wrong, how to actually find those victims and to warn people, because it took a lot of time for people to heal and to get over some of the fear that they had because of that shooting. i want to go to randi kaye who has a little bit more information about this. randi? >> suzanne, what i can tell you as we pick it up from here, as you know, that campus is on lockdown. they are suggesting that anyone on campus or near campus seek shelter, stay in place, stay right where you are. you're looking there at virginia tech website. they're saying on that website that transit service has been suspended until further notice. as we were saying, they are trying to do a better job of communicating to people when something like this is happening following that tragedy that shooting that took place on april 16th of 2007. virginia tech posting on their website the campus is in lockdown. this is because there were shots fired on campus. we don't know by whom but we do know by the website the suspect

is described as a white male wearing gray sweat pants, a gray hat with a neon brim and some type of maroon hoodie and also carrying a pack back. apparently the suspect is on foot. we don't know how many shots were fired. but as you know, virginia tech certainly on high alert in the years following the 2007 incident. there were no classes -- there are no classes today. the finals are supposed to take place tomorrow. we'll see what happens today but this was basically a study day, read-in day for the students there. so maybe that is a good thing. maybe they were all in their rooms or in the library studying at this point. many of them may not be out on the campus walking around. as you probably recall, back in 2007, in two separate attacks, about two hours apart, the shooter in that case killed 32 people and wounded 25 years before committing suicide on that campus. that massacre goes down as the

deadliest shooting by a single gunman in u.s. history which is why we are paying such close attention to what's happening on that virginia tech campus. the attacks, as you also may recall, received international media coverage, widespread criticism of u.s. laws, really sparked an intense debate about the culture, about gun violence, about gun laws and even possibly gaps in the u.s. system for treating mental health issues given the perpetrator's state of mind in that case. but once again if you're just joining us we do want to let you know that the virginia tech campus has posted on their website that the campus is shut down after -- it's on lockdown after shots were fired, reports of shots fired there. a suspect once again described as a white male, gray sweat pants, gray hat, with a neon brim and a maroon hoodie and a backpack. so they're telling everybody there to seek shelter and stay where you are. we will continue to watch this as soon as we get a little bit more information or we can get

to someone on the ground there, we will bring that interview to you. the man charged with killing a 7-year-old georgia girl is set to make his first court appearance this hour. authorities arrested 20-year-old ryan brunn yesterday. brunn was a nant mens womainten at the complex where the girl was discovered. she was abducted from the playground, was beaten, sexual assaulted and her body dumped in a dumpster. tips from the public led investigators to brunn. he had worked at the complex where the victim lived since november. new developments today in the child abuse scandal that's rock syracuse university. zachary tomaselli filed a civil lawsuit against bernie fine claiming fine molested him in 2002 during a road trip to pittsburgh. many have questioned tomaselli's credibility, though two other men have also come forward. yesterday syracuse's district attorney said he can't bring a

case against fine because the statute of limitations has expired. former penn state football coach jerry sandusky is out of jail today after posting $250,000 bail. sandusky was arrested at his home yesterday on new charges of child sex abuse. the charges involve two more allege victims bringing the total now to ten. it is believed the victims came in contact with sandusky at his second mile charity. sandusky will be placed under house arrest and will have to wear an electronic monitoring device. attorney general eric holder says gop critics calling for his resignation are just trying to score political points. holder is in the hot seat today testifying before the house judiciary committee. they are investigating possible wrongdoing in a gun sting operation called fast and furious. it allowed illegally purchased firearms to be taken from arizona to drug cartels in mexico. holder calls the operation inexcusable and says the justice department is working to provide all relevant information to investigators.

president obama again putting the blame of the country's economic mess squarely on the shoulders of republicans on capitol hill. just a short while ago he minced no words. >> we have a congress right now, republicans in congress right now, who seem to have entirely forgotten how we got into this mess and part of the reason because because we did not empower our regulators to make sure that they were ensuring fair play. >> the president also blasted republicans for holding up his judicial appointment, especially his nominee to fill a seat on the u.s. court of appeals in d.c. a new warning today on the economic crisis in europe. french president necklace class sarkozy says a failure to reach agreement to save the euro at a summit starting today is "a luxury we cannot afford." european union leaders are

meeting in brussels in yet another attempt to resolve the region's debt crisis that threatens to trigger a new recession. the national debt of the euro members has push the common currency to the brink of collapse. a setback for those calling for the morning-after pill to be available over the counter for girls younger than 17. health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius has overruled an fda recommendation that the plan b pill be available without prescription to all girls and women. sebelius says not enough data was presented to support the application so for now, plan b will remain ready available only to those 17 and older. the fda is also focusing on two other birth control pills. it is holding hearings today about safety concerns of both especially whether there is an increased risk for blood clots compared to other birth control pills. they served our country with dignity and courage, but instead of being honored with a respectful burial, their ashes were dumped at a landfill.

