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CNN Live Event/Special

L.A. County Sheriff: School Shooting Suspect in Custody at Hospital; Awaiting L.A. County Sheriff's Department New Conference; New Evidence of Call Raises Stakes for Sondland Hearing New Week; Source: GOP to Argue Trump Within His Rights to Remove Ambassador; Pelosi: Trump Has Admitted He Committed "Bribery". Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired November 14, 2019 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But according to this e-mail here, it would appear that what we are looking at is that this may have been fellow students that this alleged 15-year-old shooter, who he was targeting was other students at the school. Obviously, we're still following up on that to find out if that's the case.

While all of this is unfolding here at Saugus and parents are being reunited with their children once law enforcement officials are sure that these kids are not witnesses to anything, that they don't have any information that can help them.

Then along with that, while that is happening, the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, coming out with a statement saying, quote, "I am closely monitoring the incident at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita this morning. And my administration is working in close coordination with local law enforcement."

He goes on to extend thoughts and prayers from his wife and him to the parents, family and friends of the students and faculty in the Santa Clarita community.

The threat has been neutralized. But obviously, the long-standing effects of this, the wounds in this community about 30 minutes north of L.A. proper, they're going to be there lifelong for so many of these people that were there for this.

As people are just now getting back to their loved ones and realizing they made through this, but there's so much emotional damage they're dealing with.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: One family's life will never be the same, the family of the one young woman that we know has died.

I want to go to Nick Watt, who is at the scene.

Nick, from this overhead, as we await this press conference -- you're seeing the podium set up by the L.A. County sheriffs. As we await that press conference, we're also seeing scenes of -- this school has 3,000 kids in it or so. It is a long process getting them cleared and then getting them reunited.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it absolutely is, Anderson. Of course, that's just extra anxiety for those kids that want to see their parents and those parents who desperately want to see their kids.

Now, this was a scene behind us where they were evacuating those kids on buses. That has now been completed.

And I just want to update you that the lockdowns on all of these schools have now been lifted.

And just on the condition of those victims, as Stephanie mentioned, one confirmed dead. We are hearing from Providence Holy Cross Hospital that the two victims there, one in good, one in fair condition, both of those people are now talking.

Now, as Stephanie mentioned as well, we are hoping to get more details from this press conference, which they have been pushing back and pushing back perhaps as they clarify what details they have. That is expected to start any second, and we will get some more information.

In the meantime, I've been speaking to some students, some of whom were on their way to school when they got a call from friends who were at school saying, don't come, turn around, there's a shooter, there's a shooter.

One young woman said to me, who is a sophomore, she said, yes, this does happen at schools around the country, but it's never happened here in our valley. It is just shock, shock. That is what she said -- Anderson?

COOPER: Yes. Hopefully, more information coming soon from this news conference.

WATT: Yes.

COOPER: We'll take a quick break and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:38:00]

COOPER: We continue to follow the breaking news. We are still awaiting a press conference. We're told it's moments away. We've been told that several times. This is a press conference from law enforcement with the latest on the investigation.

We know one person has died, a female, one of six, who were taken to area hospitals. Two others are said to be in critical condition at this point.

I want to play some sound just in. The mother who you heard from a little bit earlier, if you were listening, talk to her son on the phone. Right now, there are thousands of students waiting to be reunited with

their parents. Part of the problem is, and the holdup is, all the students at the school, some 3,000, have to be interviewed by police just to see if they witnessed anything, if they saw anything that might be important for an investigation later on. It's a laborious process. It's going to take time.

This is one mom who has just been reunited.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: So you heard the shots. Did you know they were shots?

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Yes, because it was really loud. I didn't know if it was anything else. I thought they were shots so I just went to the classroom.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: So you were in -- what area and where do you think the shots were coming from?

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: I was walking towards the quad, which I guess is where it happened. That's where I normally hang out and I was just going in there. I heard the shots so I ran back to the room that I was.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: You've been on lockdown for a long time this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: What was going on there? What were the kids saying and doing?

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: We were just all texting our parents and calling them, telling them we were in a room and we were fine. We were just trying to keep quiet and not make noise.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: Because you weren't sure if you were safe yet?

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Yes. We weren't sure until our coach got a call that the gunman left campus and they're just trying to clear the buildings out, and they cleared our building out. After that I felt safe, you know, just knowing we were around all the cops, so it was good.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: You're still shaking and it's not cold out here.

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: You're still shaking. Why?

[13:40:04] UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER: I am. I don't know. I think it's just relief. Like I said earlier, there's no real sense of knowing that your child is safe until you have your child in your arms and know that they're safe. I think I was just trying to calm down now. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: Do you feel like you have comprehended what happened here? We don't know who has been hurt or what exactly happened, but it's still kind of hard to even make sense of, isn't it?

