza City. We've got -- working our sources on the ground.
We will get you information as to what we understand to be happening in Gaza city at present, but I mean, it is clear that, that is likely another
airstrike from Israel. And that is the story there just after 5:25 in Gaza city. And we are going to get you back on the ground, of course, as we move
through this hour. Also in Gaza, the IDF is confirming that it did strike the area where the relatives of an "Al Jazeera" journalist had been
sheltering.
A warning that the following video is distressing. "Al Jazeera" network's Gaza bureau chief al-Dahdouh lost 12 members of his family in an airstrike
on Wednesday. You see him here in the blue check shirt in blue jacket including in those deaths where his wife, his son, daughter and grandson.
The IDF says it was targeting Hamas infrastructure.
Of course, staying on this story for you more coming up after this break. Also, still to come this hour, a massive manhunt is underway in the U.S.
after deadly mass shootings at a bowling alley and restaurant in Maine. A live report on that is just ahead.
(COMMERICIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: A manhunt is underway for a gunman who carried out two mass shootings, leaving 16 people dead and dozens injured at a bowling alley and
a restaurant in the U.S. state of Maine.
[10:20:00]
Residents of Lewiston, Lisbon and Bowdoin have been ordered to shelter in place as police try to locate 40-year-old Robert Card, who they describe as
a person of interest. Now, they say Card is a firearms instructor and U.S. Army reservist who enlisted in the army in 2002, but had no combat
deployments. He is considered armed and dangerous. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is following the police search. This is his update.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Now that we have some daylight, we're starting to see some of these law enforcement
officials going through these homes, the wooded area. We were just driving through here and we spotted these cars here. And so, we came through here,
and what we've been seeing, Bob, as you can see over here, you see one police officer here, you could see another officer, they are going through
some homes here.
And this is where they were meeting up here, several of these officers, they were pointing their guns, they were going through the woods here,
looking through this area. They were checking a home there, to see if perhaps maybe this person of interest is there. They are now coming out
from this area. This is one of the more active searches that we've seen.
I mean, we've been here since around 6:00 a.m. or so we got here, but this is the first time that we're actually seeing officers going through this
area, going home by home, looking through the woods.
How many calls have you had so far tonight would you say, dozens?
RYAN MCGEE, POLICE CHIEF, LISBON, MAINE: We've had a lot.
PROKUPECZ: A lot?
MCGEE: A lot, yes. A lot, a lot of calls. So --
PROKUPECZ: And have you -- do you know if the -- if the person of interest, if he knows this area. Is there any indication --
MCGEE: I can't comment on any of that right now --
PROKUPECZ: OK --
MCGEE: We have a lot of Intel, and we're just working, you know, in conjunction with our state and federal partners. Everybody is involved.
We're just trying to keep the community safe. And so, it's a very tragic incident that happened, and we're doing our job to the best of our ability
to locate the suspects. So --
PROKUPECZ: How confident are you that you'll get him?
MCGEE: I would say that we're going to not stop until we locate him. So, you don't have to worry about that. OK?
PROKUPECZ: All right, thank you, sir --
MCGEE: All right --
PROKUPECZ: So much, appreciate it --
MCGEE: I would recommend though, just for your own safety, just stay near your vehicles. It's the best thing I can say for you because, you know, if
anything that says police on you, there is a lot of people in town. You know, the last thing we need is somebody walking by a house and getting
scared of one of you in their front yard and inadvertently calling us --
PROKUPECZ: Sure.
MCGEE: I know you guys have a job to do, and I completely respect that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Shimon Prokupecz there with the Lisbon's police chief. I want to bring in CNN's Evan Perez in Washington D.C. What more do we know about the
actual search at this point for Robert Card, who is being described, of course, as the person of interest in this case, Evan?
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Right, and look, the fact is that this is a person who has had the advantage of hours and hours
to be able to get away from that scene. And so that place, that location that you saw Shimon doing his report from, that is near -- this is a town
of Lisbon, it's near the scene.
It's a few miles away from where the shootings took place. But it is an area where -- near where they found a vehicle that is associated with that
person of interest. And it's an area where there is a trail and a boat dock. So the question that comes up for law enforcement is, did this person
have a getaway vehicle, a vehicle that they had planned to switch to, and then made their getaway.