congressman rush holtz joins us next to tell us how many fallen troops' remains were tossed away. watching breaking news -- reports on the virginia tech campus of shots fired. the campus is in lockdown. that's a shot there of the virginia tech website describing that there is a lockdown there saying that anyone on campus should seek shelter. we also have this picture from our tower cam there. meanwhile, the sus spet on campus possibly involved in this shooting is described as a white male wearing gray sweat pants, gray hat with a neon brim and a maroon hoodie. also carrying a back peak. transit service is suspended there. campus is obviously trying to do a better job in communicating what's happening there in the wake of the shootings on that campus that mass shooting back on april 16th, 2007 where 32 people were killed. 25 others wounded before committing suicide in the case of the suspect in that case. we will continue to follow what's happening there.

in case you know anyone who have any loved ones there on that campus or in that area, keep it here on cnn. we'll be right back. tually... then i'd be like, you rule! and my kids would be like, you rule! oh, load up the sleigh; this is going to be a great christmas. [ male announcer ] more christmas for your money, guaranteed. just a second. just, just one second. ♪ what are you looking at? don't look up there. why are you looking up? ♪ get outta the car. get outta the car. ♪ are you ok? the... get in the car. get in the car! [ male announcer ] the epa estimated 42 mpg highway chevy cruze eco. from spending time together,

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welcome back. we want to remind you we are following breaking news here in the "cnn newsroom." right now the campus of virginia tech is on lockdown on its website, they are saying that the campus is on lockdown. are you looking there right now at a shot of eggleston hall. but getting back to the web side, they are saying there are reports for shots fired. suspect in this case described as a white male wearing gray sweat pants, maroon hoodie and backback. gray hat with a neon brim. transit service is suspended.

this goes back to the virginia tech massacre which many of us recall from april 16, 2007, the deadliest incident by a single gunman in u.s. history. we'll continue to follow this and keep you updated. moving on, it is a practice the air force kept secret for years, a practice the military considered dignified and respectful. but frankly, what the air force did with the cremated remains of some of our nation's war dead is anything but. newly obtained records reveal that during the years of 2004 to 2008 the remains of at least 274 american troops cremated at dover airbase were subsequently dumped -- dumped -- in a landfill. this landful. the king george county landfill in virginia. the practice was unearthed by "the washington post" last month. we told you about it here on this program but the sheer numbers we are finding out about now -- 274 -- is far more than the military previously reported. now one democratic congressman is pushing for answers as to why

it ever happened in the first place. congressman rush holtz of new jersey joins me now. first off, your reaction to these newly uncovered mortuary records. >> i don't think we've heard the end of it. the pentagon has been very slow to come forward with the information. i think it is partly because they've been reluctant to face up to the problem. it is not just cover-up. i think it is an unwillingness to face the extent of the dishonor here. for months i've been trying to get information. this coming to light we owe to some courageous family members and to some whistle blowers who brought this forward. a constituent of mine whose husband was killed five years ago suspected there were some -- of her husband's body parts that were not treated with respect

and solemnity. the more she pushed, she became concerned, she brought it to me, i tried to get more information. i asked about numbers and they said that would just require a massive effort. well that's not a good enough answer. >> let me get back to the families in this case. because the air force is defending the practice, basically saying that the families signed some type of authorization form saying -- authorizing the military to make "appropriate disposition" of any remains. i mean you've spoken to this constituent and probably others. what was the family's understanding of how this was going to work? >> i don't think any family thinks that human remains in a garbage dump is appropriate disposition. now it's true, the air force is correct, different families deal with their grief in different ways. some people want to know everything about how their loved one died and what has happened. some not so much. but that shouldn't be taken to mean that this kind of

desecration is satisfy. it is totally unsatisfactory. it goes way beyond insensitive. it dishonors the families and everyone else in uniform. >> we're learning not only were these remains dumped but they were dumped and packaged with some of the same boxes with medical waste. disposal company says they had no idea that was the case, but what do you make of that? >> well, i think some people who didn't know didn't want to know. that's my -- the point i began with. i think some of this is not just coverup. it is a willful blindness. they didn't want to know and we've got to get to the bottom of it. i don't think we have yet gotten to the bottom of it. it's not sufficient as the pentagon told me that this will require a -- would require a massive effort and therefore we can't get to the bottom of it. this country spends tens of millions of dollars every year

