with the pandas. >> what? >> i know. i never really fell -- >> retract that. >> i'm waiting for them to get older, because they -- >> oh, god. >> know the names? >> all right. over to you fredricka. >> we love all things animal. >> i have to check my twitter now, because i know people are angry. hey, fred. >> thank you so much, victor and jessica. great to see you. hello, i'm fredricka whitfield, and you're in the "cnn newsroom." this is what we're watching right now -- a very terrifying situation unfolding at a shopping mall in kenya. gunmen stormed the mall and opened fire. nearly two dozen people are killed, and now the attackers are holding hostages. we'll have details on that straight ahead. we're just nine days away from a possible government shutdown, and we'll tell you what congressional leaders are saying about it. and in colorado, a natural disaster turns into an environmental nightmare. flood victims now face gas le s leaks, oil spills, and tapwater

contaminated with e. coli. a terrifying attack and hostage crisis unfolding right now at an upscale shopping mall in nairobi, kenya. gunmen stormed the mall and opened fire. at least 20 people are killed. [ gunfire ] 50 more shoppers are wounded, according to the red cross. an aunt of cnn anchor zane vergy was inside the mall when the shots were fired, and she said she heard random shots just about everywhere. >> we had gone for coffee at westgate mall after finishing our coffee, we went up to the supermarket to do some shopping. we had just barely entered, and the lights went off. it was rather strange that the generator didn't come on for quite a while, and we thought that's a bit weird.

the next thing we know, we heard some shots and people rushing. so we rushed to -- back up to the supermarket and shield ourselves, trying to get anything that would save us from the random shooting, because we heard random shots all over the place, and it was quite terrifying. in fact, we even heard shots 30 feet from us, and at one stage, i saw them come near us. and it was just so worrying and, you know, people praying and crying, and it was rather traumatizing for everybody. and at one stage, we heard that there are terrorists, that they were holding hostages, and that they were all over the mall. you know, taking people and shooting coffee -- people having coffee and lunch at restaurants.

and this was just a random shooting and lots of people were hurt. and we were stuck in the same place for over two hours, and this was on the ground floor of this supermarket. and finally, after two hours, a security guy came and told us that it was safe for us to go. >> a kenyan government source says the attackers appear to be of somali origin. cnn's zane vergy is joining me by phone. zane, that is home for you. we heard from your aunt who happened to be at that mall when all of this unfolded. i also understand why you're checking up on how your family is doing, you're also checking with police sources about the investigation ongoing. what can you tell us? >> yes, a kenyan source and western diplomat said the gunmen appeared to be of somali origin. they wouldn't get more specific than that. they said there were ten gunmen in total and holding hostage the. they gave no more details on that. many people, they say, have been rescued. i spoke to the head of the red

cross who said 20 people have been killed and 50 wounded and they've been taken to the major hospitals in and around the city of nairobi. it's unclear who exactly is behind it. one government source i got off with on the phone a short while ago said the shooting is still going on, and it's just really terrifying for us. because it's really home. this is a mall that is five minutes away from where i live. my father was on his way to the bank in the mall. so many people are there on saturday morning -- friends, family. it's a place where u.n. staff, diplomats, all frequent. it's an upscale area. and my dad decided last minute to sort of go -- to another b k bank, because there were so many people. and when he went home, he could hear the gunshots. so it really is something that's hit close to home, traumatizing for so many kenyans who lost their lives, in a situation that's still unfolding. but this is a mall like in

atlanta. >> so tell me more about this mall, because we're talking about a showing mall that's only about six years old, yet not only, of course, are locals, like family members you just described would frequent it, but also a place where even diplomats as you say would also frequent. and a lot of tourists, as well? >> yes, absolutely. you know, a new cinema there. there are about 80 shops, a lot of entertainment. the trendiest restaurants, cafes in nairobi are at westgate mall, one called art cafe in particular, that so many people go to. one of the biggest grocery chains in all of kenya is there. it's called mart u.k., so many people would have gone grocery shopping. the banks are there, as well, which is why why dad was going. there's loads of stuff for kids to do. a food court. kid display outside. this is also in a residential area. it's around a few other malls,

too, but it's mostly homes around this place. westgate is easily accessible from so many roads. there have been security checks, but obviously, today wasn't a day they came through. >> okay, thank you so much. check back with us again. if you're just now joining us, this shooting taking place at a poplar shopping mall in nairobi, kenya. you're looking at some of the still images there of people who have been wounded. we understand at least 20 killed and many other wounded, and there may still be a hostage situation ongoing there at that westgate mall in nairobi. thank you so much, zaine. now to growing health concerns in this country, all as a result of colorado's flooding. more than 22,000 gallons of oil have spilled at four different sites. several of the spills are leaking into lakes, rivers, and streams, adding to the problem. more than two dozen fuel tanks have been overturned. another big concern. e. coli has been found in the tap water in the hard-hit town of lyons. dan simon is live for us in

boulder, colorado. so, dan, there's a whole lot going on here, all while many people are still trying to make it to see the damage from their homes. what are the priorities right now? >> reporter: well, let's first talk about the e. coli situation. this is in lyons, about 17 miles from where we are in boulder. and you talk about a situation that is just so uncomfortable for these residents. it's as if they don't already have enough to deal with. the tap water has been completely shut off for these people after it was discovered that there is, in fact, e. coli in the water. so how did this happen? well, as we've seen with these floodwaters, it took out a lot of the infrastructure. it took out bridges and roads, and in some cases, it took out septic tanks and it took out sewer lines. and so, that toxic sludge sort of got into the water system, and they did these tests and found the e. coli. so if people are going to stay in their homes -- and they're advising people to leave -- but if they're going to stay, they'll have to provide all of their own water for not only bathing, but, of course, drinking water, as well.