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Yes, I don't know what happened. I don't know why these things happen. They just do. It was just the comfort of having my teammates and my coach around us. We ended up all joining hands and praying in the room with our coach. He led us in a prayer to just calm us down and have the comfort of just knowing we were OK. So that was nice.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: There was a little bit of confusion to get to your mom. Your mom and I walked back and forth trying find you. What happened with all that?

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Well, they took us to the gym, and then they said we're going to the church, and then they said we're going to Central Park. It was just all confusion until they let us on the bus and we ended up getting dropped off here. So, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: When you saw your mom, tell us what that was like.

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: I felt happy. I felt relieved that I could see my mom and let her know I was safe. I just love her so much, you know.

I didn't know what to do. Honestly, I was a little scared at first, but just having the comfort of teammates calmed me down. We settled down -- we went through it together, so.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: You have your tough 16-year-old son. They're always your baby, aren't they? Right?

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER: Yes. He'll be my baby forever.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: I'm glad you're OK.

Thank you for talking to us.

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Thank you.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: -- is OK. We'll be thinking about you guys, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER:: Take care, Sean.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: One family, one reunion that is happening. And thousands of moments like that.

Josh Campbell, at this point, we don't -- there's conflicting information about the shooter, the condition of the shooter. There were earlier reports several scene reporters got from several sources that the shooter had died of a self-inflicted wound. The police put out a report saying the shooter was in custody in the hospital. We're waiting for the latest information.

Regardless of that, the investigation is already well underway and will continue regardless of the condition of the shooter.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: That's right. They presumably positively identified this person. They start that investigation into him. If the person is alive, then it gives him the potential opportunity to question the motive.

There are questions I have, which may or may not be answered at this press conference. The first being, were there any witnesses that provided information to officers about what the person may have said in the moments before the shooting. Was he there to target a particular student, just random, or was he there to cause massive loss of life?

If they were able to interview witnesses, that information may be gleaned.

Also the type of weaponry that was used. That's something we need to know. We've seen this through line of past incidence, types of high- powered weapons used in others. And we don't know if this was a rifle or a pistol. But that's something that law enforcement officers know right now. But I think it's incumbent upon them to get that information.

COOPER: We also know there was multiple weapons. The sergeant I talked to at the L.A. County Sheriff's Office said that they had recovered a weapon at the scene. At that point, the shooter was still unaccounted for. So if there was some sort of injury or wound, it wasn't clear if the shooter had another weapon on him.

At this point, the people who are in the hospital, will they have already positive identifications on them so their families can be notified? I hate to think of these kids in the hospital and their parents don't know.

CAMPBELL: We don't know the answer to that question. That's the problem. As you mentioned, there's some 3,000 students here.

The undersheriff was tweeting earlier that all of those people have to be interviewed and we don't know who all the victims are. We don't know their current state, if they're lucid and can provide their names and information. If they're in a worse state, it's more difficult for officers to try to identify them.

That goes for the shooter as well.

But a lot of unanswered questions now as it relates to what's occurred. Again, this conflicting information. Presumably, officers know right now what the status of this person is. And I expect we'll hear that when we hear from the officers at that press conference.

[13:44:30]

COOPER: We're still waiting for the press conference.

We'll take another quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: As we await the news conference about this deadly school shooting in California, we're also following developments in the historical impeachment hearings into President Donald Trump.

Those hearings kicked off with testimony yesterday from Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine and a former ambassador. Taylor telling Congress that President Trump's role in pressuring Ukraine to dig up dirt on his political rivals in exchange for a face-to-face meeting and military aid may have been bigger than previously known.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:49:58]

BILL TAYLOR, U.S. DIPLOMAT TO UKRAINE: In the presence of my staff, in a restaurant, Ambassador Sondland called President Trump and told him of his meetings in Kiev. A member of my staff could hear President Trump on the phone asking Ambassador Sondland about the investigations. Ambassador Sondland told President Trump the Ukrainians were ready to move forward.

Following the call with President Trump, the member of my staff asked Ambassador Sondland what President Trump thought about Ukraine. Ambassador Sondland responded that President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: The impeachment schedule is packed with 11 witnesses set to testify this and next week.

For tomorrow, though, all eyes will be on a single witness, the only person who was fired in the entire Ukraine saga. The irony is Marie Yovanovitch, who was ambassador at the time, was known for her drive to actually fight corruption in Ukraine, which, as you know, is the president's claim for why he pressured Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.

A source says tomorrow Republicans plan to argue that President Trump was within his rights to recall Yovanovitch from her post as ambassador to Ukraine, saying he has power to appoint and remove as he wishes.