Did he get into a boat and perhaps traveled to another location? Because about using that way, those are the things that they're grappling with at
this point now. This is a part of Maine, it's not -- it's a very large state in the United States, it's not heavily populated. There's a lot of
wooded areas as you can see from there. There's a lot of places where someone can hide, and especially if a person has planned this in some -- in
advance, there's a lot of ways that, that person can disappear for days and perhaps weeks at a time.
And so, one of the things that they're doing right now, the FBI has brought out dozens of agents. They have SWAT teams there. They also have
intelligence analysts who basically are looking through electronic records. They're trying to figure out where this person has been in the last few
days. What kind of searches he's done to try to see whether there is any clues that they can discern.
The people he's been in touch with in the last few days. We know, Becky, that there is a concern about mental health, that he has had some struggles
with mental health issues. We know he is very well trained.
[10:25:00]
He's a firearms instructor. He's a military veteran. He served in the military since 2002. So this is someone who knows their way around guns,
certainly also has some training perhaps in trying to evade from law enforcement. So they have a very tough task ahead of them. We expect to
hear an update from law enforcement in the coming minutes, that perhaps will give us a little bit more information about what they're dealing with
here.
But Becky, this is a very tough one. I should say, you know, I've covered so many of these things unfortunately, they're very common in the United
States. It's very unusual for you to have a shooter who not only carries out one or two attacks, in this case, a bowling alley and a restaurant, but
then makes his getaway.
Usually these shooters tend to stay there and want a confrontation with police, either ending it themselves or being taken out by police. To have
someone then go on a manhunt -- on a getaway and be the subject of a manhunt over a period of hours and hours is very unusual. Becky.
ANDERSON: Was this a man who was on the radar of authorities locally?
PEREZ: I think one of the things that you're going to find -- that they're certainly finding at this hour is that there were some indications that
this person had some troubles. There is one piece of intelligence that was shared by law enforcement, which said that he was apparently a subject of a
threat, that he made some kind of threat to a military installation that is near that location, near Lewiston, Maine.
Again, this is something that tells you that there's been some concern, there's some indication of somebody who has had some struggles. Now, the
issue is, look, just because you have mental health issues or you're struggling with depression or some kind of mental health problem, doesn't
mean you go and carry out a mass shooting.
Where at least at this stage, we have at least 16 people that have been killed and dozens injured, right? This is not the common thing that
happens, even for a lot of people who have mental health issues. So there is something else that is at work here, and that is part of the
investigation at this point.
ANDERSON: Good to have you, sir. Thank you. And still ahead, desperate efforts to save young lives in Gaza. Doctors on the frontlines in a race
against time, with hospitals barely functioning, and essential fuel in extremely short supply. We're going to do more on that for you after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the state of Palestine has been recognized by U.N. members since 2012. It has a status of non-member observer state in the United
Nations. This is the representative speaking to the General Assembly. Let's listen in.
RIYAD MANSOUR, AMBASSADOR, PALESTINIAN PERMANENT OBSERVER MISSION TO U.N.: While hospitals are coming to a halt, while neighborhoods are being
destroyed, while people are fleeing from one place to another with nowhere safe to go. I urge you to choose your words carefully and to act
accordingly. For all those mobilized against an even greater man-made humanitarian catastrophe, or of a regional spillover, and these are worthy
goals, we say.
Stop the bombs or both will happen. Stop the bombs and save lives, as the president of the General Assembly has indicated. All lives, lives of
children, of civilians, of 2.3 million civilians in the Gaza Strip. Mr. President, in Gaza, a father tells his daughter about the birthday he was
planning for her, and asks her not to miss it. [10:30:00]
A mother laments: my children died before they had a chance to eat. The thoughts that cross the mind of a mother in the face of such grief, 3,000
children in Gaza were killed by Israel in the last almost three weeks. I repeat, 3,000 children, innocent children, angels killed in Gaza during the
last three weeks. A man embraces his mother and pleads like a child, come back, I beg you, come back, and I will take you wherever you want.
