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Security Increased across U.S. for Fourth of July Weekend; Disproportionate Number of Shark Attacks Continue off Coast of Carolinas; Donald Trump Continues to Receive Criticism for Comments on Illegal Immigrants; Illegal Immigration Charged with Murder; CNN Hero Helps Veterans through Hiking. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired July 4, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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


[10:00:02] ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, shark attacks, 10 attacks down the east coast already on this busy weekend. Should people be afraid to go into the water?

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, no vacation day for the candidates looking to take over the White House in the next election. From breakfast with voters to Main Street parades across New Hampshire and Iowa this Fourth of July. There is work to be done.

KOSIK: Good morning. I'm Alison Kosik in for Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. It's 10:00 on the east coast, 7:00 out west. Welcome to CNN Newsroom and happy Fourth of July.

And as millions of people, possibly you, preparing for barbecues and fireworks, law enforcement officials are asking you to be vigilant. If you see something, say something. States across the country, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Washington, especially, ramping up security efforts bringing in extra law enforcement, spotters, snipers, as officials warn that celebrations could be the target of terror attacks.

Some of the toughest security will be in our nation's capital. We should say the tightest security. Sunlen Serfaty is there following the story from the national mall. Sunlen?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Victor. Despite all of this rain, hundreds of thousands are expected here on the National Mall later to watch the fireworks show. And while the sort of major security presence here in D.C. during the Fourth of July isn't anything new, there are some extra warnings that are causing local officials to be on edge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: Ramped up security across the nation on this holiday. In Washington, checkpoints for those watching the fireworks with more than 18,000 feet of fencing in place to protect the National Mall, special patrols at Washington landmarks and a heavy police presence authorities in those seen and unseen ways.

LT. ALLEN GRIFFITH, U.S. PARK POLICE: We prepare for worst case scenarios and we have contingencies in place should they occur. We don't anticipate they will.

SERFATY: Much of the anxiety stems from a bulletin issued by the FBI and department of homeland essentially warning of potential attacks by ISIS this holiday weekend. U.S. officials say there is no intelligence about specific for credible plots, but there has been an uptick of chatter from ISIS encouraging their followers to attack during this time. The dominant concern -- homegrown violent extremists, supporters of ISIS within the U.S. who may be inspired to carry out their call to action.

ASH CARTER, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: In the year of social media and phenomena like ISIL, unlike Al Qaeda of the old days, there doesn't have to be and won't necessarily be a commanding control relationship between somebody who instigates an incident and ISIL as an organization. There are self-radicalized, self-organized people on social media.

SERFATY: These so-called lone wolf attacks are a challenge for the intelligence community, much harder to pick up ahead of time.

It is not just in Washington. Police forces across the nation including New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles are on high alert, and not just in streets but online.

GRIFFITH: There are people assigned monitoring social media and known websites.

SERFATY: Looking for any specifics.

GRIFFITH: That's correct, just any kind of watch words. So it's constantly being monitored.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: And the threat won't go away with the Fourth of July holiday. Law enforcement officials are they also concerned about a potential attack around the holy month of Ramadan which lasts until the 17th of this month. This sort of extra anxiety, extra security presence won't likely go away until at least then. Alison, Victor?

BLACKWELL: All right, Sunlen Serfaty, thank you so much.

KOSIK: And New York City also seeing tightened security this weekend, security across the Burroughs as the state's governor is warning the city that it could be a top target for terror, putting extra officer, helicopters, and police boats, all part of a massive effort to keep New Yorkers and tourists there safe as hundreds of thousands of people gather to watch New York's iconic fireworks displays.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: About 42 million people will be traveling this holiday weekend. So officials are focusing on travel hubs like here at Penn Station in New York City. Yesterday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announcing that he is beefing up patrols and staff at the emergency operations center here in the city. This aside from the fact that law enforcement tells us they have snipers and spotters at strategic key locations around the city looking for any suspicious activity. We also know they have scanned for explosives and radioactive devices from land, sea, and air, and they have 7,000 cameras scattered across New York City watching for anything that looks out of place. Officials tell us they are prepared for any kind of attack. And people here at Penn Station tell us they are happy to see the added law enforcement presence.