fred. >> and as it pertains to the damage of properties, and some folks just getting the chance to assess the damage. most people in that area do not have flood insurance, right? >> reporter: well, if people live outside of these flood-prone areas, chances are they do not have flood insurance, because why would you? if you live in an area that's supposed to flood, say, every 500 years, would it make economic sense to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year for insurance you probably wouldn't need? and so, we're finding cases of that. i want you to listen now to one couple who found themselves in that very situation. take a look. >> when we asked about it, just to make sure we covered our bases when we moved in, they almost laughed. you know, like -- a ton of money. you don't need that. >> we would have had it if we knew it would happen, or even an inkling that it might have happened. i don't think we even had that. >> reporter: well, that couple and others, of course, have homeowners insurance, but that doesn't cover damage from

floods. they can request assistance from fema and get some cash, but it doesn't go very far. it's really limited in scope, and it's not even going to begin to address all of the repairs that need to be made. so it's really, really tough situation. you have the e. coli thing going on in lyons and now people don't have flood insurance. and so, it's just a mess. of course, people still trying to do all of the cleanup, as well, fred. >> a tough situation indeed made even worse now. thank you so much, dan simon. keep us posted. so after a downturn in violent deaths this year in chicago, the city has experienced a second night now with at least ten people shot. thursday, 13 people were hit, including 3-year-old dionte howard from an attack at a southside park. no one was killed, but last night, more gunfire, and now there are deaths to report. cnn's deborah fehr ig is joining us with more. >> reporter: we can tell you

that ten people were shot last night. five of them were killed. all of this happened in about a five-hour period between 11:00 at night and 4:00 this morning. police spokesman says it appears the shootings were separate, and that means they were sort of individual shootings, unlike the one the other night which happened all together where somebody opened fire with an assault rifle. these were in various parts of town. it does not appear that they were related or any sort of retaliation to that initial shooting. that initial shooting, 13 people were injured, including the 3-year-old boy that you mentioned. it was interesting, because when we were there speaking to a family pastor in chicago, he said to us, look, go around the corner. go two blocks away. there's a 16-year-old. he's dead. the body is still there. this is something they're dealing with every single day where people just being shot. miraculously, on thursday, no one was killed, even though 13 people were hit. last night, as you mentioned, five people were indeed shot and

killed. so it's a problem that chicago is wrestling with, and they're doing the best they can. fred? >> and you say, you know, it's something the city is wrestling with. but what can the city do when we say it's doing the best that it can? >> reporter: well, the city's trying to implement a lot of sort of creative strategies when it comes to policing, when it comes to giving young people, especially young black men options, opportunities. the problem is the culture of gang violence that exists in chicago. you know, they're trying to do after-school programs. they're trying to do more creative policing in terms of having beat cops on the street, so that the cops know who is supposed to be in which neighborhood and when they're supposed to be there. they've done things with drug operations, as well as new databasis tell. so it is helping chip away at the fatalities. but again, there's still a high level of shooting, and there's also the problem of illegal guns in chicago. chicago has among the toughest gun laws in the nation.

and yet, they are considered the murder capital, also, of the united states. >> deb feyerick, thanks so much. >> of course. coming up, a second night of multiple shootings in chicago, as we just reported. you're going to hear from the mother of one of those victims hit in the face, a 3-year-old boy. and a government shutdown is just around the corner, and if you think nothing happens until the deadline hits, one economist wants you to think again. we get his take next.

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president obama pushed congress to pass a budget as the u.s. inches closer to a government shutdown. >> constitutional duty congress has is passing a budget. but if it doesn't pass one a week from monday, the government will shut down, and so will many services the american people expect. military personnel, including those deployed overseas, won't get their paychecks on time. federal loans for rural communities, small business owners, and new home buyers will be frozen.

critical research and the lifesaving discoveries and renewable energy will be halted. all of this can be prevented if congress just passes a budget. >> erin mcpike joins me now from washington. erin, house republicans did pass a plan yesterday, but does it stand any chance in the senate? >> reporter: no, fred. and that is because house republicans made defunding obamacare a condition of funding the government. but that didn't stop house speaker john boehner from sort of issuing a threat to the senate. take a listen to what he said yesterday at a rally for house republicans after they held that vote. >> our message to the united states senate is real simple. the american people don't want the government shut down. and they don't want obamacare. the house has listened to the american people. now it's time for the united states senate to listen to them, as well. >> reporter: now, as you know,

the senate is controlled by democrats, and they say there's no way that the senate would pass a bill that the house passed. they want to take this obamacare defunding out of the bill. well, house -- the house democratic leader, nancy pelosi, sat down yesterday with cnn's candy crowley. take a listen to what she said. >> they want to shut down government. the effect of putting the obama -- the affordable care act on the bill is to shut down government. they know that. they know it has no prospect of prevailing. >> reporter: now, you can watch that full interview tomorrow at 9:00 on "state of the union." fred, we're watching next week as this bill goes into the senate. the senate will take up this debate. we expect that next weekend, the house will debate on it again and vote again. and that's when the situation becomes more grave, because the deadline, as you know, is october 1st.

>> all right. thank you so much, erin mcpike. let's talk more about this. in fact, there is a whole lot of concern about what would happen if the government were to shut down, including the impact on the job market. here to break that down is reggie delwant, economic forecaster at georgia state university. good to see you. >> good to be here. >> all right, in part because of the house vote yesterday, we're seeing the markets did take a bit of a dip. how concerned are you that this is the beginning of more to come? or is there ripple effects from here? >> there will be. i mean, already we are seeing jobs slow down in the corporate sector where the hiring is lower. and as you know, going forward in the next few months, the corporate boards will be sitting down to figure out what are they going to do with their spending and investment that creating jobs down the road. if they feel all of the politics and everything is going on, the morale will be lower and they may hold back on the projects, and that becomes a self-fulfilling problem, because once they hold back, the job growth declines. >> what kind of industries?

>> it starts with the corporate side -- the bread-and-butter of the middle class of the jobs, and then into the other areas when it goes down. it's the multiplatter effect. i'm seeing in the jobs numbers in the last three months that the corporate sector job growth was half the rate it was six months ago. >> and why is that? >> because once you -- once there is uncertainty, right, and you don't know what's going to happen -- will we have a shutdown? actually, the biggest thing is, will we have a resolution of the debt ceiling properly? because we can't operate in this vacuum with some jumpoffs and other things. so that kind of clarity is needed for the businesses to make their plans, which are risky. and they don't want this kind of -- >> so two things here. we're not talking about the pending government shutdown, but then the debt ceiling. if, indeed, the house and senate were to come up with a plan and government is not impacted, it will continue to work, it's the debt ceiling that's right around the corner that's still a concern? >> right. we get out of the one problem and get right into another one. >> mm. are you optimistic?