He hugs her and can't let go. But there is no time to mourn. More death is on the way. One thousand, seven hundred women were killed by Israel in the
last two weeks. A young man wrote, "we will not leave Gaza. We would only leave Gaza to join the heavens." A few days later, he did it.
Seven thousand Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the last almost three weeks, 70 percent of all those killed are women and children. Almost
all killed are civilians. Is this the war some of you are defending? Let me repeat. Is this the war that some of you are defending? Can this war be
defended? These are crimes. This is barbarism.
If you don't -- if do not stop it for all those who were killed, stop it for all those whose lives we can still safe. Ginan(ph), a little girl under
the rubble shouts at the people coming to rescue her, "what took you so long?" There are 900 Palestinian children under the rubble, alive or dead,
wondering what is taking so long Wondering if any help is on the way.
Anas(ph), a little boy who is known as Anuz(ph) crawled from under the rubble, not to find light, but more darkness. Devastation and death all
around him. His ordeal has only started, not ended. One thousand six hundred Palestinians are under the rubble, and no one can reach them to
save them or bury them. A doctor speaks of a term coined during this war, wounded child with no surviving family.
Eighty Palestinian families have lost ten or more of their members. Sometimes up to 45 members of the same family were killed, 18,000 people
are wounded, many treated in hospital hallways, if at all, with no anesthesia. Paramedics who have been -- who have seen death time and time
again break down and cry. This time, it is just too much. U.N. staff, humanitarian personnel and doctors are standing their ground and paying the
ultimate price for it.
This memory is honored by some as if a natural disaster had killed them, not a U.N. member staff. As hospitals turn into morgues, doctors and
patients alike wonder is help on the way? Is help on the way? They are not listening to the explanations of some leaders on why the war has to go on.
They just hear the bombs.
[10:35:00]
They just feel the blast. They just face all this death trying to survive or to honor the pledge they took to save lives with no means to do so.
People are ordered to evacuate. They look at their children, should we head south? Will we be bombed on the way or once there? Should we go to a
hospital courtyard, inn(ph) and school, a Church, a Mosque, sleep in our car in the streets, but bombs are everywhere.
What choices do you make as a parent when there are only impossible choices? When death is everywhere, devastation is everywhere. A man stands
in front of his house, turned into rubble yet another time. After a long pause, he asks, "how do you bury a house?" Israel has destroyed over 40
percent of all homes, making an entire population homeless and displaced, 1.4 million people, in the hope to forcibly transfer them outside their
territory.
The Israeli Foreign Minister came to the Security Council and said, this meeting should conclude with a clear message, bring them home. For millions
of Palestinians, there is no home to go back to. For thousands, there is no family left to embrace. Not by an act of God, but by the acts of a
government represented here in this chamber.
He spoke of families and their pain. There is not a single family in Gaza that has not endured epic suffering. He told you horrible it was to kill
civilians, just before justifying the killing of Palestinian civilians by the thousands. He spoke of the fear felt by people when rockets are
launched, Israeli bombs have not spared a single square meter of Gaza.
He believes the difference between civilization and barbarism is who is doing the killing? Or how they do it. He believes the laws of humanity and
of our international law-based-order apply to others, but not to Israel. That they protect Israeli lives and allow the killing of Palestinians and
taking Palestinian lives. He believes Israel can pretend it is abiding by the very laws it is breaching live on your TV screens and before your eyes.
That if you say Hamas enough times, the world will not be able to object to wiping off the face -- from the face of earth's entire families. For
generations at a time or to a siege, where you let in enough humanitarian aid to pretend you have a sense of humanity. But nowhere enough to address
the immense needs that are growing exponentially as you keep bombing a beseeched territory.
He says release the hostages, and takes 2 million Palestinian hostages. Let me translate these numbers. Compared to the population of Gaza, this is the
equivalent of 28,000 Israelis killed, including 12,000 children, and 6,800 women, 72,000 wounded, 5.6 million displaced. Is it more shocking now? More
unacceptable? More outrageous?
[10:40:00]
Why some feel so much pain for Israelis and so little pain for us, the Palestinians? What is the problem? Do we have the wrong faith or the wrong
skin color? The wrong nationality? The wrong origin? Let me address all those who have in these past few days explained why one should not --
ANDERSON: Yes --
MANSOUR: Call for a ceasefire.