CNN senior congressional correspondent, Manu Raju, is on Capitol Hill.

Manu, you've been talking to lawmakers. Also Nancy Pelosi gave a press conference earlier. What are people saying today?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Democrats believe that they have got more evidence to back up the notion that the president may have abused his power in office.

Nancy Pelosi using the words "bribery" today to explain exactly her view of what the president did as it came to holding up military aid to Ukraine, demanding these investigations.

And also Democrats today raising new questions about Gordon Sondland's testimony, Bill Taylor revealing that conversation overheard by one of his aides, and Trump asking for investigations into the Bidens in that conversation that apparently occurred with Gordon Sondland.

When I talked to a number of Democrats who listened to Gordon Sondland behind closed doors, a number of them said they believe he misled the committee about his interactions with Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Do you think that Gordon Sondland was truthful to your committee?

REP. HARLEY ROUDA (D-CA): Not completely. He certainly had gaps in either his memory or in his testimony.

REP. DAVID CICILLINE (D-RI): I think it's fair to say that that testimony wasn't fully candid and left out very important parts of what we now know to be true.

RAJU: He misled the committee?

CICILLINE: I think he misled the committee.

RAJU: Do you believe that Gordon Sondland was truthful to the committee in his --

REP. JACKIE SPEIER (D-CA) No. Gordon Sondland was not truthful. It's pretty obvious. I think he shaves a lot of truth from his answers. And I think he's going to have to pay for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: So, Anderson, tomorrow is a significant day not just because Marie Yovanovitch testifies in open session but, in the afternoon, closed door session, David Holmes, the aide who overheard the conversation, will be testifying behind closed doors with three committees investigating the president's conduct.

We'll see what he ultimately tells lawmakers and what new questions they have for Gordon Sondland when he testifies next week -- Anderson? COOPER: And, Manu, when Nancy Pelosi spoke, she was asked a question

about, you know, talking about Republicans, which is that all of these witnesses, it's all just hearsay, she would not even respond to that?

RAJU: Yes. She said, "I'm not even going to dignify that question," when asked by a reporter.

But the ultimate question was whether she would try to pursue or urge the committees to pursue getting some of these firsthand witnesses, John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, who had direct conversations with the president, whether they would come, and if they would fight that in court to get their testimony before moving forward on impeachment.

And, Anderson, the message she sent very clearly, that is not the route Democrats want to go.

COOPER: Yes.

RAJU: They feel they have more than enough evidence to point the finger at the president. Clearly, going down the road for a court fight is not what Democrats have in mind right now -- Anderson?

COOPER: Manu, thank you.

Jeffrey Toobin and Gloria Borger join me now.

This idea, this timeline is for the Democrats, it's essential. They don't want this pushing into the elections.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN CHIEF LEGAL ANALYST: It's essential, because they decided it's essential. There's nothing legal or constitutional that says you have to wrap this up by end of the year. But that's what Nancy Pelosi and her team has decided they want this -- they want next year to talk about substantive issues.

There's a lot of people think that's not the right think. Think it's worth it to spend more time --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: To hear from a John Bolton and --

TOOBIN: To hear from a John Bolton. And also to do a more extensive investigation, but that's the choice they've made and that is -- that looks like how they're proceeding.

COOPER: Nancy Pelosi also seemed to be kind of opening the door or at least discussing other charges from the Mueller report?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. She did. She seemed to be today -- it was curious to me. She seemed to be broadening her reach a little bit. And she also seemed to be broadening her messaging, which was, it's not quid pro quo, it's complicated for people to understand. Much more simple, it's bribery.

[13:55:08] This is clearly what you'll hear from Democrats over and over again now. It's bribery.

We know, because Adam Schiff said it over and over again, every time you have somebody refusing to testify for us we're going to add it to obstruction charges, believing it's obstructive.

And she made the case, every Democrat has said, talking hearsay guys, and say the whistleblower is hearsay, A, why do you want the whistleblower, you are not getting the whistleblower. But, B, you want firsthand knowledge of what the president said, bring those people up before us to testify anytime. We'll take them.

TOOBIN: The departure from quid pro quo is a welcome development not just for those of us having trouble pronouncing it, because, in my experience, more Americans speak English than Latin. And it's better to say bribery or extortion --

BORGER: Extortion.

TOOBIN: -- than quid pro quo.

COOPER: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

TOOBIN: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: What does that mean?

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: Our coverage continues in a moment.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Hi. It's Jake Tapper. And you're watching CNN breaking news starting this hour.

We have breaking news out of California. I'm Jake Tapper, in Washington.

[14:00:02]

That tragic school shooting just north of Los Angeles, in Santa Clarita, has turned deadly. A female victim has been killed according to a hospital spokesperson.

END