Gunman Opens Fire at Military Facilities, Killing Four Marines; FBI Investigating Tennessee Shooting as Terrorism; FBI: Shooter Identified as Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT tonight, we have breaking news on many fronts. Four marines shot and killed outside a military site in Tennessee. New information at this hour about the alleged shooter Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez. His wrestling coach will be my guest OUTFRONT. Also breaking, the FBI investigating these attacks as terrorism across the country. Security stepped up. And more breaking news, the sole survivor of a plane crash in Washington State telling her story to CNN for the first time. You will hear her speak about how she survived right here OUTFRONT for the first time. Let's go OUTFRONT. And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. We begin OUTFRONT tonight with breaking news. CNN has learned the alleged gunman who opened fire at two military sites in Tennessee today is 24-year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez. Four American marines were killed. At least three others wounded. The shooter is dead. Law enforcement source says the FBI is investigating the shootings as terrorism. And this is a picture of Abdulazeez. We have this just in to CNN, as you can see, smiling picture. Notable there with a freckle. Otherwise, a normal looking young man.</s>CHIEF FRED FLETCHER, CHATTANOOGA POLICE DEPARTMENT: What we do know is that somebody brutally and brazenly attacked members of our armed services and officers of the Chattanooga Police Department and the sheriff's office responded immediately. And they were able to make sure that no further loss of life happened.</s>BURNETT: Tonight, the Department of Homeland Security increasing security at federal buildings here in New York, security already amped up at military recruiting stations and other sensitive locations. And moments ago, the President of the United States speaking and saying, given the nature of the shootings, he is putting military bases on alert.</s>PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: We've also been in contact with the Department of Defense to make sure that all our defense facilities are properly attentive and vigilant.</s>BURNETT: Victor Blackwell begins our coverage OUTFRONT in Chattanooga. And Victor, I know there are breaking developments that you have involving the shooting where you are standing right now.</s>VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erin, we know that the other location, that Naval Reserve Center, four marines were killed. But we know just moments ago receiving word from the Marine Corps that the shooter's bullets hit more than just doors and windows at this location. A marine recruiter was shot in the leg. Has been released from the hospital. The FBI teams are here on the ground pacing, looking for shell casings and a motive in this shooting.</s>BLACKWELL (voice-over): Around 10:45 this morning, the first shots fired. A witness says a silver mustang convertible pulled into this plaza lined with military recruiting offices.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just pulled up and I didn't think anything of it. He had his drop top and he looked to the side and next thing you know he lifted up his arms like this with a big black gun and just -- it was one shot and then it was endless shots, one after another, just unloading.</s>BLACKWELL: From there the alleged shooter, now identified as 24- year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, took off racing to a naval reserve center about seven miles away. Police responded giving chase, catching up with him at the reserve center where a gun battle broke out.</s>FLETCHER: They arrived on the scene extremely quickly. And they actively and enthusiastically engaged this brazen criminal.</s>ED REINHOLD, FBI SPECIAL AGENT: The response by the local law enforcement was overwhelming. They were able to neutralize the threat.</s>BLACKWELL: Four marines were killed on the scene. At least three others were wounded. Sources tell CNN the shooter also died on the scene. It was all over within 30 minutes. A former recruit is devastated to see the aftermath.</s>BILL KILLIAN, U.S. ATTORNEY: We are treating this as an act of domestic terrorism.</s>BLACKWELL: And late tonight, a law enforcement source tells CNN the FBI is working the case as a potential terrorism investigation.</s>BLACKWELL: And Erin, while investigators on the other side of that crime tape are taking photographs and collecting evidence, on this side of the tape, members of this community are coming, some in tears, leaving flowers and notes for the people who have been killed and injured in this attack at two locations tonight -- Erin.</s>BURNETT: Victor, thank you. And Gary Tuchman, I want to go to him now, he's outside the alleged shooter's family home. It's in Hixson, Tennessee, that's just a few miles outside of Chattanooga. Gary, you have found a lot out about Muhammad Abdulazeez, the alleged killer. What do you know?