ANDERSON: OK.
MANSOUR: How can representatives of states explain how horrible it is that 1,000 Israelis were killed and not feel the same outrage when 1,000
Palestinians are now killed every day? One thousand Palestinians killed every --
ANDERSON: Well, an extremely emotional Riyad Mansour; representative for Palestine, which is of course, a non member observer state or has non-
member observer status at the United Nations, speaking to members there. He said, for all of those mobilized against a further catastrophe or regional
spillover, stop the bombs, or more will happen.
He said, stop the bombs and save lives. Lives of children. Lives of the 2.3 million civilians in the Gaza Strip. And he numerated those who have been
lost, 3,000 children killed in Gaza in the last three weeks, 7,000 killed in the past three weeks, mostly civilians, 7,000 people killed in the past
three weeks, mostly civilians. He said wounded child with no surviving family is a new description for doctors in Gaza.
Is this the war that some of you are defending, he said? We're going to do more on this, talk to you about what it is that's going on at the U.N.
General Assembly. Why is it that the resolutions in the Security Council have failed? And get to Gaza for you -- for a view on the ground. As we
speak, I do though want to get -- there's a lot going on this hour.
I want to get to Maine because there is still a person of interest on the run. Of course, 16 dead there. Let's get to the authorities who are holding
a press conference now.
GOV. JANET MILLS (D-ME): Responded to reports of an active shooter at several locations in Lewiston, including Sparetime Recreation and
Schemengees Bar and Grille. These law enforcement officers, in the face of danger responded swiftly, selflessly and with great bravery. Bravery that
they continue to demonstrate today as they search tirelessly for a person of interest in connection with last night's events.
On behalf of all Maine people, I express my deep gratitude for your response, and for your continued service. I also do so for Maine's
hospitals and other medical emergency responses -- responders. I am profoundly saddened to stand before you today to report that 18 people lost
their lives, and 13 people injured in last night's attacks. In memory of those we lost, and in honor of those who were injured, President Biden and
I have ordered all U.S. flags and state of Maine flags to be lowered to half-staff immediately for the next five days.
Maine state police have issued a shelter in place order for Lewiston, Lisbon and Bowdoin, as the manhunt for that person of interest, Robert Card
of Bowdoin continues. I will let law enforcement speak to the ongoing manhunt and to their investigation, but Mr. Card is considered armed and
dangerous, and police advise that Maine people should not approach him under any circumstances.
I continue to strongly urge Maine people to follow the direction of state and local law enforcement amid this ever-changing situation. Please, if you
see anything suspicious, please call 9-1-1. There are still many things we don't yet know about these attacks. But the full weight of my
administration is behind law enforcement's efforts to capture the person of interest, Robert Card, to hold whoever is responsible for this atrocity
accountable under the full force of state and federal law.
[10:45:00]
And to seek full justice for the victims and their families. We are -- we cannot and we will not rest in this endeavor. My administration is
coordinating closely with local, regional and federal officials to respond to this shooting. I have spoken twice with President Biden. I've spoken
with Vice President Harris, the Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Becerra.
All of whom have called me last night to express the Biden administration's full and unwavering support, and to offer any and all help that we, the
people of Maine might require. The governors of our neighboring New England states, and of other states, have contacted me to offer aid, and I am
sincerely grateful for their friendship and support.
We've been in touch with every member of the Maine congressional delegation, all of whom have offered their full support for which I am also
grateful. I also spoke with Mayor Carl Sheline and Auburn Mayor --
(COUGHING)
Excuse me, Jason Levesque last night to reiterate that we are standing by them. And that we are ready to provide any help people in these communities
need to deploy all available state resources, including grief counselors, and other mental health services. We need to help our communities heal. If
you or a person you love needs someone to talk to during this difficult time, please call or text 9-8-8 for free and confidential counseling -- 9-
8-8.
Look, Lewiston is a special place. It's a close-knit community with a long history of hard work, of persistence, of faith, of opening its big heart to
people everywhere. Lewiston is where I worked for years. It's where I met and married my husband, and where our girls went to school. I love this
place, just as I love our whole state with my entire heart.