to recover the remains of those missing in action, including in southeast asia from many decades ago. and it makes you proud to be an american to know that we would do that. but this sends shoulders through americans. it disrespects the families. it goes way beyond insensitive. and the air force to this day, as of right now, refuses to have a family advisory committee for the mortuary and the funeral and burial practices. of course they should have a family advisory committee. >> congressman, we will continue to check in with you. we appreciate your time today. please keep us up to date on what your constituents are finding out. thank you very much. we're getting new information on the breaking news we're following on the virginia tech campus where shots have reported by been fired. just checking the campus twitter site which is their official

campus site, we're getting some tweets here that i can share with you as we look at some scenes from cameras there on the campus. saying that one tweet says a police officer has been shot. potential second victim is reported at the cage lot. stay indoors. secure in place. another tweet saying that the suspect is described as a white male wearing gray sweat pants, gray hat with a neon green brim. also wearing a maroon hoodie and carrying a backpack on foot. call 911. these are tweets from the virginia tech campus. you can feel the urgency and concern just reading these tweets. one more -- gunshots reported coliseum parking lot. stay inside. secure doors. emergency personnel responding. call 911 for help. that is the information coming from the twitter account there on the virginia tech campus. the campus is on lockdown. finals are supposed to take place tomorrow. this is a study day for the

students there but on the website, the campus is saying, giving information describing the suspect as we just told you but also advising anyone on the campus or in the area to seek shelter, also alerting them transit service is shut down. but there are reports of shots fired on the virginia tech campus. we'll keep an eye on this and let you know as soon as we find out more information. keep it here on cnn. this is $100,000. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back.

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breaking news here in the "cnn newsroom." we want to update you on what's happening in blacksburg, virginia on the campus of virginia tech. that campus is on lockdown. you're looking there at one of the tower cams set up on that campus. we can tell you some of the new information coming from the university communications on the virginia tech website. tweets are being released through that website as you take a look at the make-up of the campus. but telling us that a police officer has been shot. this is again coming through university communications. a police officer shot, potential second victim is reported at the cage lot telling everyone to stay indoors, secure in place. another tweet from university communications saying the suspect described as a white

male, gray sweat pants, gray hat with a neon green rim, wearing a ma rorine hoodie with a backpac. gunshots reported at the coliseum parking lot. stay inside, secure doors. emergency personnel responding. call 911 for help. this is from the tweets being released by the university communications office. of course, this brings back the horrible day of april 16th back in 2007 where the virginia tech massacre took place. you probably remember the 22-year-old college student, a korean national, who went on a shooting spree there. jason carroll is on the phone with us. he has some news out of penn state and jerry sandusky. jason, you're not on the phone, you're actually live there on campus. what can you tell us? >> reporter: yes. just a few moments ago we saw jerry sandusky in the back seat of the car as he was released

here from the centre county correctional facility. again this happening just a few moments ago. jerry sandusky now released on $250,000 bail. before he was allowed to leave the facility here, randi, he had to first probation officer had to come in, attach an electronic monitoring device to him. that's one of the conditions of his bail. in addition to that, he will now be under house arrest. if he does in fact to choose to go home to be under house arrest, that's about 20 minutes from where we are now. other conditions of bail include no contact with victims or possible witnesses in the ongoing case that's happening, also no unsupervised visits with minors. these are some of the conditions of his bail. the next legal hurdle will be next week, that's tuesday, that's the preliminary hearing. randi? >> jason, just to catch our viewers up to what's happening here, i know you've been covering this since it first started, but this is all surrounding these two other

witnesses, right, that have come forward and testified before the grand jury? >> reporter: that's correct. identified as victims number nine and victim number ten in a new grand jury presentment. this happened yesterday. jerry sandusky arrested on new charges of abusing these two alleged victims. what we saw previously was eight victims outlined in a previous grand jury report. so now what we have are now ten alleged victims, ten people who are claiming that jerry sandusky molested them, sexually assaulted them when they were boys. many of those boys he came to know through his foundation, second mile. many more details i'm assuming will be coming out during the preliminary hearing which will be on tuesday but once again jerry sandusky arrested yesterday. these are two new victims, new allegations that he is now facing in connection with this

case. >> jason carroll, following the developments there at penn state. jason, our thanks to you. now let's check in with brianna keilar as we've been following the reports of a shooting on the virginia tech campus. hi there, brianna. >> reporter: hi there, randi. i was at virginia tech of course during the shootings in 2007 so i touched base with some of the contacts that i made during that very unfortunate story. i got a message from larry hincker, the vice president of university relations. he's very much the public pub of virginia tech who dealt with the shootings in 2007 and he basically just told me that all of the details he has are the ones that are on the website at this point. he was actually here in washington, d.c. and he's now in the process of heading back to blacksburg. i was also able to touch base with a pastor at a church there on campus who told me that he's spoken with a lot of students who were going through this process of the lockdown. he said there is kind of a sense of not really knowing what's going on, although people are