>> well, everybody seems to be saying to me, you know, this is the kabuki theater, we get down to the brink. i remember from my high school days, that's when bad things happen. when you're too complacent, that's when they think the things come around the corner to bite you. >> let's hope for the sake of the economy -- >> me, too. >> -- and for everything at stake, that things will straighten up. >> it's all about the morale. >> yes, okay. thank you so much, good to see you. >> thank you. >> appreciate it. a terrifying attack and hostage crisis unfolding right now at a mall, a shopping mall, in nairobi, kenya. at least 20 people killed. we'll have the latest. chicago's violence is experiencing a deadly upswing. hear from the mother of a boy who was shot. he was just 3 years old. i'm on expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for,

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chicago experiences a second night of multiple gunshot victims. a total of ten people shot, and five people dead after a string of shootings that began thursday night, after 13 people were hit thursday. no one was killed in that situation, but a 3-year-old boy was among those shot. here's ravi from our affiliate. >> reporter: with her son undergoing a second operation to repair bullet wounds to his face, across the street from cornell park, a 24-year-old mother describes what happened after someone opened fire on a crowd watching basketball. >> he the only -- the only person running around the park

with a hole in his face. >> reporter: the gruesome image of 3-year-old deonta' howard, the worst of the wounds suffer the by 13 victims. the mayor returned kwekly from a political trip to washington. >> we will not allow children in the city of chicago to have their youthfulness, their optimism, their hope taken from them. that's what gun violence does. >> reporter: evidence suggests a military-type assault weapon was used. perhaps to settle a gang score with a disturbing new level of violence. apparently, the community has provided information to the police on who might be responsible for this act in a neighborhood beset by gang tension. >> this country should have a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, like the ones used in this event. it's common sense. >> reporter: it is violence a young mother and others simply cannot comprehend. >> stop the violence. no guns.

this is only leading to more bodies, more bodies, more bodies, on top of bodies. and the clock is ticking to avoid a federal government shutdown. but house republicans say it's now up to the senate to stop the government from running out of money. we'll talk to a congressman who voted for the budget, but only if lawmakers kill the president's health care plan. and we're updating the horrific mall shooting in kenya. gunmen are still at large, and at least 20 people have been killed. for a strong bag that grips the can... ♪ get glad forceflex. small change, big difference.

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welcome back. i'm fredricka whitfield. here are five things crossing the cnn newsdesk now. number one, a deadly ambush and hostage crisis at an upscale mall in kenya. gunmen stormed the mall firing shots everywhere. at least 20 people killed, 50 wounded. a kenyan government source say the attackers appear to be of so malla origin. police are frantically trying to rescue hostages now. and number two, the strongest storm on the planet so far this year is living up to expectations. it's a supertyphoon packing winds as strong as 162 miles per hour. it's moving between taiwan and the philippines, and it's headed for hong kong. usagi is expected to make landfall there tomorrow. china has already issued a disaster relief alert. and number three. a new health concern in colorado's flood zone. e. coli has been found in tap water in the hardest-hit town of lyons. the floods took out sewer lines

and septic systems, which caused the contamination. officials say the problem has to be fixed before evacuated residents can come back to their homes. and number three, a california judge rules that katherine jackson can seek damages from concert promoter aeg live, because evidence proved that michael jackson provided everything for his elderly mother. this comes as closing arguments in the wrongful death trial are set to begin tuesday. jackson's family blames aeg live for negligently hiring dr. conrad murray. and number five, gold is hot in the iphone market. when apple's new gold iphone 5s went on sale yesterday, it sold out before many people who had stood in line for hours could actually buy one. some shoppers even left apple's flagship store in palo alto, california, after being told there were no more gold models for sale. tea party-backed republicans

appear ready to shut down the government if they don't get their way on defunding the president's health care law. they set up a standoff with the democratically controlled senate after passing a budget plan that only keeps the government open if congress kills the funding for obamacare. florida congressman trey radel voted for the gop deal. so, congressman, what's more important to you, keeping the government running or getting rid of this health care law? >> well, let's put a few things into context first. you use the word teaparty republicans. the fact is that not only did almost every republican support this bill, but so did democrats. it's good policy. what we voted for is to keep this government open. that's the big that we have sent to the senate. let's keep the government open -- >> on the condition -- you said keep the government open on the condition -- >> sure. so here's what happens. look, so i'm very proud to say i actually started my career as a journalist in the newsroom that

you're in right now, years ago as an intern in atlanta. what we'll see over the next few days is people freaking out, clocks put up on the 24-hour news cycle, oh, my gosh, the government will shut down. let's take a step back. i'm a republican more than happy to work with democrats, more than happy to compromise and negotiate. that's how this democracy works. >> what will the compromise if the senate goes through this, make the amendments, they say we want to keep the government open as well, but not on the condition that health care law is defunded. how will you then compromise? >> sure. well, i think there will be a few things brought into this. we may send a c.r., continuing resolution, a budget back to them. also, fredricka, i think something that may be introduced into this discussion is the debt ceiling. now, the president continues to hammer away that he's not negotiating on the debt ceiling. let's take a look at extreme stances on this. basically what he's saying is write me a blank check and don't ask me questions. i worked as a journalist for years and now a member of congress. i'm going to ask questions, and i will not write blank checks.

so what we're going to do is negotiate. that may be a part of this. and by the way, this president has already negotiated over a debt ceiling, so did president reagan, so did president bush i and so did president bill clinton. >> what are you going to be happy with if the president says he's willing to negotiate, to what extent? what are you looking for? >> i think that, again, another possibility in all of this is the possible delay of obamacare. because where we're at right now -- >> the president says that's off the table. what else? >> well, that's funny, because the president already delayed obamacare for big corporations in this country, but not you. >> but if the president says i'm not going to delay that one more year, what else? what is the other area in which you believe both sides could negotiate? >> we'll have to see. but right now, i think that these are the components that we're dealing with -- >> you have nine days to go in which to come up with a plan. republicans, democrats, everyone. i mean, you have to have some kind of contingency plan in --

in some sort of realm of thinking. >> sure. well, i've laid it all out, and this is the negotiating process. it's democracy, and the ball is in harry reid's court right now. i have funded the government. i have prepared to keep government open, to keep our soldiers paid, to provide medicare, social security, et cetera. right now, the ball is in -- >> it's not a done deal yet, though. it's not a done -- that's the house's version of it. everyone knows the senate wouldn't go for defunding health care. we know the president wouldn't. so to present a realistic scenario -- a realistic scenario is what, i think, the american want people to happen here. >> fredricka, though, let's look at senator pryor in arkansas, landrieu in louisiana. democrat senators in red states. we have sent this bill there. and i think it's still possible that there may be democrats who do vote for this. look, maybe i'm the eternal optimist, but this is how things are done. democracy might not be pretty. but it's how we get things done. by the way, republicans, we really only control one-half of

one-third of this big picture, which would be the house. but you have the democratically controlled senate and the president in the white house. i sure would like to see some leadership. and the president to be the one to the table, to come to us, form a relationship with us, and start to compromise and work together. that'd be awfully nice. >> congressman radel, we'll have to keep it there. all the best. thank you. >> thank you. >> folks on counting on all of you in nine days to come up with something so so many americans won't be hurt ultimately. coming up in our 12:00 noon hour, he said it's not a good idea to shut down the government, a bad idea to the president's health care, to the budget law that keeps the federal government open. so why did peter king do the exact opposite when it was time to vote? we'll ask him. congressman peter king joining us just one hour from now. all right. the threat of a government shutdown helped push markets down almost 200 points friday. in a minute, i'll tell you why investors had a pretty good week anyway. [ male announcer ] this is claira.