I'm so deeply saddened, as is every one of the 1.3 million people of this beautiful state. This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its
citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security. No city does, no state, no people. No words can truly or fully measure the grief of Maine
people today. Our small state of just 1.3 million people has long been known as one of the safest states in the nation.
This attack strikes at the very heart of who we are and the values we hold dear for this precious place we call home. All Maine people are sharing in
the sorrow of the families who lost loved ones last night. Loved ones, normal people who were killed or injured while unwinding from a day of
work, or while spending time with their family and friends socializing.
So on behalf of the 1.3 million people of the whole state of Maine, I hold these families and the city in my heart today. I know that the people of
Lewiston are enduring immeasurable pain. I wish I could take their pain off your hearts, off your shoulders, but I promise you this, we will all help
you carry that grief. I ask Maine people to join me in offering our comfort to the families and friends who have lost someone, and in offering our
prayers for swift recovery for those who are healing in Maine's hospitals today.
This is a dark day for Maine. I know it's hard for us to think about healing when our hearts are broken. But I want every person in Maine to
know that we will heal together. We are strong. We are resilient. We are a very caring people.
[10:50:00]
In the days and weeks ahead, we will need to lean on those qualities more than ever before. As we move forward, struggling as we may, let us wrap our
arms around one another, offer comfort and solace and love. I know the Maine state police will continue to release information to the public, as
we confirm it, and information about any steps that the public might take to support the people of Lewiston at this time. May God bless the people of
Lewiston, and bless the memories of those we lost. Thank you. I'm going to turn over to Commissioner Sauschuck.
MICHAEL SAUSCHUCK, COMMISSIONER OF THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: Thank you very much, governor. We certainly appreciate your support, the
city of Lewiston does, the state of Maine, and certainly our first responders, we feel that love every day, and thank you very much for that.
I would also say that we want to say thank you to really a large number of other elected officials across our state, whether that's the federal
delegation, local elected officials, and many others that are part of organizations or law enforcement agencies that truly wanted to join us
today at this particular precedent and wanted to speak on behalf of their communities.
And as the governor had mentioned, and everyone else will reiterate, our reality for today is that this suspect is still at large. And we want to
provide community support for the victims, for the families, and the communities across the state. But we also have an incredibly strong, laser-
like focus on bringing this suspect into custody and ultimately to justice.
So because of that mission for this particular event and today's activities, we're keeping the list of speakers and the agenda pretty tight.
And that will include next up at the podium would be Chief David St. Pierre from the city of Lewiston and some other members of his command staff are
present. What I will say to the city of Lewiston, and you know this because you feel it every day, but you're lucky to have a chief like Chief St.
Pierre and his entire law enforcement agency.
From every level, those officers put their heart and their soul on the line on behalf of their community. Last night and into today, and they're doing
it for the right reasons, they do it because they care. So the city of Lewiston, and truly, our co-responder family across the state of Maine is
lucky to have Dave and his team in the mix with us.
And we're also going to hear from Colonel William Ross(ph) from the Maine State Police. And Bill will highlight some of the timeline, things that
you're probably concerned about, and certainly interested in from a storied perspective. So the colonel will come up and speak to that. And we'll also
have Jody Cohen(ph), and Jody(ph) is the special agent in charge for the FBI out of the Boston field office.
And Jody(ph) will highlight some of those federal partnerships and some of the things that our federal partners are bringing to the table, bringing to
bear to help us with this investigation. And we also have a bunch of people here, once you start naming people, you're going to have a problem because
you're going to forget somebody or screw something up.
But I would also tell you that a couple of our other federal partners are here. Kevin Neil(ph), he was the U.S. Marshal for the district of Maine. We
also have James Ferguson(ph), and Jim is a special agent in charge from the ATF for the Boston field division. They are heavily invested with staff
along with the FBI, and we can't thank them enough for all that they're doing on behalf of our state.
I would also tell you that we are going to close with a brief Q&A, and we're going to try to get some of those questions out there. We appreciate
your time, your patience, your professionalism, your partnership and getting this information out. I would think that those questions are going
to be brief because again, we do have a suspect at large.