[10:05:00] KOSIK: OK, Boris Sanchez, thanks.

BLACKWELL: We have got with us CNN law enforcement analyst Cedric Alexander. And Cedric, we know that the mindset in Washington and New York is that they are always targets. But I wonder, when we look at what New York is doing, what is a city like Nashville doing, a smaller city? Are they going through likely the same precautions?

CEDRIC ALEXANDER, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Absolutely, they are. Smaller cities, large cities, it doesn't matter across America, everybody is utilizing all their resources, working together both with local, state and federal officials as well.

So it doesn't matter whether you are in New York City or you're in Mobile, Alabama, on a day like today with the warnings that are out there, even though there are no credible threats, we all of course are in preparation to make sure we keep the community safe in which we serve across the country.

KOSIK: The big landmarks, those are the obvious threats, but it's those threats that you don't really think about, maybe the bridges or maybe even a shopping mall. How does law enforcement tackle those, quote, "soft targets"? There are so many. What do you start?

ALEXANDER: Well, what you have to do is try to operate off intelligence information. And if small communities or any community receive any information whatsoever, they utilize it. They go into action with it. But of course, one thing that we are saying to everybody as it relates to soft targets, targets that are unprotected, easy to get to, such as what you just named, what we all must do is be very vigilant. We have to pay attention to our surroundings, where we are, what we are doing. And if we see something, here again, say something. It can't shall just some cliche that we use. It has to mean something to us in the environment we live in today.

BLACKWELL: We have seen over the last couple of months, before these attacks or attempted attacks, many of these lone wolves or ISIS inspired attackers tweet, post things on Facebook. How much time -- help us understand the degree of resources that are dedicated to monitoring social media on the local level?

ALEXANDER: You know, that is very difficult. It is very difficult even at the federal level. We heard that here before. So we all take part in doing what we can with all the resources, technological resources that we have. But here again, Victor, one of the greatest assets that we have in this nation today are citizens of this country, people who are out here every day in walks of life who hear things, see things, be helpful as you can to local law enforcement, state, federal officials, should they ask questions. If you have concerns, make them known to someone, because there is a

lot of opportunities out there that sometimes we may not be aware of, but for all of us to be safe, we all have to work in conjunction with each other. We are going to continue to see that as we move forward.

KOSIK: But with law enforcement especially on guard today, it is the Fourth of July, what about tomorrow and the next day? It is still wide open. Do you expect to see the same kind of attention?

ALEXANDER: Well, I think what we are going to see is a very new normal in this country where we are all going to have to be very vigilant all the time. And it's not just on holidays such as today, but as we move through our normal course of life, because we do know that we have outside threats that are trying to move into this country, that are trying to influence people in this country as well too. So we always have to be alert. But here is the most important thing we have to do. We still need to get out and enjoy our freedom in this nation and not let anyone take that from us. So we get out on a day like today, whether it is sunny or wet whether it's. We get out, we celebrate, we enjoy our friends, we enjoy our families, and enjoy the birthday of America as well, too.

KOSIK: Absolutely.

BLACKWELL: Cedric Alexander, law enforcement analyst for CNN, thank you so much.

ALEXANDER: Thank you.

KOSIK: Beaches along the Carolina coast, they are on alert. But this warning is for sharks. With almost the double attacks so far this year, what's drawing these dangerous fish closer to shore.