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in nairobi, kenya, the search continues for gunmen who opened fire at a popular upscale shopping mall just about seven hours ago at the westgate mall. you're looking at images right now of police who stormed the building after learning that there were gunmen in there who had opened fire. at least 20 people were killed, and we understand as many as 50 wounded. it's a popular mall to people there in the local area, as well as to tourists. sarah head, from washington, d.c., is actually joining us on the phone right now. sarah, i understand that you

were in nairobi on business, and you were at this mall when this shooting took place? >> yes. yes, i had just left a meeting a few blocks up the road, and i entered the parking garage. we had just parked and gotten out of the car. and we heard three shots fired, and i thought actually it was a car accident. someone had been rear-ended. and then i saw people running, and my colleague, who has worked elsewhere, recognized the sounds of gunshots. and she yelled at me. and we and other people in the parking garage began crawling underneath cars and behind cars, and we heard more shots. so we began running. and the driver, who is kenyan, advised us also to run. so we followed several other people under a stairwell. i thought we had gone down into the parking garage, so i thought when i entered the stairwell i would go up one level and i would be able to exit. and that was not the case. i got in the stairwell, and i was there for the next hour and

a half or so. there were two people in the stairwell with me who were superficially wounded from gunshots. when we initially entered the stairwell, we kept going up and we heard shots above us. we ended up staying there for about an hour and a half with these two -- there were several of us in there. but there were two people who were bleeding. >> oh, my goodness. i know you had to be terrified not knowing, you know, what was going on, you know, that one floor above you. for how long you said you were in that stairway about an hour, and throughout that entire time, for how long were you hearing the gunshots? >> you know, we heard them quite a lot initially. when we first entered. and people were quite panicked. and then we didn't hear them again for a while. i don't know, maybe 15 minutes more. and then, at that point again, they sounded like they were coming from above us. so we didn't want to, you know, go up or down. and there were several security guards, i'm assuming, from the

mall who were in there with us, and the lights were out. but everyone had cell phones. so we were getting different communications from the outside that way, and people were calling their family and whatnot. >> what kind of information were you getting on your cell phone? >> you know, i don't have a smartphone plan with me, so i was able to contact my husband, and i was able to contact our -- our contact at the embassy. but i wasn't getting any information from my phone. the people behind me were saying that they heard that there were hostages, and the people were also saying they thought there were grenades. this is from -- i don't know who these other individuals in the stairwell were contacting. but those were the rumors that were circulating while i was there. >> and at what point did you feel like it was, you know, safe to leave that stairwell? and how did you make that decision to leave? did you end up going on that, you know, main outdoor level? or did you go further down into the garage? once you determined it was safe to move. >> i don't actually know how

that happened, because i was sort of in the -- i was not near one of the doors. i was near one of the levels in between an exit from the stairwell. and we had tried to exit earlier out the supermarket. and i don't know what happened, but the people did not -- so we were no longer near the parking garage level. we were near a supermarket level. and so, at about -- after about an hour and a half, the door to supermarket opens up again, and the lights came on in the stairwell, and people went out. and i was very, very hesitant, because no one -- there was no information to tell me that it was safe to exit. it was just the people in front of me were exiting. and there was blood throughout the supermarket, as we were exiting on the floor and out through the -- in fact, we walked through some hardware aisles and passed, like, cereal and stuff, and walked into their storage unit or stockroom, and we came out on their loading docks, and exited that way.

and we saw policemen with guns as we were exit -- i assume they were policemen. they were just wearing plainclothes. it was never really clear i should have exited. it was just that i was sort of a sheep following everyone else in front of me. and then i was very eager, of course, to get outside and far away from the situation as possible. >> and even when you saw the policemen -- and you were unclear about why this gunfire was happening, who was firing, you know, the shots -- how reluctant were you really to trust anybody that you saw in sight? >> i was. i was very frightened. in fact, i felt a little bit safer stuck in the stairwell. as soon as i was able to get out, i just -- i actually took off running. sand just ran -- and there was quite a crowd of people i had to pass through once i got beyond the loading dock. but i just -- >> and when were people -- >> you said there was quite a crowd of people.

what was everyone doing? >> i don't know if they themselves had escaped the mall or if they had just gathered because -- i mean, nairobi traffic is quite hectic, quite a mess, and it's possible people could have just stopped and gotten out of the cars. there were a good bit of cameramen of taking pictures of people crying as they exited, and policemen just sort of in the area. but it wasn't -- i don't know if it was community members or if they were other customers or if they were people who had escaped themselves or if they were -- but there was just crowds of people along the streets sort of looking at the mall. and i am just running past them with my colleague and with the driver who was with us, you know, trying to get as far away from the situation as possible. >> well, an incredible situation indeed. sara head. thanks so much for joining us to give us -- giving us an idea of all you experienced there as a visitor from washington, d.c., in nairobi, kenya, on business, only to find yourself in the middle of this gun fight taking

place at the westgate mall in an upscale part of nairobi, crowded with shoppers. 20 people in the end, as far as we know, have been killed. sara, thanks so much for your time. of course, we'll update you at home on the situation in nairobi, kenya, when we come right back. [ jen garner ] what skincare brand is so effective... so trusted... so clinically proven dermatologists recommend it twice as much as any other brand? neutrogena®. recommended by dermatologists 2 times more than any other brand. now that's beautiful. neutrogena®. ♪ neutrogena®. dad! dad! katy perry is coming to town. can we get tickets, tickets? hmm, sure. how many? well, there's hannah, maddie, jen, sara m., sara b., sa -- whoa, whoa. hold on. (under his breath) here it comes... we can't forget about your older sister! thank you, thank you, thank you!

