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Illinois Shooter Died; Scalise Among People Shot; Sanders Condemns Shooter; FBI Investigating Shooter's Rants; Interview with Sen. Jeff Flake. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired June 14, 2017 - 13:00   ET

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


ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're following breaking news here in the nation's capital. A gunman opens fire during a Congressional baseball practice. The shooting appears to be deliberate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He asked me if this team was the Republican or Democrat team practicing. I responded that it was the Republican team practicing. And he proceeded to shoot Republicans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I looked outside and saw the man with the gun. He was crouched behind wooden pieces of the stand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hear a loud bam and I look around. And behind third base in the third base dugout which is cinder block, I see a rifle. And then, I hear another bam and I realize that there's an active shooter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see Steve Scalise out in the field. He dragged himself after he was shot from near second base about 10 or 15 yards into the field. He was laying motionless out there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The emotional shock of seeing your friends shot where you're helpless. You have a baseball bat. They have a rifle. You're defenseless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our lives were saved by the capitol police. Had they not been there, I think it would have been a massacre.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This could be the first political rhetorical terrorist act and that has to stop.

SEN. PAUL RYAN (R), WISCONSIN: An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington. Thanks very much for joining us.

We begin this hour with breaking news in the nation's capital. A Congressional leader and four other people shot and wounded when a gunman opened fire during a baseball practice early this morning. In remarks, just a little while ago, President Trump announced that the gunman is dead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Authorities are continuing to investigate the crime. And the assailant has now died from his injuries. The FBI is leading the investigation and will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.

Many lives would have been lost if not for the heroic actions of the two capitol police officers who took down the gunman, despite sustaining gunshot wounds during a very, very brutal assault.

We may have our differences but we do well in times like these to remember that everyone who serves in our nation's capital is here because, above all, they love our country. We can all agree that we are blessed to be Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Here are the latest developments in the investigation. Authorities have now identified the gunman as 66-year-old James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois. This according to a law enforcement source. Investigators have found anti-Trump postings on his social media pages. He was also a supporter of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.

Witnesses say the shooter opened fire on Republican lawmakers and staff at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. Lawmakers were practicing for a charity game tomorrow night. They say the game at Washington Nationals Park will go on as planned. Those shot and wounded include the House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. Scalise was undergoing surgery. He's now described as being in stable condition.

President Trump today called the Congressman a patriot and a fighter.

Witnesses described the gunman's weapon as a semi-automatic rifle. And in the words of one lawmaker, and I'm quoting him now, "he had a lot of ammo."

I want to bring in my colleague John King. He's up on Capitol Hill with a special guest. John, have you Senator Jeff Flake with you. He was there this morning.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He was, Wolf. Thank you very much. Senator Flake now in a suit and tie. But when I saw you this morning, you were still wearing your baseball pants and your shirt, your cleats, I believe, when you came here. Just take us back to the moment this morning. When did you first get the impression you were under fire?

SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: We heard one shot at about 7:10. And everybody just kind of looked at each other. Like, that sounded like a gun. It sounded close. But a few seconds later, then there was kind of a volley. And then, it was clear.

KING: Scalise was at second base. He is in the hospital. We're told in stable condition in surgery.

FLAKE: Right.

KING: Where were you?

FLAKE: I was on the first baseline. I had batted and gone to the field and had come back and just talking to Joe Barton from Texas, at that time. And we kind of looked at each other and then realized it was gunfire.

And a number of us headed for the dugout, the first base dugout. Believing that the gunman was over on the -- you know, by the other dugout and he was.

So, there were ultimately about 12 of us in that dugout. And a few more would come every couple of minutes, including one of the staff members who had been shot while he was in center field. He had made his way over to the dugout and then climbed in. And we had a belt and then put it on to try to stop some of the bleeding.

[13:05:12] KING: How many shots?

FLAKE: Oh, some people were estimating over 50. I think that's an understatement. There were a lot. He was well armed.