Plus, out of control fireworks, several people hurt when malfunctioning fireworks fly into the crowd at a Colorado town display.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:12:42] KOSIK: Scary. Can you imagine being him? This incredible video capturing a man swimming for his life after a shark flipped him off his kayak into the middle of the ocean. Ben Chancey was fishing for a goliath grouper when the eight-plus-foot bull shark knocked him into the shark-filled waters off the coast of Florida. He used pretty quick thinking, though. He swam to the safety of a support boat. But crazy enough, he hopped back into the kayak because he wanted more fun, to finish what he began and actually unhooked the shark. He actually spoke to CNN last night about this adventure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CHANCEY, CAPTAIN, CHEW ON THIS FISH CHARTERS: I made it to safety. And we flipped the kayak back over. At that point in time I felt like the shark had won the battle. I thought I was winning but when he flipped me over I felt like I lost the battle. And it was kind of vindication hopping back in and finishing off. It is like, if you fall off a horse, you better get back on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: A guy with guts. Chancey didn't let the near death experience shake him. He was back in the water yesterday.

BLACKWELL: So this incident here comes at a time when the east coast is already on high alert. Eleven attacks along North and South Carolina coast. That's higher than the average of six attacks per year off the coast of the two states combined. The latest attack was on Ocracoke Island. A man escaped the attack, but the water was certainly bloody when he made it to shore. Now some people are thinking, do I want to go in the water? Others say, let's do it.

Nick Valencia is there on Wrightsville Beach this morning talking to people who are there on the beach. Are they going in or not, Nick?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You see behind me, Victor, this is a happening crowd here. Lots of people have shown up, local residents and tourists allot. Yesterday I hung out with a group of local here, local resident. It was a hot topic of conversation, this seemingly active shark bite season just off the coast of both North and South Carolina.

Today a sort of different tone among those that I have spoken to. One surfer who was one of the first people here in the water early this morning, he told me it wasn't really on his mind. Still others I talked to said they have a healthy fear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB KIEBER, SURFER: It is a very rare occurrence. I know there is more this year. But it is just such a rare thing. And there are so many other problems you are going to have on July Fourth this shouldn't be something they are all that concerned about. I know they are very scary but they are just not, I don't know, they are just not that concerning to me.

[10:15:15] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are just hoping we don't get bit.

VALENCIA: Are you scared at all?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not that worried.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, a healthy fear.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: So even still this is pretty scary stuff. Victor was talking about at least 11 attacks. That's nearly double the average for this time of year. Six attacks is around the average. And you may be asking yourself, what is contributing to all of this? We've been interviewing experts all week on CNN. A number of factors, environmental, biological variables, things like warmer water, higher salinities, bait fishers. It's also turtle season, a lot of sharks coming to the shore to eat, essentially. And if swimmers get caught in that, well, that's usually when those bites occur.

Even still, though, you have a higher probability of being struck by lightning or becoming the president of the United States. For those going into the ocean this weekend, keep your head in a swivel. Experts say don't swim at night or during dusk when sharks are most active. Victor?

BLACKWELL: All right, Nick, thank you so much. And I know for people who are sitting at home, they are thinking, it was just 10 and now 11. Was someone attacked this morning? No, not the concern there. My team back in the control room tells us that an attack that was being investigated from earlier this week was just confirmed as a shark attack and that now is added to the list bringing us to 11. All right, just to clarify that for everybody at home. Again, thanks to Nick. Send it over to you, Alison.

KOSIK: OK, the question is, just how big is the threat for shark attacks, especially on the Fourth of July? Should you be afraid to go in the water or are you safer than you think?

Joining me now is Joe Romeiro, shark expert and cinematographer with "Shark Week." Thanks for joining us, Joe.

JOE ROMEIRO, SHARK EXPERT, CINEMATOGRAPHER: Thanks for having me.

KOSIK: You swim with the fishes, so to speak. What are the habits of sharks and what are the habits of people that may put us in danger when we go to the beach, especially with sharks swimming around more than usual?

ROMEIRO: Well, what's happening right now is a trifecta of three different things. There's warmer waters coming up from the south right now. There's also a lot of baitfish and predatory animals following them and the sea turtles up to shore. And right now people are entering these warm, murky waters. So it makes for a higher chance for an encounter with a shark.

KOSIK: Are these unusual conditions or don't we see these types of conditions every year around this time?

ROMEIRO: No, not at warm as they are this year. This year, it is incredibly a lot warmer. So the sharks have come up a lot quicker.