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it was still ending up to be a pretty good week for investors. >> it was a record setting week on wall street. the dow and s&p 500 jumped to all-time highs wednesday, immediately following the latest decision from the federal reserve. and policy makers did nothing. analysts expected the fed to announce it would soon scale back the massive stimulus program, but that didn't happen.

instead, policy makers want to see more improvement in the economy before they take away the safety net. that caused a september surge to continue. the major averages are up 4.5 to 5% this month. a woman emerged as frontrunner for the chief. larry summers took out his name, leading janet yellen the top pick. she's number two person at the fed. if nominated, she would be the first female to lead the federal reserve. apple's 5s and 5c hit the shelves, marking the first time they launched two at once. another big debut, grand theft auto 5 smashing records, bringing in $800 million tuesday, its first day. stores opened at midnight to meet demand. it is called one of the biggest openings not just in the

videogame world but in the entertainment industry. guns may be shattering records in video games. coming up 2:00 p.m. eastern, on a brand new your money, hear from starbucks ceo howard schultz who wants an end to armed and caffeinated in his stores. fredricka? >> thank you so much. we are tackling intriguing cases. joining me for a quick look at what's ahead, i feel like it has been forever. >> miss you, fred. >> i missed you guys, too. >> that's right, for sure. >> a judge says something many of us do every day, hitting the like button on facebook is covered by constitutional protection of speech, free speech. your first reaction, avery? >> well, you know what, the boss finds out that you posted a like on someone the boss doesn't like and fires you for it. freedom of speech, federal court threw the case out, and a federal court of appeals this week came up with a legal first.

we have the answers for you coming up. >> and richard? >> fred, is it just like substantive speech? is it like posting a placards on the front lawn, saying the same thing? is it the same? court says yes. we'll discuss it later. >> we will look at that ahead and a judge's reluctant decision to throw out a case against five new orleans police officers convicted in the shooting of unarmed people on the bridge in the wake of hurricane katrina. that's all ahead in the next hour of the newsroom. parts unknown with anthony bourdain charging into its second season. tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. anthony takes us to spain. he learns about three things spaniards do well. i had a chance to talk to him about how the show gives new insights into places around the world. >> i think we're always looking to do better than the week

previously, to tell what's essentially a pretty simple story in a different visual way, outdo ourselves creatively, to mess with the time line, to just find a way to make each show look like its own individual film with its own sound, its own smell, its own feel. and we're always looking for best of individual perspective. last year we went to los angeles. that's a place filled many times by many people. how do you show los angeles the los angeles people aren't familiar with, we did that pretending there's no one in los angeles but korean americans and looked at the city entirely from their perspective. to the extent we can look through either a narrow lens or maybe a very wide one, we often see things we may not have seen before. >> what's the next country you

want stamped in your passport and want to take us along with you? >> i'd like to see iran very much. i've heard extraordinary things. i heard nice people, government, one can have varying opinions on their policies for sure. dodgy times. but i hear the food is awesome and i would like to -- it is a place i would like to learn about, as simple as i can put it. it is a place i know very little about. it is a place about which many things have been said. i would like to see it for myself. >> many of us would like to go along with you by way of "parts unknown." when that happens, we will be along for the ride as well. anthony bourdain, good to see you. congrats on yet another season. tune in sunday night, 9:00 p.m., when anthony bourdain, parts unknown, heads to spain.

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hello again, fredricka whitfield. here are the stories we are following in the cnn newsroom. gunmen opened fire on shoppers in kenya. the latest on the standoff moments away. we will tell you about the possibility of a government shutdown. and in colorado, the rain

may have stopped but the damage from the devastating floods is mounting. we'll tell you why people there now have serious health concerns. we begin with the deadly attack at an upscale mall in kenya. they're trying to rescue hostages. it began many hours ago when a gunman stormed the mall and opened fire. [ gunshots ] at least 20 people were killed, more shoppers are wounded according to red cross. washington, d.c. resident sara head was in the mall when it happened, she was in kenya on business. she told me it was a very frightening scene. >> i was very frightened. in fact i felt safer stuck in

the stairwell. as soon as i was able to get out, i actually took off running and just ran. there was quite a crowd of people that i had to pass through once i got beyond the loading dock, in fact, but -- >> what were all of the people doing. >> i was trying to run as far as i could. >> you said there was quite a crowd of people. what was everyone doing? >> i don't know if they themselves had escaped the mall or if they had just gathered because the nairobi traffic is very hectic, quite a mess. so it is possible people had just stopped and gotten out of their cars. there was a good bit of camera men taking photos of people crying as they exited, and then there were policemen in the area. i don't know if it was community members or other customers or people who had escaped themselves or if there were -- but there were crowds of people along the street sort of looking at the mall. and i am just running past them

with my colleague and with the driver that was with us trying to get as far away from the situation as possible. >> all right, for sara head, a very close call there. kenyan government source says the attackers appear to be of somali or general. joining us from washington, peter bergen. we don't know who the gunmen were, if part of a group or acting as individuals, but this happening, what, 15 years after the u.s. embassy was targeted by terrorist activity. what does this tell you about a shopping mall being targeted? >> reporter: when you look at this attack, we think about who has capability and who has intent, and take that together with the indiscriminate attack on civilians in a shopping mall, frequented by westerners like sara head you just had on the show, and you do the math and end up with he will shabad which

is an al qaeda affiliate in somalia that has in the past attacked outside somalia, in two cases in 2010, attacking a group of people watching world cup soccer match in uganda, killing several dozen. and then also trying to kill the cartoonist that did the cartoon of the prophet muhammad deemed offensive by many muslims, some broke into his house in denmark, tried to kill him. luckily, he had a safe room and was able to survive the attack. so hasbad has done attacks outside somalia and has frequently done attacks in kenya, although much more stealth than the one we're seeing today. >> a couple incidents in kenya, those usually happen on the coast in mum boss a, close to the border with somalia.

>> that's correct. if it is shabad, and we don't know that, why are they attacking in kenya. there's a short answer. the kenyan military has been effective in fighting against sha bob, the military in general, it is an enemy when they attack in uganda, it was to protest the role of uganda in african union troops in somalia against al shabab, so the motive here, it is a target that is associated with westerners, it is a soft target, it is civilians, it is the fact that kenya has played a role fighting against shabab in somalia and on the coast. it is hard to think they would have the intent and capability other than shabab. >> peter, thank you for your insight. the latest numbers, we have an

update, earlier it was reported 20 killed, now they are bringing it down to 11 killed, but still a serious situation in the mall shooting there in nairobi. back in this country, now chicago experiences a second night of intense gun violence. nine shootings result in ten people getting hit. five of them killed. the series of shootings began early friday afternoon, ended early this morning. on thursday, 13 people were shot at a park on the south side and among those shot, a three-year-old boy. the shootings overnight police say do not appear to be connected to the thursday night incident. also there was growing concern about the extent of flood damage in colorado. officials now say more than 22,000 gallons of oil have spilled at four different sites. several spills are leaking into lakes, rivers, and streams, adding to the problem, more than two dozen fuel tanks have

overturned. and another big worry, e. coli has been found in tap water in the hard hit town of lyons. dan, a lot of problems being underscored. all because of this flooding that was just very serious more than a week ago. >> reporter: that's exactly right, fredricka. the town of lyons, this is a town of 2,000 people. we saw flood waters take out much of the town's infrastructure, took out roads and bridges, et cetera. but also took out septic tanks and sewer lines. that caused this toxic sludge to invade the water supply and tests have confirmed that there is e. coli in the water, so the tap water has been completely shut off to residents, so if people are going to stay in their homes, they have to provide their own water, fred. >> oh, my goodness. and how many people are being

impacted? >> reporter: yeah, that's a good question. a lot of people did leave their homes, but apparently a lot of people stayed so you're talking about fairly significant portion of that community. i also want to talk to you, fredricka, about insurance because this is a big problem, especially for people who live in areas that are not prone to flooding. say you live in an area that is supposed to get a flood every 500 years, they call these 500 year flood plains. why would you get flood insurance? it doesn't make sense to pay hundreds or thousands for insurance you didn't think you would need. we talked to folks that found themselves in that situation. i want you to take a look. >> when we asked about it to make sure we covered our bases when we moved in, they almost laughed, you know, like ton of money, you don't need that. >> we would have had it if we knew it would happen or inkling it might happen.