KING: And did you get, at all, a glimpse either at the shooter or at the weapon?

FLAKE: I did at the shooter, not the weapon. I think he had lost the rifle by the time I saw him. He'd worked away back behind home plate behind the fence. And I was trying to see if he was down. I wanted to get out to where Steve Scalise was to see if we could drag him over to the dugout.

But -- so, I stood up and the gunman was there just behind the fence behind home plate. And he caught sight of where I was. And so, we quickly -- a bunch of us jumped down so as not to be in the line of fire, because he had a line of sight to us.

And a number of us were there, and we worried that he would make his around and get in the dugout. And then, we'd be in a really bad situation.

KING: Did you see him taken down?

FLAKE: No, no. We were tending to the staff member and also Joe Barton's son, 10-year-old was there. He made it to the dugout, as well. And we quickly got him and put him under the bench and tried to hide him as much as we could.

And then, we heard, the gunman's down. And that's when I ran out to Steve to see if we could staunch the bleeding there. And for the next 10 or 15 minutes, we did that. KING: Describe that moment and when you arrived you say staunched the

bleeding. When you got there, what were your thoughts about the seriousness of this?

FLAKE: You could see where he had crawled from, across some of the infield and the trail of blood to where he was. He had moved about 10 to 15 yards. A great effort to do that. I think he was trying to get away from the gunman.

KING: Was he speaking to you?

FLAKE: Yes, he was. And he said that he needed water. He was coherent. We tried to keep him talking to make sure that he would stay coherent and he did so. And then, we cut away some of the jersey and what not and tried to apply something to the wound. I had my batting gloves on and those are pretty blood-soaked now.

KING: Could you tell, at that moment, one gunshot? When you first arrived, sort of, how did you figure out exactly where it was and what the issue was?

FLAKE: That one was clear. We kept looking and feeling down the leg or looking for other blood. We tried to see an exit wound. Another member ran out, Brad Wenstrup, I believe from Ohio who is a surgeon. And he -- we were looking to see if there was any other injury. We couldn't see it.

But we were having a hard time moving -- somebody took off their shirt and we put it on the wound and that kept it pretty well. But then, we removed that and tried to put some gauze on. And that wouldn't shop it. And so, we ended up having to put the shirt back on and get a belt or something to cinch it to try to keep the bleeding down.

KING: And Whip Scalise was speaking this entire time?

FLAKE: He was. He was. And he --

KING: Was he actually -- you said he asked for water. What else did he say?

FLAKE: Yes. He was just trying to ask and think about others or where the gunman was. But we were just glad he was talking and that he wasn't passing out.

KING: Obviously, it's a chaotic situation. You're not tracking time. But did you have any sense how quickly it was when you had police on scene and the response?

FLAKE: It seemed like a lot more than 10 minutes. But I think it was about 10 minutes which is a long time to be, you know, with return fire for a gunman to continue. And it was -- yes, I can tell you, it was harrowing (ph) for a lot of people. Gunfire everywhere.

When the gunfire started from behind our dugout, we really didn't know if that was our -- you know, Steve's security detail or if it was another gunman, perhaps. And so, I kept yelling, are you friendly? Are you friendly? And finally, the officer poked his head around the dugout and said, yes. And then, I could see who it was. And he kept returning fire from that position for a while.

KING: If Steve Scalise were not a member of the leadership and those two capitol police officers were not there, do you think you'd be here right now?

FLAKE: I doubt it. I mean, I think that the -- it would have been a horrible, horrible scene, much worse than it was. So, yes, very grateful that they were there. I mean, he had a lot of ammo. And obviously, with people seeking refuge in the dugout, unless there's somebody there to protect it, you know, if he makes it there to the dugout, then you're in trouble.

KING: I talked to Congressman DeSantis who left the field just a few minutes before this happened. And he said, he and Jeff Duncan were in the car and the shooter approached and said are those Republicans or Democrats out there.