KOSIK: So what do we have to do, meaning we that go to the beach? I like to go out there and surf. I am kind of scared to get on the board now. What should we do, what should we think about as we go?

ROMEIRO: Let me say first and foremost that sharks don't naturally target humans as any kind of food source. What this is is all mistaken identity. So you have to keep in mind all the factors that come into account to win an encounter like this. It is going to be bad visibility when the animal is just looking for its food and might bump into something and test it with their mouths. They don't have hands. So you won't to avoid those situations. You also want to avoid places where they fish and fishermen want to avoid where swimmers are. You just want to be really responsible about where you are swimming.

KOSIK: OK, so what's your advice if I come face to face with one of these sharks in the water, how can I survive?

ROMEIRO: Well, the chances of seeing a shark and then it accidentally biting you are very, very slim. You still have more chances of being bit by another human. But if you do see a shark in the water, I would just say be respectful and try to leave the water and give it its space and let it pass by.

KOSIK: When you say leave the water, OK, I'm in the water, I see the shark, I can't help but be a little panicked. Do you not flail your arms? Does that cause the shark to go after you? What's the appropriate way to act?

ROMEIRO: Well, it's just to react calm and move out as calmly as you normally would. Any kind of splashing or thrashing is always just going to attract attention from anything in that season. So if it came over to investigate it because of thrashing, it would be because of a lot of loud sounds, not because it is a person.

KOSIK: OK, Joe Romeiro, thanks so much for your advice. I may just get back on the board.

ROMEIRO: All right, thank you.

KOSIK: Victor?

BLACKWELL: And remember that, as he says, you are more likely to be bitten been a human.

KOSIK: Oh, yes, and become president of the United States or something like that?

BLACKWELL: Yes. Humans bite.

(LAUGHTER)

KOSIK: Fireworks accident at a Fourth of July celebration, several people injured here, taking a serious turn now, when a malfunction sends the fireworks into the crowd there on the ground. Hear what happened next.

[10:20:03] And Donald Trump going after one of his Republican opponents, calling the candidate weak on immigration. Find out who Trump is targeting now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: Here's a look at other stories making headlines now.

BLACKWELL: It's 23 minutes after the hours now. A source tells CNN that experts reached a tentative deal on language dealing with sanctions relief in the conversations between authorities with the U.N. and Iran. The source cautions that the language has to be presented to foreign ministers of the countries involved and that there is still lots of work to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa. What's going on?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Some out of control fireworks in Colorado injuring nine people. It happened when a shell malfunctioned during a Fourth of July show last night landing in the crowd instead of firing into the sky. Officials say an investigation began immediately after the incident. The nine victims were treated for minor burns and released

BLACKWELL: Some folks across the south and New England, expect rain and a heat wave in the northeast or northwest, rather, just some of the weather headlines. Let's get to meteorologist Ivan Cabrera who joins us now with some details.

KOSIK: Kind of a bummer on the Fourth of July.

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: A little bit of a bummer here in the southeast, a soggy start to it and a soggy end to it here. Across the northeast we will be seeing some showers. I think these will actually move offshore by the time with he get into fireworks. But take a look at this line across the southeastern U.S. That has not moved at all. And it is not going to be moving. So that means we have the potential of flooding here.

There is a slight chance of some of the southern extent of the thunderstorms here going severe on us, maybe 50, 60 mile an hour winds. But I think the biggest threat is going to be the heavy rain and the flash flooding that's going to be occurring, already is in the areas that have picked up three to six inches in the last couple of days. Look at the flash flood warnings in red, flash flood watches in green conditions favorable, but that to occur later on this afternoon.

[10:25:08] So not the typical day where you wake up, sunny skies and afternoon storms, no, rain all day, unfortunately, across the southeastern U.S. We'll put the clock in motion and be able to see by the time we get to 4:30 the rain in the northeast does push out by 9:00, 10:00. So fireworks looking good there. But in the southeast, we're still wet with terrific amounts of rainfall.