>> reporter: that couple and other families have homeowners but that doesn't cover flood damage, they can ask for fema relief, but it won't begin to cover the damage people need to fix their homes. obviously still a lot of problems in this community, e. coli problems, people don't have flood insurance and people are still cleaning up. fredricka? >> dan simon, thanks so much from boulder. the government inching closer to a shutdown, nine days to reach a deal on a budget. house republicans passed a plan but it has a problem for democrats, it would strip funding for the health care reform law. erin mcpike has more. >> reporter: in the coming week, the battle shifts to the senate. friday, it was a rare moment for john boehner, united republicans celebrated the vote to defund obama care. >> the american people don't want the government shutdown and don't want obama care.

>> yeah is 230, nay, 139. without objection, motion to reconsider is laid on the table. >> reporter: all but one republican voted for the measure and two democrats joined them, prompting this exuberant response. >> today when we acted, it wasn't just a group of republicans, it was a bipartisan vote. >> reporter: it was a show of force from conservatives who insisted on defunding obama care as a condition for approving a bill that keeps the government running, but their effort is dead on arrival in the senate and democrats seized on the potential consequences. >> what is brought to the floor today is without a doubt, without a doubt a measure designed to shut down government. it could have no other intent. its purpose is clear. >> reporter: house republicans are working to shift blame for threat of a government shutdown onto democrats that control the senate.

>> now it is up to senate democrats to show some responsibility and follow the how's lead. >> reporter: they're putting the squeeze on vulnerable democratic senators up for re-election in red states. >> i want to know where senator pryor stands on protecting the middle class from the consequences of this horrific bill. >> reporter: cantor singled out mark prior and three other democrats, kay hague en, mary landrieu, and mark begich of alaska. but two of the senators have already told cnn they won't vote to strip money from health care. nine days remain for the senate to fund the program without cutting obama care and pass the buck back to the house. >> erin mcpike joins me, what do we expect to happen in the next week? >> reporter: fred, a couple of individual republican senators have threatened to filibuster

when it comes to the floor of the senate. the overall republican strategy is to vote to move forward with debate on this bill. once that happens, senate democrats need just 51 votes to restore funding for obama care and then another 51 votes to pass the full bill. that should happen, we expect it to, sometime later this coming week, and at that point the bill and debate on it will move back to the house. of course, we know that this deadline is october 1st, but we expect it to go down to the wire and the house will be in session next weekend debating this. i am sure we will be talking about it then. >>ing tells me we should mark our calendars. thanks, erin. a judge throws out convictions of five new orleans cops found guilty of shooting unarmed civilians on a bridge after hurricane katrina. wait until you hear why the judge said he had to do it. the clock is ticking as the federal government is running

out of money. house republicans say it is up to the senate to avoid a government shutdown. we will talk to new york congressman peter king next. how much protein

does your dog food have? 18 percent? 20? new purina one true instinct has 30. active dogs crave nutrient-dense food. so we made purina one true instinct. learn more at purinaone.com one outspoken republican against shutting down the government, new york congressman peter king. representative king sits on the homeland security committee and joins me from long island, new york. good to see you.

>> thank you, fredricka. >> you were against the proposal that avoids a government shutdown while defunding the president's health care reform. listen to what you told dana bash on capitol hill. >> we can't let the government shutdown, can't be kamikazes and can't be general custer. >> then congressman you voted for the measure and even compared that measure to that suicide mission. why did you ultimately vote for it? >> because it was the only way to keep the process going. ted cruise and others sa-- cruz others, i knew we had to get it to him. the senate will strip it out, send it back to us, send another bill back to us, that's when the real negotiations begin. >> so you're counting on those changes that would ultimately happen in the senate. and you're okay with that, the portion that defunds the president's health care plan. your bottom line is you want to

keep the government going. do you think you're going to like that senate plan after the amendments are made, you and other house members that voted for the measure? >> i would hope so. i would hope the senate even if some republicans are not being responsible, that the senate will be responsible, that they will send us a bill which does keep the government open through december 15. ones we can both agree on. i think if the senate and house leaders definitely want to negotiate, they can do it. i am convinced john boehner doesn't want to shut the government down, eric cantor doesn't want to shut the government down. this is opportunity, yesterday's vote, to let some people get it out of their system about obama care, but i hope the senate sends back a reasonable bill. if there's disagreements, let's start negotiating it right away to get this resolved by september 30 or october 1st. >> many americans are getting confused about this, you're saying you believe cantor and boehner want to keep the government going, but they're on board with the plan that says

there has to be a contingency plan, that obama's health care has to go to keep the government going. how can you have it both ways? >> yeah, the situation like ted cruz put us in. they have gone around convincing grass roots republicans we can defund obama care. if yesterday's bill was not sent to the senate, i know it sounds confusing, there's no way anything moves forward. i hope now that it is in the senate, we can let real negotiations begin. the senate will send back something reasonable, and whatever differences can be worked out by october 1st. it is not the way to run the government, the way it should be done, it is trying to make the best of a bad situation created by people like ted cruz. >> you called ted cruz a fraud, yet he seems to be getting a lot of support, if boehner and cantor are on board with his plan, and you use the word reasonable, too, and that's where i guess it seems difficult to discern, whose idea is

reasonable. >> well, first of all, as you know last week john boehner did not want to include this in the continuing resolution, it was only done as a way to get the bill out of the house and let the senate see if they can get it done. ted cruz said if we sent it to the senate, it would get done. now it will go to the senate, see it can't be done, it will show he was being fraudulent all summer pedaling the false story that somehow it can be resolved in the senate and we can get back to real serious business. it again is not the way it should be done, it is a situation the house was put in. i went along yesterday with the purpose of moving forward and hopefully exposing small group of republican senators that are holding the entire congress hostage. >> before i let you go, congressman king, you feel confident the government will continue to keep operating after october 1, that a deal can be reached? >> i believe so. i know a solid majority of house republicans do not want the house to shut down in any way. we will do whatever we can, whatever has to be done, we'll see.