He's deceased now, the shooter. On social media, Anti-Trump, anti- Republican rhetoric. Obviously, a political motivation here, it appears. Does that affect how you think about this day?

FLAKE: No, I think there'll be time enough to analyze that. Just trying to wrap my head around what happened and hopefully best wishes and prayers to those who were injured. And capitol police, just so glad they were there and were so heroic.

[13:10:04] KING: Senator, appreciate your time today. And, Wolf, as we get back to you, this is the sense you get across the capitol of the people cleaned up and have gone back to work. But there's a sense of shock. There's a sense of relief.

And there's a lot of prayers, obviously, for not only Congressman Scalise but the police officers and the others who, by all accounts, at this moment, will recover from their injuries. But, obviously, something up here everybody is deeply concerned about.

BLITZER: Yes, of course. And, thankfully, those police officers were there, the Capitol Hill police, otherwise this could've been so much worse.

All right, John King, thanks very much. Senator Flake, thanks to you as well. Fortunately, you're OK.

Let's bring in our Crime and Justice Producer Shimon Prokupecz. Shimon, what can you tell us about this shooter, 66-year-old James Hodgkinson?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE PRODUCER: Well, Wolf, we know a lot actually about him now. He's from this area of Illinois, Belleville, Illinois. As you said, he's 66. Pretty active on social media. I was -- what was described, by one law enforcement official, as anti-Trump views, anti-Trump postings.

But he was a member of -- he was affiliated, I should say, with anti- GOP groups. All of this very active. All of this open to the public on his Facebook page and also on his -- on his Twitter page.

So, he's certainly tweeted at different U.S. representatives, expressing his views. He has written letters to a local newspaper, complaining about some of the Republican views, Republican views on taxes and unemployment.

So, you know, investigators are now pouring through all of this, looking at all of this to try and figure out if this is what drove this man -- if this what drove this man to do this shooting. And that is playing a big part.

The FBI is now leading this investigation and they're going to try and build a timeline now, because they don't exactly know when he came to Alexandria. It could have been recent. Some family members have told "The New York Times" that it may have been in the last two months or so.

So, that's still under investigation. The police do have his vehicle that -- the vehicle that he drove to the scene and they were in the process of waiting for search warrants so they could search it to see what else was in there and to see what other evidence they can gather to really, at this point, now that he's dead, just really understand what drove him.

And also important to see who he was affiliated with. To see if there was anyone else, you know, maybe helping him. Maybe who helped him purchase the guns. Anything along those lines -- Wolf.

BLITZER: We're going to just begin to learn a lot more about this individual. All right, Shimon, thank you very much. Shimon Prokupecz reporting new information.

Let's go to our Senior Congressional Reporter Manu Raju. He's up on Capitol Hill.

Manu, the gunman, also we're told now, was a Bernie Sanders supporter. And Senator Sanders has now responded. Update us.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Yes, that's right. Actually, just moments ago, Bernie Sanders went to the floor of the United States Senate to condemn exactly what happened this morning. And to say, acknowledge that he was told this morning that this individual was, in fact, a volunteer of his campaign.

Some rather strong words from Bernie Sanders just moments ago. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the Republican baseball practice this morning is someone who apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign. I am sickened by this despicable act.

And let me be as clear as I can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change can only come about through nonviolent action and anything else runs counter to our most deeply held American values.

I know I speak for the entire country in saying that my hopes and prayers are that Representative Scalise, Congressional staff, and the Capitol Police officers who were wounded make a quick and full recovery.

I also want to thank the Capitol police for their heroic actions to prevent further harm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Now, Wolf, the shooter did interact with one of the members who was participating in this baseball practice this morning. That was Jeff Duncan, the Congressman from South Carolina. And the shooter apparently told him or asked him, who is practicing today? Was it Democrats or was it the Republican team? And Duncan told him it was the Republican team, according to Duncan's own recounting.