obviously taking precautions. and he says that particularly noticeable was for the students who were there in 2007 during the shooting that they have a very different response to the younger students who he said don't quite know what to make of this. but the students who were there back in 2007, there is a degree of fear because the way the details of this shooting had been reported which is that there appears to be a police officer shot and perhaps another victim that this is something that kind of hearkens back to what happened in 2007. because you'll remember, that shooter, seung-hui cho, first called two students earlier in the morning, and then some time passed, and then you saw really the more significant part of that tragedy unfold which was the 30 students who were killed at norris hall. there's certainly a lot of precaution an students are very concerned to differing degrees depending on whether they were there that day. >> let me ask you this, brianna, as we are getting this information coming in to us from the website there at virginia

tech. they say that this alleged gunman who is being described as a white male wearing gray sweat pants, gray hat with a neon brim, a maroon hoodie and a backpack. can you shed some light on -- is mccombis a hall there? a dorm area? >> yeah. i just got the map in my hand a moment ago i was trying to figure out what happened. there is a sense that that perhaps the gunman was moving away from campus, at least that's what this pastor that i talked to said, or was sort of on the move and that was really the concern. but in terms of very specific details, i don't have those and i really would have to study the map to let you know exactly where that was. >> what about how virginia tech is getting the communication out, having covered this story when it happened back in 2007, in that massacre on campus, in

terms of using the website to get the word out and communicate with students via twitter, via the website, in this age of technology, do you think they are doing a better job than in 2007? >> there is no doubt they are doing a better job. in 2007 virginia tech came under a lot of fire because i believe it was in the 7:00 a.m. hour where it was the shooting at the dormitory that you saw two students killed by seung-hui cho and the problem was that you didn't actually have any sort of alert really go out until the 9:00 a.m. hour and i believe it was by e-mail. and now there is a new system in place where they do text messages, people have their cell phones registered. the problem with that alert having gone out during the 9:00 a.m. hour was that a lot of students were already in class and you saw the next shooting at norris hall at 9:40 a.m. you had a lot of students who said they had no idea that there was a shooting going on until it was basically happening in their classroom. so you've seen very much of an accelerated response by the university to getting word out

to students through their -- not just through their website but they also have visual on-campus alert systems, the text mess ablgin i messageing, e-mails. >> we'll have much more coverage after this very quick break. it's easy to see what subaru owners care about. that's why we created the share the love event. get a great deal on a new subaru and $250 goes to your choice of 5 charities. with your help, we can reach $20 million dollars by the end of this, our fourth year. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 you and your money deserve. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 at charles schwab, that means taking a close look at you tdd# 1-800-345-2550 as well as your portfolio. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 we ask the right questions, tdd# 1-800-345-2550 then we actually listen to the answers

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we're just getting more information as we follow this breaking news, reports of shots fired in blacksburg, virginia on the campus of virginia tech. we have on the line with us brian walz, a full-time employee at virginia tech. a video producer in the athletic department. brian, can you tell us what you are seeing there on campus, any sign of injuries or shooting victims? >> no, i'm not really seeing anything right now. we're on lockdown so i'm in my office in the department here. >> have -- did you go outside at all? were you able to see anything before the lockdown? >> i did. i was in the studio and heard

probably between 10 and 15 different sirens go by and just out of curiosity i walk outside and saw big -- large group of officers gathered and some other people from the department here in the parking lot just looking to see what was going on, wasn't sure if it was a traffic accident or something. then i ended up seeing an individual on the ground being attempted -- rescue workers attempting resuscitation. then the alarm, the campus al m alarm, i alert alarm went off and i just got back to the building as quickly as i could. >> we are getting some reports via twitter, through the official university website saying a police officer has been shot. did you get a chance to look at the person who was on the ground being resuscitated? were you able to notice at all if that might have been someone in authority there, possibly a

police officer? >> no, i honestly doesn't tell. at first glance i thought it was a student and i just saw a bag laying there to the side of the person. yeah. there was nothing that told me that it was a police officer so. >> we're just learning that the fbi has been sent to the campus which is standard procedure. can you give me an idea of where you are and what it feels like right now on that campus? >> i'm actually -- i'm in a building right next to the football stadium, in between the football stadium and the basketball arena in the parking lot directly across, probably 200, 300 yards away from where the shooting occurred. i would say it's very tense. you know, after what happened on campus here several years ago, you never really know what to expect. any time an alarm goes off, you know, you're just on pins and