i am confident that the house will not shut down, and if it does, then it is a real black eye for all of us. >> congressman peter king, thanks for your time this saturday. i appreciate it. >> thank you, fredricka. coming up at 1:00 eastern, hear from yet another side, a democrat, david scott, from georgia, a state where home depot and ups changed health care plans for thousands of workers ahead of the new law. david scott live in the newsroom next hour. unarmed citizens gunned down by police officers. it happened on a new orleans bridge, right after hurricane katrina. the cops were convicted, but just days ago this week a shocking twist. our legal guys are next on this story and case. this week on the next list, putting ideas to work. jim newton is a lifelong do it yourselfer who is passionate about making. >> humans were made to make things, that's why we have thumbs. we have gotten away from making

so much. there's that instinctive drive for people to create. >> it is one of the reasons he started tech shop, an innovation workshop where members can have access to tools they need to bring their ideas to light. >> you see them say well, i really can do this. this is stunning. they're stunned. >> and graham hill, the designer, entrepreneur who believes people would be a lot happier with less. >> i love things and i love having great things but i don't want too many and i don't want to be overwhelmed. >> hill built his dream micro apartment by crowd sourcing design on the internet and got amazing ideas. the best part of living with less, more freedom. i am dr. sanjay gupta. join me saturday 2:30 eastern on the next list. ♪

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♪ in the chaos following hurricane katrina, five police officers shoot and kill unarmed citizens on danziger bridge in new orleans. two people were killed, four seriously wounded. the officers were convicted of civil rights violations and sentenced up to 65 years in prison. eight years later, a federal judge throws out the guilty verdicts and orders a retrial, citing, quote, grow test being prosecutorial errors. good to see you both. avery, you first.

explain what happened here. >> this is an amazing story, fredricka. 129 page opinion by a federal district judge, many years after convictions. it was up to 65 years for dirty cops that were going to jail. but what the federal district judge found there was prosecutorial misconduct of such extent that the court had to vacate the judgment and these dirty cops will be retried again, but significantly the court in 129 pages talked about something called the taint team. what these justice department officials were doing was sending in phony names to the website associated with the main newspaper in new orleans, incriminating information, possible leaks, in other words taint so that it would effect the jury pool and fairness. that's what was so appalling to the federal judge, fredricka, the judge was right, these convictions had to be vacated and there's going to be a brand

new trial coming up. >> richard, it was something leading up to that case for people to hear justice, so many were outraged something like this happened, especially in the face of tragedy. but now will there be a retrial, how difficult is it to pick up the pieces and start all over again? >> emotionally it is devastating, fred. can you imagine families having to relive the scenario. however, department of justice will have the moment of truth here. do they want to proceed again with another trial or will they not have another trial. i don't know how it is going to play out, fred, but the significance of the reversal by the judge on appeal is just amazing. it is so rare that something like this would ever happen, and it did. it is because of these win at all costs prosecutors. you can't have that in our system. it is a direct violation of the department of justice rules and regulations to seek to taint a

jury pool intentionally, and we see in high profile criminal cases where information is leaked to the press. well, who do you think is leaking this, fred, it is so wrong, and if you look at the conviction rates in federal courts through the united states, they begin at 90% conviction rates. it is tough for the defense to begin with. when you have rogue prosecutors like this who won't even but their names attached to it, but do it to taint the jury pool, it is outrageous, the judge made a brave decision here. >> you talk about it, richard, reopening a wound, the brother of one of the shooting victims says this decision reopens a terrible wound not only for our family but for our entire community. see you again in 20 minutes, gentlemen, we will talk about another case, how a facebook like suddenly got much more important. the founding fathers never saw this one coming, facebook and the first amendment coming up. and a terrifying attack unfolding now at an upscale

shopping mall in nairobi, kenya. police are desperately trying to contain the situation and free hostages. we will get the latest after the break. is this the bacon and cheese diet? this is the creamy chicken corn chowder. i mean, look at it. so indulgent. did i tell you i am on the... [ both ] chicken pot pie diet! me too! [ male announcer ] so indulgent, you'll never believe they're light. 100-calorie progresso light soups.

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violence points to a terrorist attack. police are frantically trying to rescue hostages. the army joined the search to secure all the floors of the shopping mall. and in that shopping mall or at least in the parking garage of the shopping mall at the time of that shooting was sara head, she's an american doing business in kenya, and she's joining us now from nairobi via skype. sara, so glad you're okay, you were with us last hour to describe this terrifying event. you were in the shopping mall garage when you all heard three gunshots and then what happened? >> i just sort of stood there. i originally thought it was a car accident. i saw people running and honestly, i didn't know what was going on. i saw several people start to go underneath cars. my colleague told me it was gunshots and to get behind or underneath something. i crawled behind cars, i was

underneath cars. then the driver who was with us said we should run. so we all ran away from the shots and toward the stairwell. i thought if we go one level up into the stairwell, we exit the garage -- >> so sorry, we have an interruption in the skype call from sara head. she had been describing how they were in the garage just one level below the shopping mall and heard shots fired, heard her describe people in the group to say run. they eventually found their way in a stairwell where they kind of took safety for an hour and a half. we tried to reestablish the connection with her. we will let her pick up the story from there. again, police remain on the scene as well as army personnel trying to release whatever hostages that still may be there

at the shopping mall in nairobi. back in this country, after a downturn in violent deaths, chicago has experienced a second night with at least 11 people shot. thursday 13 were hit, including a three-year-old deonte howard. no one was killed, that little boy was shot. in the last 24 hours, more gunfire, and this time there are deaths to report. reporter from chicago affiliate wgn is on the phone with us. what can you tell us about the shooting that took place last night. was it in any way related to what happened thursday? >> reporter: not from what we know, fredricka. we went to the 14-year-old's home, the mother didn't want to speak, shot in the back and killed. he walks from his home, shot in the back.

and very close to an event that community activists here tout as part of the solution, a basketball tournament held in the church's gym, this time two days after a mass shooting, 13 people, including a three-year-old, and yesterday afternoon after the shooting of that teenage boy. today's basketball games get started in the next half hour, they're getting guys from rival sides of the community to play each other. gang members essentially against other gang members taking part in an activity together, doing so peacefully. security is tight where i am. buses are picking the guys up, bringing them here so they don't have to cross enemy territory, another gang's turf. last year everything went off without a hitch, and 2,000 packed the bleachers. fans are also here to see sports celebrities, former player and coach and west sider isaiah

thomas here to encourage peace in the neighborhood and joaquin noah, something positive at the end of an incredibly violent week in chicago. >> terribly sad situation. thanks so much, randy, for that update. we're going to have much more on the shooting taking place in nairobi, kenya at a shopping mall, trying to reach out to an american doing business in kenya who was caught in the crossfire. much more after this. [ male announcer ] pepcid® presents: the burns family bbq.