</s>GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you this, Erin. This neighborhood, which is about a 15-minute drive away from where the four marines were killed, is a beautiful upscale neighborhood. And it appears that Abdulazeez lived here for most of his life. We've talked to one particular neighbor who lives two doors down from where Abdulazeez lived. He says he has known Abdulazeez since he was seven-years-old. He says that his two sisters, an older sister and a younger sister, used to baby-sit for his own children. He says that Abdulazeez was in his house at times. Very pleasant and he was totally stunned when he heard about this. But right now, you see the police cars behind me, Erin. And that's because they have closed off the street not only to the news media but also to residents. Because right now, federal, local and state officials are inside the house going through it, making sure there's no booby traps, no explosive devices, seeing what evidence they can find. They have been there for at least an hour and a half now. We saw an ambulance go in. We believe that was for precaution. But right now they are in there looking through the house. We are told by another neighbor that at one point, people inside the house, we presume his family members, were told to come out with their hands out. They came out. So right now the police are inside searching the home.</s>BURNETT: Have you had a chance to speak to some of the neighbors there who have known Muhammad for many years. And what are they telling you about him, what kind of person he was?</s>TUCHMAN: Yes. What they are telling us -- first of all, they are telling us that this is a fine family. That they have gotten along with people in the neighborhood. The people in the neighborhood have gotten along with them. They also say that Abdulazeez himself did not talk very much. But this one neighbor we talked to who his sisters baby-sat for his kids, told us he was a very nice, polite young man. And when he heard about this and this is the sad part. When we heard this and we've covered a lot of tragedies, this man we talked to, he heard about this on the radio and he says, I hope that's not in my neighborhood. And he starts driving home and he saw all the police cars there. And then he heard it was Abdulazeez and he was stunned out of his mind. He says, he never could have imagine that. Never saw anything wrong with this kid in any way, shape or form and just totally stunned.</s>BURNETT: And now the President says there's going to be answers, Gary. The FBI is obviously working overtime to try to nail down his motive, right? Why this could have happened? Is there anything on that front that you know about at this moment?</s>TUCHMAN: Yes. No. What we know about this young man, and he was 24-years-old. He graduated three years ago from the Chattanooga campus of the University of Tennessee with an electrical engineering degree. He had a couple of internships. But if he had a full-time job, we don't know about it. His trail seems to stops around 2012 when he had his last internship. So, he's an educated, college graduate. On his resume, he talks about how he is proficient in all these things. If you look at his resume, you think this is a career guy with a bright future had. Instead, he is dead and he's the gunman who is killed all these innocent people.</s>BURNETT: All right. Gary, thank you very much. As Gary gets more information -- and literally, I want to emphasize our viewers, what we know about the alleged shooter Muhammad Abdulazeez is developing moment by moment. I want to bring in now his high school coach, his wrestling coach. Kevin Emily joins me now on the phone. Kevin, let me just start with you, what was he like? You just heard what our reporter was able to gain from neighbors who knew him. You knew him well. You coached him. What was he like?</s>KEVIN EMILY, FORMER COACH OF ALLEGED SHOOTER (on the phone): Yes, I did. I knew Muhammad very well. And Muhammad was -- he was a great student. He was, you know, a good wrestler. And you know, he was a smart individual. He was very friendly. And, you know, and got along with the whole team. He actually started for me. And he always contributed, always did what I asked him to do. And never had any problems with Muhammad. And he was very humble when he was in high school. You know, he always listens to me, he looked me in the eye. And he was just -- in high school he was a great kid.</s>BURNETT: So, you know, that sounds very consistent with what Gary is hearing. You are adding in the word humble. Gary also was reporting the neighbors are saying that the family attends a local mosque regularly. Do you know or when he was in high school, did faith play any role in his life?