Not just today. I think we are in for a wet weekend in the southeast heading into tomorrow as well, which is why we are going to continue to see the flash flood warnings likely over the next couple of days. Severe weather threat potential in the southeast along with the northern plains as well as some strong thunderstorms. As you mentioned, the northwest, some fireworks canceled because of the heat, triple digit heat continue across portions of the northwest.

KOSIK: A lot of us watching fireworks on TV tonight.

CABRERA: We are, indeed. KOSIK: Thanks, Ivan.

BLACKWELL: Thank you so much.

So it's a busy July Fourth weekend for more than a half dozen presidential candidates. They are spending Independence Day trying to win votes in the key early states. A live update from the campaign trail.

KOSIK: Plus, Donald Trump continuing his aggressive run for 2016, calling out more opponents this morning. Stay here to hear why he is calling Marco Rubio weak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome. Welcome to my home in Wimbledon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jane Weldon (ph) has been hosting the greats of the game at her Wimbledon home for seven years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a five minute walk from here. And you can see the courts and you can hear the roar from center and number one courts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Apartments with the S.W. 19 post code start at $2,200 a week, and family homes top out at $23,000. Players are willing to pay big for the convenience of walking to work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is something really nice about Wimbledon that makes you feel you can live a normal live.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger Federer requires two houses when he comes to Wimbledon to accommodate his growing family. He is looked after by Joanna Donager who finds private homes for most of the top players.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are quite superstitious, quite a lot of players, I think. I can never get a player to go and live in a house that's number 13, for example.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wimbledon business owners know the value of privacy. If they can keep their clients happy, they will be returning for years to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:31:13] KOSIK: More than a half-dozen presidential candidates are vying for support in key primary states this Independence Day. Hillary Clinton and GOP candidates including Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Rick Perry, and Lindsey Graham will spend the day stumping in New Hampshire. And some are taking part in parades that kicked off moments ago.

Meantime, Democratic challengers Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley are doing the same this hour in Iowa. CNN politics reporter, M. J. Lee, joins us now for more. I understand you had, or saw a Rick Perry, Jeb Bush meeting happen today?

M. J. LEE, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: that's right, Alison. We are hearing that Rick Perry and Jeb Bush rendezvoused in Amherst. This is bound to happen when you have so many candidates coming to a state like New Hampshire, a state like Iowa to partake in the July Fourth weekend celebrations. I'm here in the northern New Hampshire town of Gorham. Behind me I am already seeing some of the town's residents setting up their chairs and getting ready to see Hillary Clinton participate in the town parade later this afternoon, and we'll be bringing that to you.

KOSIK: And I hear that Hillary Clinton's main Democratic opponent, Bernie Sanders, is drawing pretty big crowds. How much does this worry her?

LEE: Hillary Clinton actually was asked about that at a local ice cream store near Hanover. Let's take a listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Do you guys want any ice cream?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of your opponents have been drawing really big crowds, mainly Bernie Sanders.

CLINTON: We have our own campaigns. I always said this was going to be competitive. And I want to have a great debate around the primary caucuses around the country. And that's what I am looking forward to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Now, when Hillary Clinton comes here later this afternoon to walk in this parade in Gorham, New Hampshire, maybe there will more opportunities to ask some more questions about Bernie Sanders.

KOSIK: OK, we look forward to that. M. J. Lee, live from Gorham, thanks.

BLACKWELL: Another White House contender is making news this morning. I am going to give you a second to guess. Well, he's on the screen. Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, he sounded off on rival Marco Rubio calling him, quote, "weak" on defending his own controversial immigration comments. Here is what he told FOX News this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have many cases like this. Nobody wants to talk about it. It seems like I am sort of the whipping post because I bring it up. And I don't understand, whether you are liberal, whether your conservative, whether your Republican, Democrat, why wouldn't you talk about a problem. There is tremendous crime. Illegal immigration is just incredible.

