History of Suspected Museum Shooter; New Evidence Air France Flight Broke Apart; Miss California Fired
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: And we're coming up now at the top of the hour. It's Thursday, it's the 11th of June. Good morning to you. Thanks for being with us. I'm John Roberts.</s>KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Kiran Chetry. Here's what's on this morning's agenda. These are the stories we're going to be breaking down for you in the next 15 minutes. There are some new details this morning about the suspect in the Holocaust Museum shooting. We're learning more about 88-year James Von Brunn's criminal past and also his ties to hate groups as well as antigovernment organizations. We're going to get a live report in just a moment. Also, did Air France Flight 447 break up in mid-flight over the Atlantic? There's some new evidence this morning suggesting that the doomed jetliner did not hit the water in one piece. We're live with developments on that investigation. And in just about 90 minutes, Wall Street kicks off the trading day and investors are awaiting to hear the results of key reports on weekly jobless claims as well as retail sales numbers. Will they help us know anything more about whether or not the ongoing recession is ending? Well, our money team is standing by to bring you that information as soon as we get it. We begin, though, with new information this morning about the 88- year-old white supremacist whose hatred of Jews and blacks, police say erupted into murder at the Holocaust Museum. Right now, police are building their case against James von Brunn. They said they've discovered a notebook listing other locations in Washington that he may have tried to target. The suspected gunman is now hospitalized in critical condition. He was shot in the head. And this morning, the Holocaust Museum is closed. The flags flying at Half Staff in honor and memory of fallen security guard Steven Tyrone Johns. Also this morning, authorities are pouring over the long and troubled history of James von Brunn. The white supremacist with a life-long grievance against the government. CNN's Jim Acosta is live in Annapolis, Maryland, with details on what may have caused this elderly gunman to snap.</s>JIM ACOSTA, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran. That's right. Law enforcement officials are putting the pieces together. Unfortunately, not connecting the dots that should have been connected before yesterday's tragedy. But nonetheless, they are doing some work this morning. We can tell you that overnight they were snapping pictures inside this apartment complex where James von Brunn lived with some relatives off and on. And in just the last couple of hours, we were on the scene and were rolling as law enforcement officials were pulling bags of von Brunn's items out of this apartment. CNN has also spoken with the suspect's ex-wife who confirmed that law enforcement officials are also talking with her. She told CNN that her ex-husband has harbored anti-Semitic views for decades.</s>ACOSTA (voice-over): Alleged Holocaust Museum gunman James von Brunn was living off and on at this Annapolis apartment complex with relatives. Neighbors say the 88-year-old bragged about serving in the military and wasn't shy about sharing his white supremacist views.</s>HAROLD O'LYNNGER, JAMES VON BRUNN'S NEIGHBOR: The only thing he did was say that the media covered the holocaust too much.</s>ACOSTA: FBI agents searched von Brunn's other home in nearby eastern Maryland, where neighbors there say they also saw trouble.</s>SHAWN PARSON, JAMES ON BRUNN'S NEIGHBOR: I used to be a police officer. And he would be somebody that I would kind of have my eye on.</s>ACOSTA: Why?</s>PARSON: Because of the way that he put himself out there. He would be fine one minute and just like with a young boy that I was talking about, he would just kind of go off on you, you know, for no reason.</s>ACOSTA: Wednesday night, the FBI also interviewed von Brunn's ex-wife. She told CNN that she's quote, "in a state of shock" over what happened, and asked that we not use her name. She said she didn't know about her ex-husband's anti-Semitic views until a few years into their marriage and was in total disagreement with his views. But experts in the field of tracking hate groups have had their eye on von Brunn for years.</s>MARK POTOK, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: Thirty years ago, he was spending time with leading members of the Neo-Nazi right.</s>ACOSTA: Mark Potok with the southern poverty law center says von Brunn worked for a small publishing group called noontime press, which denies the holocaust. In recent years, Potok says von Brunn grew more isolated and wrote a hate-filled book entitled, "Kill the Best Gentiles," raging against Jews and African-Americans.</s>POTOK: This was a man who was growing old all by himself. He didn't seem to participate in many movement activities, but he did put out a steady stream of propaganda.</s>ACOSTA: And von Brunn has acted on his beliefs before. In 1981, he tried to kidnap members of the Federal Reserve, convinced it was controlled by Jews. For that von Brunn was convicted and served six years in prison.</s>JOHN HOGROGIAN, ATTORNEY ON VON BRUNN'S 1983 APPEAL CASE: His defense at trial was essentially that it was an act of conscience. And I had no reason to doubt that he didn't sincerely hold those beliefs.</s>ACOSTA: By his own account, von Brunn tried a number of professions, from painting, to marketing, to real estate. What's still unclear is what lit the fuse this time.</s>ACOSTA: And investigators found a notebook in von Brunn's car listing other targets that the suspect wanted to</s>CHETRY: Absolutely. All right. Jim Acosta for us in Washington today. Thanks so much. And also, in just a few moments, a witness to the killing. Former Defense Secretary William Cohen just happened to be steps away from this alleged suspect when this shooting began. He and his wife, playwright Janet Cohen, are going to be joining us live in just a couple of minutes to talk more about the shooting.