Now, what Bernie Sanders' campaign is also responding to this, as well. They're saying they actually have no recollection of this individual. They said that there were 10,000 campaign volunteers, at one point. Even in dealing with their Iowa caucuses.

Some of them, a lot of them were unpaid. It appears that Mr. Hodgkinson, the shooter, was also an unpaid volunteer. But they have no recollection of him, according to what these campaign officials are now telling our colleagues.

[13:15:06] But, clearly, Bernie Sanders felt the need to respond rather strongly earlier today. But, clearly, Bernie Sanders felt the need to respond rather strongly earlier today after learning this news that this person was trying to elect him as president, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, a strong statement from Senator Sanders.

Thanks very much, Manu Raju, up on Capitol Hill.

Let's go to our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. She's over at the scene in Alexandria, Virginia.

Not very far away, Barbara, from the Pentagon.

Set the scene for us. What's going on now?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. In fact, we're just about ten minutes south of the Pentagon. And I came here right away this morning. This neighborhood, I would think it's fair to say, on this street there are no politics right now. These people are absorbing what has happened here and this is the scene of an FBI-led federal investigation into an attack on Congress. The baseball field just behind me much less of a police presence than when we here - first got here several hours ago. But make no mistake, FBI leading this, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms on the scene. Local police on the scene. The governor was here. The FBI, right now, when they briefed reporters, said they are not

ruling anything out. There may be political motivations. There may be social media. But they are going to, as the FBI always does, of course, and as people would expect, look at every thread, everything they can find that will take them to any understanding of what happened here.

It was 7:00 this morning when the first 911 call came in to Alexandria Police. They say they got here within three minutes. Capitol Hill security that was guarding the congressman had returned fire. Those - two of those personnel had been hit. Alexandria Police also returning fire. And we are even hearing stories of some of the people who live right across the street taking some of the members who were playing in this baseball game, taking them into their homes, giving them shelter in the moments of confusion as all of this unfolded.

So it is quiet now, but, still, make no mistake, this, an FBI federal investigation into an attack on congress.

Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, an attack on a member of Congress, that's a federal crime. That's why the FBI is now taking the leadership in this investigation, although they're getting extensive assistance from other federal agencies, as well as local and state police there in Virginia.

Thanks very much for that.

Let's go to Brian Todd right now. He's over at the hospital here in Washington where the majority whip, Steve Scalise, is being treated.

What's the latest you're hearing there, Brian?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we've just gotten word that Congressman Scalise is out of surgery. That came from Senator Jeff Flake just a short time ago. The hospital is not providing many details on that. We have been told a short time ago by hospital officials that Congressman Scalise and one other victim from the shooting are being treated here. The other victim, the name is not being released by the hospital and the condition of that person not being released by the hospital at this time. We hope to get that for you very shortly, Wolf.

You can see here, a lot of police security vehicles to my right parked over here. Security personnel have been coming in and out of this building all day long since Congressman Scalise was brought here. He was medevacked here on a helicopter, landing on a helipad just a few feet from where we are over here. Also members of Congress coming in and out of here all morning long, as well.

Congressman Flake was saying that he was able to grab Congressman Scalise's cell phone right after the shooting on the baseball field while Congressman Scalise sat motionless, lay there motionless. And Senator Flake said he was able to call Congressman Scalise's wife on the phone as Mr. Scalise was being transported off the field. We were also told by Congressman Scalise's staff that he is in stable

condition. That he was in good spirits when he was here just before he went into surgery and was able to contact his wife on the phone.

And, of course, we've been hearing all morning from Senator Flake, from Congressman Mo Brooks and others about the heroism of two U.S. Capitol Police officers who were with Congressman Scalise at the time, probably providing security to him since he's in the line of succession for the presidency as majority whip. He would have security with him. We're told that those two officers engaged the shooter and took him down. That came even from President Trump, that those two officers took the shooter down. And, we, of course, know that the shooter is dead right now. And Congressman Mo Brooks and others were saying that those two officers really saved everyone's life there out on that field today, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Brian Todd, we'll get back to you when you get more information.