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deadly ambush and hostage crisis at an upscale shopping mall in kenya. gunmen stormed the mall, at least 11 are dead. the violence points to a terrorist attack. police are trying to frantically

rescue hostages. the army joined the search to secure all floors of the shopping mall. at that shopping mall at the time of the shooting was an american there on business, her name is sara head. we talked to her a short moment before the break and we lost signal, she's back with us via skype. sara, how far are you staying from where all this took place at the shopping mall? >> i'm several miles away. i had gone out for a meeting. i don't have business currently in that area of town. from what i hear, it is a relatively safe area and the mall is a pretty busy one. >> sorry. from your vantage point now, you can't hear anything or see any type of activity at the mall? >> that's right. that's right. and when i left it originally, i continued walking as far away from it as i could get. >> so last we left off before we lost the signal, you and some

others were in the stairwell, there you stayed about an hour and a half before you finally felt like it was okay to make it to the ground level outside where the shopping mall is and where the entrance is. when you got to that mall level, what did you see and experience? >> when we finally got out to the shopping center or to the super market, people were telling us to be quiet. i was pretty afraid it was unsafe to exit, but i did anyway. there were still employees of the super market who were standing there, to some degree directing us to exit. there was blood on the floor, not a substantial amount, but drops that looked like someone that had been wounded had either walked or been carried out of the super market, the same path we were taking. we walked through the hardware section and grocery section and onto their sort of storeroom or stock room, then out the loading

dock area where we eventually saw crowds of people milling about. two or three police officers with weapons. there were definitely camera men. once we made it to the street, i just continued to walk and picked up running after i got, you know, where i didn't feel i had to stay quiet any longer, i guess i picked up running at that point with my colleague and the driver that was with us. >> of all of the people you just described, who did you feel like you could trust or was it an issue of you really didn't know who to trust. whose direction should you be taking in all of the chaos? >> no, i don't think anyone -- i didn't trust anyone, not that i was suspicious of anyone either, i just didn't feel like anyone knew what was going on. and i also really didn't know that exiting through the super market was okay. i lingered in the stairwell before i actually did decide to go out, and i'm not, since i

wasn't at that door when it opened and people originally decided to exit the super market, into the supermarket, i am not sure who made the decision, who originally guided us out there, but no, i didn't -- i felt like no one really knew what was going on. there was at one point in the stairwell where someone, and there were definitely mall security guards, i didn't speak with any of them, but there was at one point a woman in the stairwell that told us please stop making phone calls, just text your relatives, please turn och your phones, please be quiet. i think people were fearful if someone on the other side of the stairwell heard us that they might somehow enter or, i don't know, look for us or something. >> wow. >> so no, i didn't feel like, i personally did not feel like there was many people who knew what was going on there in the stairwell with me. >> sara head, we're glad you're okay. what an incredible experience you had there at the shopping mall while on business in

nairobi, kenya. thanks so much, continue to be safe. also on the phone with us now, someone also in the shopping mall at the time of the shooting. and i understand that you and others were hiding in a bathroom when you heard the shooting? >> yes, that's true. we were hiding in the ladies bathroom on the first floor. >> and how did this all unfold for you. how did it all begin? >> well, it began, i was having coffee upstairs, then we heard something sounded like a table had fallen or something, then we heard repetively, and it got really loud. so i went to check off the balcony to look down and then the gunshots got really loud. people started screaming and running for exits.

i ran as well, i heard gunshots and didn't know where to go. then we heard gunshots, now we knew they were no longer on the ground floor, they were on our floor. then we started backing up and just after that, they were firing shots down the corridor where we were. we quickly entered the toilet, hid in one of the cubicles. >> and so uche, this is a shopping mall you would frequent, you have been there many times to meet with friends, have a coffee, or even shop? >> yes, absolutely, yeah. it is a very metropolitan place,

they have cafes, they have all kinds of shops and all kinds of amenities. they even had star jump, trampoline for kids, and unfortunately people were killed up there as well. >> it is very sad. we understand last count 11 people may have been killed. we also understand reportedly there's a hostage situation on-going. when you left, did you understand there were people still held there against their will? >> definitely. they were in the supermarket. and we knew that. there were people being held there. the people who were scattered around the mall ran to safety and every now and then, you know, we had people come in from the men's toilet into the ladies toilet, they have different accounts based on where they came from. some people who ran from downstairs upstairs, some ran all the way upstairs and came

back downstairs, piecing it together. everyone is saying people were being held captive in the supermarket downstairs, which also has an upstairs first floor. >> what were you all saying to one another, all of you strangers, now in the situation, i am sure because there was so much chaos, it was difficult to know whose side everybody was on. >> hello? >> can you hear me okay, uche? >> i lost you for a second. you were saying? >> i was wondering, you said you and others would end up in the bathroom, there were men coming into the women's bathroom, et cetera, i wonder about your own personal fear if you were worried about who was coming in, you know, into the bathroom, whether these people were on your side or whether, you know, it was somebody who was posing danger. >> absolutely. we were really scared. every sound sounded scary. we couldn't make out sounds, they had grenades. it was really, really loud.

all of us felt like they were close. we heard gunshots down the corridor. when people came into the bathroom, they told them to get on their knees, walk on their knees out of the bathroom, and told they were safe. we were being told by people that were texting outside not to trust anybody and certainly people that entered could be a threat. so at all points i was actually not looking at any of the people that came in, i didn't want to. never left the booth of one of the toilet cubicles, completely

shut it. >> how did you eventually get out, uche? >> we waited until there was about 20 police officers on our floor. he was sort of talking to us and helping us figure out where they were staying. when the police started to fire, you don't know who is firing. there was exchange of gunshots. then they came in, said to put our hands up, came out in single file. they tossed our bags away, and we were made to walk single file all the way out. we got a bit better picture of what was happening. more confirmation really because

we had a pretty accurate assumption of what was happening. bullet hit the wall. we knew pretty much okay, they're shooting. >> very frightening situation. uche, thank you so much. i'm glad you're okay. we appreciate your account of all that is taking place. we understand still there's a hostage situation still on-going there at the shopping mall in nairobi, kenya, westgate shopping mall. when we get more updates, we will bring that to you. again, at least 11 people killed. much more after this. ♪ [ acoustic guitar: upbeat ]

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hello, again, welcome to the third hour of cnn newsroom. i am fredricka whitfield. a look at the top stories we are following for you. that's the sound of bullets inside a shopping mall today, 11 people killed when gunmen opened fire at a packed shopping mall in kenya. another night of violence in this country