And while you can help us with that, we also need to get back to our teams to push forward on that. So with that in mind, I will be back up to the
podium to kind of steer that a little bit, but for starters, I would like Chief St. Pierre join us. Thank you.
DAVID ST. PIERRE, POLICE CHIEF, LEWISTON, MAINE POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thank you Director Sauschuck, and welcome media partners, and thank you Governor
Mills for those kind words. I'm going to keep this short. What I would like the very most is to express our deepest sympathies to the families and
friends of the victims of this heinous crime. This is truly a tragedy that goes beyond comprehension. I'm confident in our community that our
community has, and will continue to come together throughout this endeavor to bring this to a successful conclusion.
Although difficult, I do ask the public to continue to be mindful of their own personal safety, and also that they be patient with the process as
much as possible. There is extensive work and attention to detail that goes into such a large scale investigation.
[10:55:00]
I'm confident in the expertise and professionalism of our investigators and all law enforcement officials that are currently involved. This is all-
hands-on-deck approach. We have a great deal of collaboration and resources that have been made available to us. There are far too many to name
individually, but I think Director Sauschuck named quite a few appropriately.
There are far too many as I've stated, but they're all appreciated more than you know. I want to thank all of our brave men and women of Lewiston
Police Department, Fire Department staff, medical personnel, first responders of any kind that have gone -- that came from far and wide and
have come together, and continue to work tirelessly in bringing the situation to an end.
We hope to locate and hold the person accountable. I think you will hear next from the state police who is taking the lead in this investigation,
although that we are working hand-in-hand with them, I think Colonel Ross(ph) will be able to fill you in a little bit more.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, chief. First and foremost, this is an ongoing homicide investigation and search for the person that is
responsible for it. We're in the early stages of this investigation, and I just want to let you know we will have updates. We'll be putting some type
of a schedule out later on. But again, early stages of a homicide investigation. We want to be careful that we're doing things correctly.
We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. I'm going to give you a bit of a timeline here to kind of fill in some of the blanks and give you some of
the facts as we know them right now. A lot of disinformation will then be transferred to the attorney general's office as they will be the lead
prosecutor, again, in any homicide investigation. Last night, October 25th, at approximately 6:56 p.m., the Auburn Communication Center received a 9-1-
1 call of a male shooting in just in time or the Sparetime Recreation Center in the town of Lewiston located at 24 Mollison Way in Lewiston.
Shortly after that, at about 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m., the communication center received multiple 9-1-1 calls about an active shooter inside of a
Schemengees Billiards at 553 Lincoln Street in the town of Lewiston. A large law enforcement response from multiple surrounding agencies assisted
the Lewiston Police Department in trying to identify who this individual was and what was happening.
As you can imagine, this was a very fast-paced, fast-moving, very fluid scene, very dangerous scene that these guys and girls were going into.
Eighteen people are now deceased at this time. The victims at the Just-In- Time establishment, seven people are deceased there, one female and six males, all from an apparent gunshot wound. Victims at the Schemengees
Billiards, eight are deceased.
Seven males inside the establishment, one male outside the establishment. Again, also apparent gunshot wounds. Multiple people were transferred to
area hospitals, central Maine medical center, St. Mary's, and Maine Medical Center. Three people that were transferred to those hospitals are deceased.
For a total of 18 people deceased at this time.
The investigation into the person responsible for this identified the vehicle located at the Projebscot(ph), boat landing in Lisbon, that person
through the registration of that vehicle was identified, as has been stated earlier, as Robert Card, born in 1983. Several of the deceased have been
identified and their families, next of kin, have been notified.
Approximately eight people at this point have been identified. Ten people, ten of these victims, still need to be identified at this time. Currently,
there is an arrest warrant for eight counts of murder for Mr. Card, and the reason it's eight counts because ten people have not yet been identified.
As those people are identified, the counts will probably go to the total of 18.
He should be considered armed and dangerous, based on our investigation, we believe this is someone that should not be approached. This is someone that
should be -- if you come into any contact with this individual or someone you think looks like this individual, you ought to call 9-1-1 and I'll
provide some tip line numbers at the conclusion of my briefing.
END