As far as Rubio, he is very weak on immigration. I have been saying that for a long time about him, he is weak on immigration. I respect Ted Cruz for the view that he has got. I mean, he was really out there and strong on it. And I shouldn't say this because I assume he is an opponent, but the fact is he was very brave in coming out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Trump also said that the seemingly random killing of a young woman in San Francisco was even more proof why voters should send him to the White House and that the U.S. needs to crack down on border control. The woman was allegedly shot by undocumented immigrant and a repeat felon who had been deported five times to Mexico.

Remarks like that have people distancing themselves from Trump now. This morning, NASCAR said they will not return to the Trump National Doral Miami Resort for its truck post season award banquets. Despite the backlash, a new CNN/ORC poll found that Trump is still in second place behind former Florida governor Jeb Bush in this crowded field of Republicans.

Joining us now live is Stephen Collinson. He is a senior enterprise reporter for CNN Politics.

[10:35:31] Stephen, I want to start with what we heard from Donald Trump this morning. Pointing to specific cases, he reached out to this Fusion report. Even the reporter said that was not the context. Is any of this helping in his defense?

STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Not really. He had a good week last week when he launched his campaign. But since then he has bad headline after bad headline. If you are running a straight talk campaign, that can be attractive to some voters to start with. But sometimes the talk gets a little bit too straight and it can get you into trouble.

We are still seven months away from the primaries. But at some point they are going to look at these candidates not as someone that is hitting the marks for ideological purity in the Republican Party but as a potential president, somebody who can be elected, somebody who can serve as commander in chief and somebody who can fulfill the sensitive nature of that role of the presidency. So at some point this is going to come back and really hurt Donald Trump, I think.

BLACKWELL: Is there a general profile of the Donald Trump supporter?

COLLINSON: Yes. Donald Trump I think speaks for a quite decent size minority in the Republican Party who are against any kind of immigration reform whatsoever. The problem with that is it poses a dilemma for other candidates. You saw him attacking Marco Rubio there. Any Republican candidate that's going to have a hope to winning the White House is going to have to do better than the 27 percent of Hispanic voters that Mitt Romney won in 2012. If they want a chance to get to the Oval Office, they have to get up to about 35 percent or even more.

And Hispanic voters are very important in three states especially, Florida, Nevada, and Colorado. If a Republican candidate can't compete there, can't get the number of Hispanic voters he needs to be competitive there, it makes it very difficult to win the White House. The path through the other battleground states is very narrow, and they almost have to run the table. That's what helped prevent Mitt Romney winning in 2012.

BLACKWELL: Are we hearing from Donald Trump discussions of other topics? We have talked so much about this element of his launch speech. But is he talking about other things? Are they getting through at least?

COLLINSON: I don't think they are getting through. He talks a lot about China, which will be a big issue in the campaign. China is going to be a challenger to the United States geopolitically in the coming years. It is already an economic challenger. Trump really is the only person discussing that particularly because he has a lot of business links with China.

That's not really coming through. He actually talked about race in an interview with CNN's Don Lemon this week, and he actually praised the president for his speech down in Charleston last week when he sung "Amazing Grace." But the fact is that some of these inflammatory remarks are going to get headlines and they're going to actually detract from the rest of Donald Trump's platform.

BLACKWELL: Yes, especially as companies continue to separate themselves from Donald Trump. Stephen Collinson, thank you so much.

COLLINSON: Thanks, Victor.

KOSIK: And still ahead, we'll have more on the killing of the San Francisco woman who is raising new questions about the detention of undocumented immigrants. Why was the suspect, Francisco Sanchez, still in the country after being deported?

And we are taking a closer look this morning behind the terror threats this Fourth of July. See why officials are concerned about possible lone wolf attacks. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:42:00] BLACKWELL: Security across the nations is ramped up this morning. Officials are boosting police presence at fireworks shows and iconic landmarks. Concerns are much higher this year with terrorist networks taking to social media to urge supporters to carry out attacks where they are with what they have. And among the fears this holiday, the threat of the lone wolf attack on what are known as soft targets, those places more vulnerable to attack, officials worry there will be similar attacks to the ones we have seen in Tunisia and France.