needles. >> and what time did you notice or hear the warning alarm going off there on campus? >> i really couldn't tell you. i wasn't really paying attention to what time it was. >> about how long ago was it? >> i would say it was anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour ago. that's a rough estimate. >> and are you still hearing sirens or any activity on campus as you remain there in lockdown? >> no, i can't hear anything here in the building. i've gotten e-mail alerts every five to ten minutes from campus. >> are you in touch with any of the students there? any idea where some of the students are and what they're feeling? >> i actually have a student intern that was working in one of the offices across the hall and i pulled her in to this office and just asked her to come in here so that we could lock the doors and make sure she was secure. other than that, no, i haven't had any contact with any other students here in the office or anywhere in the building.

>> one of the tweets, brian, that was released through the university communications on the virginia tech website says that gunshots were reported at the coliseum parking lot. can you give us an idea where that is on campus? >> yeah. it is -- everything on virginia tech's campus is not very large. right in the middle of the athletic complex essentially. there is a couple of dorms right across from that lot, there's the health center, and then like i said, the football stadium and the basketball arena are directly across the street from that lot. >> all right. well, brian, as we look at some pictures here from our affiliate there in blacksburg, wdbj, we'll let you go. please stay safe there and keep

your cell phone close in case we check back with you. but please stay safe. we'll follow reports of the shooting on the virginia tech campus. quick break, be right back on the other side. [ woman ] my boyfriend and i were going on vacation,

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welcome back. we are continuing to follow this breaking news, reports of shots fired in blacksburg, virginia, on the campus of virginia tech. we just spoke with an employee there at virginia tech telling us that he heard about 10 or 15 sirens, went outside, he saw a gathering of police vehicles, then trying to resuscitate one victim on the ground. through tweets being released by the university communications office, there are reports of a police officer being shot and shots also being fired at the coliseum parking lot there on campus. blacksburg transit has been shut down. the description of the suspect in this case is a white male, gray sweat pants, a gray hat with neon green brims being released on the university website, wearing a maroon hoodie and carrying a backpack. we will continue to keep an eye

on this as we gather more information. meanwhile just minutes from now, the man arrested and charged with killing a 7-year-old in canton, georgia is set to face a judge for the very first time. 20-year-old maintenance worker ryan brunn will appear in court on charges he sexually assaulted, stabbed and beat the young girl to death. she was snatched from a playground and monday her body was pulled from a dumpster. police say they are confident brunn is the killer. >> this investigation will continue on for several months. this is a mammoth case. we believe that this horrendous crime was planned and calculated. >> the suspect's brother insists brunn is innocent calling him a kind-hearted person. >> this is just a big mistake. just because he works there, i just honestly think this is a big set-up on his part.

>> cnn is inside the cherokee county courthouse where brunn is about to face the judge. that's a live picture outside the courthouse. we'll get the latest on that appearance as it happens. this country has the world's longest reigning monarch. it is rich in archaeology and has been inhabited for more than half a million years. its economy is heavily dependent on exports. but tourists flock here in big numbers. where in the world are we? we'll tell you next in "globe trekking." ou had been doing. you know, working, working, working, working, working, working. and now you're talking about, well you know, i won't be, and i get the chance to spend more time with my wife and my kids. it's my world. that's my world. ♪

welcome back. we want to update you now on some new information that we're getting in on that breaking news on the campus of virginia tech university in blacksburg, virginia. reports of shots fired. take a look at campus set-up there. we can tell you that the suspect in this case apparently moving on foot, either away from or toward mccomas hall. virginia tech website is putting out information warning the students there to stay in their rooms, stay where they are, get some cover there. they have locked down the campus. apparently the campus -- there were no classes today. the finals are tomorrow so the students may have been inside studying. the university communications office releasing some tweets actually coming out from the campus. one saying the police officer has been shot, a potential second victim is reported at the cage lot. stay indoors, secure in place. again describing the suspect, another tweet, white male, gray sweat pants, gray hat with a neon green brim, maroon hoodie

and backpack. as we said, possibly on foot towards mccomas hall. call 911. one more, gunshots reported at the coliseum parking lot. so we will continue to follow that, continue to get some people on the phone there with some new information. we are also following another story. more breaking news coming out of downtown st. louis. take a look at this video coming to us from our affiliate there, ktvi, kplr. this is a five-alarm fire we understand in an apartment building. we're also being told by our affiliate that this may have been started by some sort of explosion. you can see this all happening right now unfolding at this hour in downtown st. louis. you see the fire crews there working that fire trying to make sure some really dramatic pictures there working those hoses trying to make sure that that fire doesn't spark up even more so through the roof of that