I want to just mention the names of the five people who were shot by this James Hodgkinson. And we'll put up their pictures, the ones that we have at least, and update you on their conditions. There they are.

Steve Scalise, he's listed in stable condition, the majority whip. He has undergone surgery. The surgery, we're told, has now been completed at the Washington Hospital Center.

[13:20:00] Also, Matt Mika, director of government relations for Tyson Foods, Senator Flake told our Manu Raju that Mika practices with the team. Flake said that Mika seemed to be the most seriously injured. He's being treated over at George Washington University Hospital. He's listed in critical condition.

Also Zack Barth, an aide to Texas Congressman Roger Williams. He was injured according to a statement from the lawmaker. We don't know which hospital, where he's being treated.

And the two Capitol Police officers who were injured, Krystal Griner and David Bailey. Speaker Ryan named them from the House floor just a little while ago. According to authorities, they're also being treated at a local hospital. Their injuries are not believed to be life- threatening.

That's the five individuals who were shot by James Hodgkinson, who himself was shot and killed.

Let's talk a little bit more about the response, the police, the investigation. Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks told me earlier that if it weren't for the heroism shown by those two Capitol Police officers on the scene, there were two of them, Congressman Brooks says this likely would have been a larger scale massacre.

Here with us right now is Tom Fuentes, our senior law enforcement analyst, former FBI assistant director. Also with me, law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey. He's a former District of Columbia Police chief. Also was police commissioner in Philadelphia. In Sacramento, Andre Guillerm, a former U.S. Capitol Police officer and in Alexandria, on the scene, Art Roderick, a law enforcement analyst for CNN, former U.S. Marshal.

Art, you're there. The shooter, we're told now by the president, we're told he died in the hospital. What else can you tell us about what police found at the scene and the weapon the shooter used?

ART RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, they located his vehicle, which was only parked about ten yards from where the shooter initiated his first volley of rounds through the fence that divides the ball field from the parking lot of the YMCA. This - he had to know how to get here. This is suburban D.C. This is a residential area. It's not something you would just see from - you would see the - some of the ball fields from the highway, but you would have to know how to take the backroads to get to this specific location.

So the first thing that struck me is, why here? Did he know that they were practicing here? Did he have - did he do some surveillance? Did he have some inside intel to get to this specific location?

And the individual came heavily armed. He had a M-1 or some type of assault rifle, plenty of ammunition because we heard from the witnesses that we heard about 15, 20 rounds fired and then a reload and then the individual kept firing. So, he was here to do a lot of damage. And thank goodness that the protection detail was here, along with two Alexandria City Police officers who were here just as a courtesy to the protection detail.

BLITZER: All right, stands by, Art.

We're just getting some tape in of an acquaintance of James Hodgkinson, the 66-year-old shooter, describing some of his political perhaps motivations. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just want to let people know that he wasn't evil. That he was, I guess, tired of some of the politics that are going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That's what we just heard, perhaps he wasn't evil, just tired of the politics that's going on.

Tom Fuentes, the FBI, the lead investigator right now, walk us through what they're doing.

TOM FUENTES, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I think the main thing they're trying to find out, Wolf, is whether he was associated with a group or other loosely affiliated individuals here in the D.C. area. It's reported that he moved to Alexandria from Illinois in the last couple of months. So where was he living here in Alexandria? They're going to try to find where that is, talk to his neighbors, talk to other people. Was there a group that he joined when he was here? And go back through his social media and any computer records, phone records, anything else they can find to see who else did he talk to and what did he tell them? Did he reveal intentions like this at some point?

And then, of course, also, the FBI will be getting assistance from ATF in particular tracing the gun. Where did that gun come from? Did he buy it himself? Is he the registered own? Did somebody else provide it for him? And then identify who that individual is. So right now I think that's the main focus is, who else did he talk to here that may reveal that he's part of a larger group.