Let's bring in CNN global affairs analyst Lieutenant Colonel James Reese. I wonder when we talk about these soft targets, how can they be better protected? By definition, they are soft, but what can people do who aren't in law enforcement do to protect themselves? LT. COL. JAMES REESE (RET), CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, Victor,

you have been saying it all morning. If you see something, say something. It is very critical. People out there in the populous today as they are out enjoying their July Fourth, if you see something ordinary, you see a bag on the side of the street, and people know this. I think the biggest problem is people sometimes are afraid, maybe "afraid" is not the right word, but they are kind of concerned. I see something. It doesn't look right. Should I really say something? I don't want to alert everybody, or I don't want to panic everyone.

But it is better to say something, let the law enforcement officers, the security officers come in, check things out. If it is OK, everyone continues on. But it is just better to say something, to go up to an official and let them know you see something out of the normal and let them do their job.

BLACKWELL: And there are many people who are not comfortable with calling authorities on someone they see doing something that maybe doesn't make sense to them or seems out of the ordinary. But this weekend, of course, make the call. It may actually save some lives.

But let's talk about the timing. I said, this weekend. How long do you expect this elevated sense of concern to last -- through the weekend, for the rest of Ramadan? How long?

REESE: Well, I believe for us, Victor, it will last throughout this weekend, probably until Monday, because you have all these events going on, the sporting events, the special events, the fireworks events, all these events that security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies have to focus on if there is a threat, especially a lone wolf, or especially someone who is from that area who has been to these events before. They can case out and conduct reconnaissance before.

Once that breaks away on Monday, Tuesday early next week, those major events will start to dwindle down and the threat level will come down. But again, intelligence agencies will continue to watch the chatter that happens throughout the terrorist networks and the terrorist communications throughout the world.

BLACKWELL: Lieutenant Colonel James Reese, thank you so much for helping us understand this morning.

[10:45:04] REESE: Happy fourth.

BLACKWELL: You, too.

KOSIK: The killing of a San Francisco woman allegedly by an undocumented immigrant is sparking new debates this morning. Coming up, we're going to see how this man who had been deported multiple times before was able to stay in the U.S.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOSIK: The killing of a San Francisco woman is raising new questions this morning about the detention of undocumented immigrants. Officials say Kate Steinle was gunned down by this man you see here, Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez. He is a repeat felon who was set to be deported back to Mexico not for the first time, not for the second time, but for the sixth time. Authorities wanted him on a drug- related warrant when this girl was allegedly gunned down by him.

Now, he was handed over to police but he was released reportedly for lack of legal cause to detain him. Immigrations and customs officials asked to be notified if he was released by the city but said they never were informed.

Let's break through this and talk with CNN law enforcement analyst Cedric Alexander. So there was apparently, let me get this straight, a detainer issued for Sanchez in March requesting that he stay in custody until immigration authorities could pick him up. But the detainer was not honored. Why not?

[10:50:01] CEDRIC ALEXANDER, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, you know, what we are going to have here between the sheriff's department and ICE, immigration, is that who should have done what. And they are going to go back and forth. And it appears from what I could gather reading in the research that I have done that there had just been a loss of communication somewhere which ended up costing this young lady her life.

And both those agencies, both the sheriff's department there in San Francisco and ICE, who should have done what on what day becomes the question. We are going to have to look into that and make some understanding.

KOSIK: So is someone clearly dropping the ball here?

ALEXANDER: Somewhere along the way someone did because that communication in terms of that person's incarceration should have stood somehow or he should have been immediately deported.

KOSIK: Unfortunately something like this sounds very familiar, lack of communication between local authorities and federal authorities. When is that kind of communication or how can it be improved?

ALEXANDER: Well, in this particular case, I think they are going to have to make some decisions as to who is going to take responsibility once a person, who particularly who has a criminal past such as this gentleman did, who is going to take responsibility should they be released from jail? In this particular case, drug charges was dropped on him in San Francisco. And somewhere along the way, whether ICE should have come over and taken possession of him at that tie or he was requested to stay in jail there at the sheriff's office is still yet to be determined.