apartment building. but once again, reports this may have been started by an explosion. a five-alarm fire. we'll continue to watch that and what's happening on the virginia tech campus as well. meanwhile, sleeping in a silent bedroom, driving down the street, normal things to you and me but not to a veteran of war. i'll be joined by one after the break to explain. [ male announcer ] going a little overboard with the holiday spirit? [ buzzer ] saving $50 on a no contract htc wildfire s from virgin mobile at radioshack. so right. ♪

breaking news now. we want to show you this video coming to us out of downtown st. louis. take a look here. you see it there. this is a five-alarm fire that has broken out apparently at an apartment building in downtown st. louis. pictures coming to us from ktvi-kplr, our affiliate. you can see it there, certainly plenty of smoke. hard to see the flames. not sure what's going on inside of that building but that's some pretty dramatic footage. you see all that heavy smoke. we've been following these pictures. moments ago there wasn't even this much smoke. certainly a battle for these firefighters to try and get this under control. you see the hoses there. we'll continue to keep an eye on this. let us also now take you to more breaking news out of

blacksburg, virginia and the campus of virginia tech. you see it there. we are following breaking news from that campus. the campus website saying that they are on lockdown there because oflockdown there because of reports of shots fired, describing the suspect as a white male, gray sweatpants, a gray hat with a neon green brim. wearing a maroon hoodie and a backpack. all transport there has been shut down. we're getting some tweets from the university. saying that a police officer has been shot. a potential second victim is also reported, telling everybody to stay indoors and secure in place. this is, of course, something that brings a lot of these folks back to i am a 16th, 2007 when sun li cho had committed that mass shooting on campus before

committing suicide. 33 people dead including cho himself and 25 others wounded. they are on alert. they've made some changes on campus in terms of their alert system since it didn't go so well in 2007. they were only able to e-mail. this time they have this much better alert system. we talked to one of the authorities who said warning alerts have gone off and he is staying in place. we'll continue to follow that. and that fire in downtown st. louis. for american troops in iraq, the war is almost over. many have returned home. many will face a difficult battle. the difficult at times deadly process to reintegration to what vietnam vets called the world. a sudden loud noise can trigger a combat flash back, drug use, spousal abuse, sleepless nights, the fear of large crowds. the first thing many vets do is buy a gun. and it's there the apparent link between combat and suicides.

the defense department says more than 2,000 servicemen and women have killed themselves in the past decade. that includes 437 confirmed potential and attempted sue sides this year. tom tarantino is with the advocacy group, iraq and afghanistan veterans of america and joins us now. you're a combat veteran of the iraq war. tell us what it was like. tell us about this reintegration experience coming back from the war. >> coming back from combat, it is a process for everybody. for the vast majority of veterans, the vast majority, they come back, go through a normal reaadjustment period, and they go on to serve their country or serve society in other ways. you're talking about a completely different environment. in combat, things we do every day here, things like driving down the road, things like reacting to noises or things that you see in your environment can be very dangerous. so it takes a little time to readjust.

it is important to note pits not just the service member that has to readjust. it is their family as well. when you come back, the whole family has to readjust and it takes a little time. >> i know i've spoken with several veterans but one woman really stands out in my memory. she said when she came back, even just driving down the street if there was a coke can or a garbage bag or a piece of litter, she worried about an ied. she worried about going to the mall and being with large crowds. i think that's probably what a lot of veterans deal with. >> it is. coming back is difficult. i personally found it difficult to drive. it is a normal readjustment period. i think that's something we really need to emphasize. you just went from a very extreme situation where you've had to use all your senses 110% of the time. now you're back in a safe environment and you have to dial it back. and it doesn't just turn off. it takes little while. i myself had trouble driving. sudden movement and noises and crowds were a little bit

problematic. the success story in that is that the vast majority of veterans come back and after a few weeks, readjust. one of the more critical pieces is the help of their friends and family easing back into society. there is a report just released called up sung heroes that outlines some of the things military families go through when, during this long period of war. >> what about the suicide rates on the returning vets? does that really tell the whole story? >> actually, we don't even know what the story is for veterans. we know the suicide rate in the military is incredibly high. higher than it has ever been. unfortunately, we don't know how many veterans commit suicide in this country. the only members we have is for those who use the department of veterans affairs. that's a vast minority. only half of veterans have set foot in the v.a. we're looking at how to get our hands around this problem and figure out how many veterans are actually committing suicide and