BLITZER: Andre, let me go to you out there. You're in Sacramento. Steve Scalise, the majority whip, he had a small security detail. He's a leader, the number three leader in the House of Representatives. Is this normal security for a majority whip? Do they always get this kind of protection or is this relatively new?

ANDRE GUILLERM, INTELLIGENCE ANALYST, CENTRAL CA INTELLIGENCE CENTER: No, that's correct. Back in 1998, there was a shooting at the U.S. Capitol building and there was a Detective Gibson. He was killed defending then Majority Whip Tom Delay. So this is pretty standard that members - the leadership members of Congress receive a security detail, as well as any members that have a threat against them. A credible threat, I should add.

[13:25:14] BLITZER: So - and it's also normal, I take it, that when let's say a leader shows up at a baseball practice with his two Capitol Police officers protecting him, local police hear about that and they may come as an automatic sort of backup just out of an abundance of caution. That looks like what happened this morning.

GUILLERM: That's correct. And in the D.C. metro area, there's a lot of coordination between law enforcement agencies, both federal and local.

BLITZER: Charles Ramsey, Chief Ramsey, I want to play something for you that David Brat, he's a congressman, a Republican congressman from Virginia, told me about his concerns going forward. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAVE BRAT (R), VIRGINIA: Immediately, it brings town halls to mind, too. You've got 1,000 folks, people that want to, you know, give you their views as constituents, et cetera. But we have - the security thing now is going to be ramped up to new levels. If it takes just one person that's just, you know, off the rails on a certain day, it's not good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: I take it security is going to be ramped up. But not only on Capitol Hill, but elsewhere when a member of Congress, for example, has a town hall back home someplace and people come by the hundreds, presumably there's going to be tighter security.

CHARLES RAMSEY, FORMER WASHINGTON D.C. POLICE CHIEF: Well, oftentimes, if it's not here in Washington, wherever it's being held, the local police will also provide a detail there to kind of deal with some of the crowd issues and so forth. I'm sure there will be a lot of discussions that - now about security increases, but that's happened before. Gabby Giffords, when she was shot not too long ago, and other incidents that take place.

The bottom line is, it's very difficult. You have an awful lot of members of Congress and to have 24-hour protection for each and every one of them is certainly a challenge. But I'm sure that there will be a lot of discussion now about what takes place not just here in Washington but elsewhere if there's a need for security.

BLITZER: Tom, you agree?

FUENTES: Completely.

BLITZER: You think that when they just have a routine town hall, now local police, wherever they are in their districts, in their states, they presumably will come over just to make sure everything is good?

FUENTES: Yes, I think so. I think the campaigns or the offices of each congressman or senator will try to ensure additional local support for that. But, again, as Chief Ramsey mentions, 535 members of Congress, you're not going to provide them all with their own limos, their own security details and all of that. It's just not going to happen.

And just like the Gabby Giffords shooting in 2011, we had this great discussion. There's going to be a ramp-up of security. After there's nothing happens, nothing happens, nothing happens, it gets forgotten about. And I think, unfortunately, and especially in this case, we had actual fatalities in that shooting. We don't have today except for the shooter. So I hate to say it, but I think that after a while this will go by the boards and nothing major will happen.

BLITZER: Well, we'll see about that.

Very quickly, the baseball game will go on tomorrow night, Chief Ramsay, over at Washington Nationals Park here in the District of Columbia. Thousands of people will show up. But they automatically, if you go to a Nats game, they have good security when you go in. You've got to go through metal detectors to begin with.

RAMSEY: Well, they have good security there and I'm sure they'll maybe even increase it slightly in light of what just took place. But, yes, that will be a secure location.

BLITZER: Yes, I'm sure it will be.

All right, everybody stand by.

Up next, calls for unity coming from Capitol Hill and from the White House. We'll report the latest when our breaking news coverage continues.

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