So they are going to have to stop pointing fingers at each other and figure out a way going forward, how do we best make sure this doesn't happen again so that we can protect innocent people? Because there was no reason for this young lady to have lost her life.

KOSIK: Hopefully, something like this doesn't happen again. And, unfortunately, I worry that it will, because of that lack of communication that seems to be continually be there. A lot of that is because of staffing with immigration.

ALEXANDER: Well, that may be the case. I can't say that specifically. I think we have to look at it case by case. But over all across the country, police and federal agencies work very well together in order to be able to make the decisions that need to be made. But in this particular case in and of itself, they are probably going to have to drill down a little more into this and see what happens.

KOSIK: Cedric Alexander, thanks so much for your perspective.

ALEXANDER: Thank you for having me.

BLACKWELL: So in the context of all that we have learned about David Sweat over the last couple of weeks, imagine sharing a cell with him. In the next hour of CNN Newsroom you are going to hear from the former cellmate of the now recaptured murderer. You will hear about what he thinks about Sweat's three weeks on the run, and who does he because wanted the prison worker Joyce Mitchell's husband killed, Sweat or Mitchell? That's in the next hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:56:42] BLACKWELL: For many of the 2.6 million U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, returning to civilian life can really be a struggle.

KOSIK: This week a CNN Hero did three tours of duty, but he found that every step of the 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail he hiked when he returned home helped him heal. Now he is helping other veterans walk off the war by hiking trails around the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN GOBIN, CNN HERO: You take back a lot of things from war that you didn't think you were going to bring back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was angry at everyone. I didn't want anything to do with anybody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It can be kind of hard. You just get kind of anxious.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You stop feeling, basically.

GOBIN: All three of my combat deployments were really intense. There was no time to cope. I decided to hike the Appalachian Trail because it had been a dream of mine growing up. I saw it as a personal challenge. But about two-thirds of the way I realized I was processing all these experiences that I had put away. And I knew that there were other combat veterans that needed to do that.

Warrior Hike provides veterans with all the equipment and supplies they need to complete a long-distance hike. It is just like a deployment except instead of going to fight a war your mission is to be a civilian again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just being in the woods out here, there is nothing to do but think.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is an internal quiet. And some of the problems that you are dealing with get hammered away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just being around other military is worth more than words can say.

GOBIN: Our veterans also receive trail town support along the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good. How are you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can see how much they care. It helps.

GOBIN: We help veterans prepare for the next chapter of their life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just learning to take it as it comes and move on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm looking for that sense of calm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every step I take, I think I'm going in that direction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSIK: And if you know someone who should be a CNN Hero, let us know at CNNHeroes.com.

BLACKWELL: All right, before we get to the top of the hour, let's take a look at a couple of the stories we are watching this morning.

KOSIK: An investigation is underway after a pilot was killed when his medical helicopter crashed moments after takeoff in Colorado. Witnesses described seeing the relatively new helicopter spin uncontrollably before crashing to the ground and exploding. The two other crew members on board had significant injuries. They remain in the hospital.

And protests in Greece where polls ahead of tomorrow's vote in a referendum for a proposed new bailout is too close to call. Those in favor, which would require Greece to accept more austerity to get the deal, are slightly leading those who oppose it. A no vote could mean the beginning of Greece's exit from the Eurozone, the 19 countries that use the euro as currency.

Thanks for watching today.

BLACKWELL: Happy Fourth of July to you. There is much more ahead in the next hour of the CNN Newsroom. And we turn it over now to Fredricka Whitfield.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, good to see you guys. Happy fourth. I like the red, white, and blue.

BLACKWELL: Yes, we've got it all represented now.

[11:00:01] WHITFIELD: Are fireworks in your forecast for this evening? I know it's rainy here, but?

BLACKWELL: No. I have a barbecue.