</s>ROBERTS: Looking forward to that. More on our developing story this morning. The investigation into the crash of Air France Flight 447. It's truly a race against the clock now to find the black boxes. And a French nuclear submarine is scouring the area, listening for the data and voice recorders pings before they fade away. The pinging will stop in about 30 days' time, leaving only 2-1/2 to 3 weeks left before they go silent. There's also talk of new clues and a possible link to terrorism. But that theory is being firmly disputed. Our Paula Newton is live with us now. She's in London for the very latest. What's being said about this terrorist link, Paula?</s>PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: You know, they said from the beginning that, look, everything's on the table. We can't rule anything out. And keeping with that, French intelligence service went immediately to Brazil to start an investigation. They did come up with two names on the passenger list that may have led to some suspicions. But French security sources telling CNN that, in fact, they do not believe that those two names are similar to two names that were linked to Islamic terrorism. And that in fact, they do not believe that a terrorism link is likely. Having said that, John, as you and I both know in the last ten days through this investigation, the problem is, even what they do know leads to a more confusing picture. The latest here saying that it does look like this plane broke up midair, but they still don't know why. John?</s>ROBERTS: And, of course, they continue to search for those so- called black boxes deep in the Atlantic Ocean. It would make looking for a needle in a haystack. Look like child's play in comparison. Are they prepared to take this all the way to the end? You know, that 30 days and maybe even go beyond and hopes that the batteries stay alive a little bit longer than that 30-day window?</s>NEWTON: They definitely will go even beyond if they have to. But right now they say quite frankly they're depending on a little bit of luck when we talked about the adversity a few miles down and the kind of mountain range that exists out there. And beyond that, also, the search for bodies now, Brazilian authorities saying they are trying to get to a date where they think it will be realistic to find anymore bodies. They're saying that's going to happen in about another week to ten days' time. Already, John, they're having incredible problems with the current from that area. Starting to find more debris scattered across a wider area. And as we discussed, John, the weather not helping out at all.</s>ROBERTS: No. Paula Newton for us this morning in London. Paula, thanks so much for that.</s>CHETRY: Well, Miss California USA stripped of her crown. It's one of the most popular stories right now. Carrie Prejean's reign was marked by controversy over her views on same-sex marriage. There were also some photos of her not wearing a shirt that's surface. Well, runner-up Tami Farrell now assumes the title. On last night's "LARRY KING LIVE," she was asked the same question that got Prejean in so much hot water.</s>BILLY BUSH, HOST: Vermont just became the fourth state -- of course, now, Maine is the fifth state. But Vermont just became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think all states should follow suit and why?</s>TAMI FARRELL, NEW MISS CALIFORNIA USA: Well, I think -- honestly, I think that it's a personal decision and I think it's a civil rights issue. And I think it's something that we should let each state decide. I think it's silly, too, with all of this controversy right now, that the world is looking to beauty queens for the answer more than anything. That's my honest opinion. But I -- you know, that's where I stand.</s>LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": You're a California voter, though.</s>FARRELL: Yes.</s>KING: How would you vote on this issue?</s>FARRELL: How would you vote on this issue?</s>KING: You're the guest.</s>FARRELL: Yes.</s>KING: That was the question. How would you vote? You don't have to answer, but how would you vote?</s>FARRELL: You know, well, I guess --</s>KING: How do you feel about it? You said it's a personal.</s>KEITH LEWIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MISS CA USA ORGANIZATION: That's the great thing. You know, it's -- the ballot box is confidential.</s>BUSH: Here we go.</s>LEWIS: And that's the great thing.</s>KING: So you don't choose to answer? You don't have to.</s>FARRELL: Well, yes. My thing is I just think with all of the controversy that's been go on, I want to start clean and I want to move forward. There are so many other amazing organizations and so many great things we can champion here. And I feel like -- just like everybody else in the world, they think this has dragged on for so long. Let's move forward and start clean.</s>CHETRY: Well, there you go. Pageant officials say that Prejean was fired for being derelict in her post-pageant duties. It's a claim that she denies. But you saw the executive director of the pageant just jump in there for a minute, because if she would've answered, no matter which way she answered, that would have definitely been the headline.</s>ROBERTS: Well, she had a very politically correct answer to the first question.</s>CHETRY: That the states decide.</s>ROBERTS: You don't think that somebody said to her, somewhere along the lines, by the way, if you get asked that same question --</s>ROBERTS: Here's a couple of talking points you might want to think about. But I love Larry, you know. You don't have to answer, but what would you -- how would you vote? No really, how would you vote?</s>CHETRY: Exactly. But, you know, what --</s>ROBERTS: You don't have to answer but how would you vote?</s>CHETRY: The smartest thing she said was, why are we looking at beauty queens, you know, for the answer? You know, for their opinion on that issue anyway? Anyway, she's a cute, young girl and good luck to her. And good luck to, you know -</s>ROBERTS: She's lovely young lady.</s>CHETRY: You know what, who knew all of these controversy. We don't even know -- no one even talks about the person who actually won the pageant. The Miss Universe pageant, right? I mean, the Miss USA pageant.</s>ROBERTS: It's all about California. How would you vote? You don't have to answer that.</s>CHETRY: Pretty good King imitation there.</s>ROBERTS: That's going to be another entry into one of his fine books coming up. The one that's currently out there is great, by the way. He got a good story about Moppo.</s>CHETRY: His book is really a good one.</s>ROBERTS: The story about Moppo is priceless. Eleven minutes now after the hour.