</s>EMILY: I don't want to go into it too much. You know, when he would, you know, he would need to pray, he would say, you know, hey coach, I have to go pray. And I would say, okay. You know, sometimes he would miss practice. But other than that, no. You know, his mom and dad would come to the wrestling matches. You know, I have had conversations with his father. And they were always very supportive. And, you know, to the best of my ability, they're a great family. And like I've said, I'm totally in shock. A lot of my former wrestlers have been reaching out to me. And, you know, my prayers to the families, and even Muhammad and his family as well. Because it's just -- I don't have answers for it. Doesn't seem like him.</s>BURNETT: So, it sounds like this is someone who was, you know, faith was important in his life. He was humble. He was a good student. He was a starter for you. It sounds like what you are saying is, whatever happened here, it happened after you knew him, something must have changed.</s>EMILY: I mean, I don't want to agree to that extent. I just know that as a student -- Muhammad was a regular student. You know, there was no red flags about anything. You know, that I could say, you know, here or there, yes I saw that. No, Muhammad was, he was, you know, one of the guys that, you know, we had a tight bond together. So, no, I mean, his everyday activities were normal. You know, I took one summer at wrestling camp to talk to Muhammad because I was interested in, you know, some things about him.</s>BURNETT: Uh-mm.</s>EMILY: I just wanted to know. After our conversation, I felt like I knew more about him than I had, you know, taken the time to know, which made me feel better about him. Because a lot of people don't take the time to get to know a person once they find out their religion. So, I didn't see anything different in Muhammad at all. I even talked to him, you know, I talk to all my wrestlers after high school. And he reached out to me last year and let me know how he was doing.</s>BURNETT: You did speak to him in the past year. Yes.</s>EMILY: Yes. He contacted me. Yes.</s>BURNETT: All right. Well, Kevin, I really appreciate your taking the time to share all of this with us. A lot of this is new information as we're learning and trying to understand more about what could have caused this horrific act. The Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke is OUTFRONT. He joins me on Skype. And Mayor Berke, I appreciate you're taking the time. You just heard our reporter with the latest information that he had about Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez. His wrestling coach talking about him as a humble student, a great student. There were no red flags. He was a young man of faith who had missed practice to pray at times. A very polite young man. That's what he was able to tell me. What else can you tell us about Muhammad?</s>MAYOR ANDY BERKE (D), CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE: Well, I don't know anything about Muhammad except for what I know from today. And of course, today's incident was a horrible and violent scene in our city. We had four marines tragically killed. A couple others wounded. And one of our own, a Chattanooga police officer, was shot in the leg by the shooter. And so for us, you know, and for me, I think, today our hearts are breaking in this city from what happened.</s>BURNETT: And are you concerned at this point, Mayor, from the briefings that you are receiving, that he could be part of something that would involve anyone else, any sort of a cell or bigger operation?</s>BERKE: I'm not concerned that there is an issue right now in Chattanooga. Everything that we have seen indicates that there was nothing else going on today. But every one of our resources right now is devoted to fully investigating whether he was part of something bigger. And if so, what? I know that the FBI, the ATF, the Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County sheriff's office, all of us have everybody on duty to make sure that we know everything about this incident possible.</s>BURNETT: And was there any warning in advance? Any kind of a threat? Anything similar when you look back that you now say, that could have told us?</s>BERKE: No. There really wasn't. And in fact, you know, we have already had discussions with the FBI about that. Most of our information that's homeland security related comes from the federal government. There was not any indication that something was going to happen today. I will say though that our officers were prepared and acted heroically. You know, I spent several hours listening to them describe what was really a harrowing and violent scene.</s>BURNETT: Uh-mm.</s>BERKE: Bullets whizzing around them. And you know, they were telling me about the training that they had received and how it kicked in when they encountered really this, you know, horrible incident.</s>BURNETT: All right. Well, thank you very much, mayor. I appreciate your time tonight. Our breaking news coverage continues OUTFRONT next with security stepped up across the country. Was this act of terror inspired by ISIS? An eyewitness describing the moments the alleged gunman opened fire and how she got away from police. She is OUTFRONT, next. She will be my guest. We'll be right back.