why so we can better direct resources and get people the help that they need. >> how would you say the v.a. is doing in getting them help? >> right. the v.a. needs to do a lot more. it is important to understand that suicide isn't in and of itself a problem. it is a tragic toned a whole string of failures and problems. it has to do with the lack of adequate mental health care services at the v.a. you can't tell someone who is struggling they have to come back in four weeks. it means reaching out to veterans that are out there and telling them there are other alternatives. there are vet centers, a great program out there run by the v.a. but not part of the v.a. health care system. there are community based nonprofits in city and state level resources out there that can get people the crisis intervention and help they need. if you really want to solve the problem of suicide, you have to look at things like employment, education, family services. it is when these fail that they ultimately lead to this tragic

conclusion. >> your group is also reaching out to veterans and trying to help? >> absolutely. we've been a leader in trying to figure out not just how policywise we can fix this but how we can link other service members up. we have our website community of veterans, a closed social network for iraq and afghanistan veterans. and we sponsor hundreds of events nationwide, mostly through our partnership, how to bring vets together. quite often you don't know if there are other veterans in your community because we're so spread out. in bringing them together and bringing their families together, they can rebuild that sense of community that they lost when they left the military. >> tom tarantino, appreciate that very much. thank you for all you're doing to help the veterans. we want to take you back to downtown st. louis. this news that we're following of a five-alarm fire there. you see these incredible pictures, incredible video coming to us from ktvi, kplr.

the st. louis firefighters are fighting this blaze down. it is not an apartment building. it is just building a as far as we can tell you. the fire started out as a three alarm fire, following an explosion in downtown st. louis. it has moved to a five-alarm fire. in case you have any loved ones in that area our live in that area, in the 700 block of south sixth street. in addition with the mayor's office saying at this point, no injuries have been reported. so once again, the st. louis hazardous materials team is on the scene. the firefighters are working to evacuate the building and this smoke, as you see it there, is apparently being seen for miles as they try to get this five-alarm fire under control in st. louis. we want to update you on some information out of blacksburg, virginia. we've been following a shooting there on campus.

we can report sadly that two people are dead in this virginia tech shooting. one is a virginia tech police offic officer, one other person dead. we're getting official word from the university communications department releasing some tweets that had been sent out. one of them earlier did say that a police officer had been shot. we're to brian walls on the line with us earlier and he told us that he had seen, he had heard 10 or 15 sirens so he went outside. he is an employee there, a video producer in the athletic department. he went outside and saw police vehicles gathering. and he did see us trying and working hard to resuscitate a victim on the ground. i asked him if that possibly might have been a victim who was dressed as a police officer. he said he looked very quickly and went inside because the alarms went off and the warnings went off and the campus went on lockdown. we're learning that a police officer is among the dead there, including one other person.

and we continue to get these tweets from the university communications office that the suspect is at large. the police officer had been shot. to stay indoors, secure in place. another tweet that the suspect more importantly here is described as a white male wearing gray sweatpants, a gray hat with a neon green brim. a maroon hoodie and a backpack. on foot. we're not getting any information on whether or not that suspect has been picked up. let's get to our affiliate wdvj. we'll let you listen to what's happening in the area there. >> here we go again, the same school. hopefully not at that catastrophic level of victims. >> and talking about that police presence, holly mentioned folks from all different jurisdictions

were coming. i remember in 2007 i was covering the aftermath of a wind storm in franklin county. i remember being on 220 heading back to roanoke and seeing just tons of sheriff's deputies' cars from martinsville, franklin county, state police fly past me. they were going from i think the franklin county direction to roanoke and then heading straight to blacksburg. it was so chaotic with these officers on the highway trying to get to campus. it gives you an idea of what was happening today. because both holly and karen had named all of those jurisdictions that are already there. officers called in. you just get a sense of what's going on. >> a little bit there from the local coverage from our affiliate. we want to check in now with fredericka whitfield. >> reporter: we continue to

watch the developments here at virginia tech campus. this now four and a half years after the tragic shooting taking place on that blacksburg campus. at the time, 33 people killed. now we understand, according to virginia tech authorities, that two people there confirming two people have been shot and killed on that campus today. again, as randy was reporting, that suspected gunman still at large. this statement coming from virginia tech saying shortly after 12:00 today, that virginia tech police officers stop a vehicle on campus during a routine traffic stop in the coliseum parking lot near mccomas park there. near the traffic stop the officer was shot and killed. i'm reading this statement coming from virginia tech. witnesses reported to police the shooter fled on foot heading toward a lot area. then a second person was found. that person is also deceased. this coming from virginia tech. that statement.

so confirmation that two people were shot dead on the virginia tech campus. they're still searching for the alleged gunman. he has been described as a white male wearing a gray sweatshirt, gray hat, and a neon, with a neon green brim, maroon hoodie and a backpack and was last seen on foot. the campus is on lockdown. this was a procedure that kicked in after the 2007 shooting that took place on campus there. all students, faculty are instructed to stay exactly where they are. as authorities continue to look for this suspected gunman. if you're just now joining us, here at the virginia tech campus in blacksburg, virginia. a shooting underway two hours ago. two people confirmed dead according to virginia tech. and the suspected shooter still on the loose. let's listen in one more time to our affiliate now.

wdbj. as they talk over these live pictures on campus. >> it looks like they're trying to get briefed on this situation. you can see the people dressed in their gear. we do remember that karen talked about they're setting up checkpoints and stopping cars. so anyone who goes through, i don't think they're letting anyone in. but anyone who tries to -- >> anyone from outside who may not have heard what's happening there, they're going to have a really tough time navigating through that area with obviously this investigation underway. all the officers, that image right there with the officers walking by is deja vu all over again. >> this whole day is. >> with their vests, helmets. they have to do what they need to do to stay safe out there. we certainly commend them for their efforts.

i'm going to see if we can slowly bring a person back in. he had his own camera. if we can give us another report. on the tech campus is where joe is. >> reporter: i can hear you now. we're out here in the vicinity of the virginia tech police department. we're seeing a lot of different units from different police agencies assembling here on the campus. i don't have a lot of information on where they're heading but we've been seeing heading in and out of this area. a lot of different agencies involved. >> i'm at what you're at. officers kind of dressing up on the far left corner of the screen. getting their gear together. i saw someone strapping to their pants. what is the sense of urgency out there? >> well, definitely, i was listening to you right before i came on with you. we were definitely seeing quite a few people flying in this

direction. definitely a lot of -- excuse me. in terms of trying to get here to be prepared. we have seen the officers getting their gear together out of the backs of vehicles, putting on what appears to be bullet-proof vests and that sort of thing. we've seen the special weapons and tactics type of equipment that you see in a situation like this. so again, a lot of people amassing in this area. i guess being prepared for whatever situation they might encounter. >> joe, i do see right now where you are focused on that shot. the check point going on. does it look like people are trying to leave campus? >> not really. we're not really at a point of where people are coming and going -- >> you're listening to live coverage of our affiliate there. wdbj out of blacksburg, virginia.

the reporting there at the virginia tech campus. two confirmed deaths taking place. one, a police officer during a routine traffic stop, according to virginia tech authorities. we'll continue to watch the developments coming out of blacksburg there. they continue to look for the suspected gunmen. meantime, another story we continue to follow for you this afternoon. this in st. louis. a five-alarm fire taking place. you're looking at the most recently shot images there in st. louis. all we know is that it was a downtown building. we don't know whether it is occupied. we don't know if it is a commercial business. we understand this very severe fire has meant that many of the firefighters are being asked to back up. a hazmat team, a chemical team has been dispatched there. it is believed there could be some hazardous materials on the premises there. it is believed according to our affiliate reporting there that an explosion took place in that building.

that's what sparked this blas. this is a five-alarm fire themselves continue to try to put out this fire in the downtown st. louis, missouri area. when we learn anything more about it, we do know that it started around noon eastern time. one building has been evacuated that is nearby that st. louis building. we'll be to a reporter from st. louis in just a few moments to get a better grasp as to what is taking place there in downtown st. louis. we'll take a short break right now and be back with more of our news coverage. ed the yummy cereal? yummy. [ woman ] lower cholesterol. [ man 2 ] yummy. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste and whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes?

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we're following two stories. one, a deadly shooting taking place at virginia tech. more on that in a moment. meantime in downtown st. louis, an urgent situation as they try to control a blaze right downtown at a building there. it is a five-alarm fire. we understand that there may be some chemicals within that building. so there is grave concern for the firefighters who are trying to douse this blaze. with us from the st. louis post dispatch, reporter kristine buyers, you're on the scene. tell me what you're seeing. >> reporter: right now i can see at least five trucks with hoses trying to bring this fire to a close. there was one firefighter holding a hose from the neighboring building and dousing the building with water as well. all of the fire trucks are out here for this major event. they have blocked out for

several blocks around the building at this point. and the north side of the building, we're told, is buckling. >> so kristine, you said there are streets blocked off. we understand according to our reporting there, that one of the buildings has been evacuated. is it still the case according to earlier reports that there is concern for the firefighters that they were trying to push back some of the firefighters because of the unknown chemicals? on the premises? >> no. the fire chief said that was just a precaution that they had to report there were hazardous materials in the neighboring building. so they have prevented the fire from going into the building at this point. >> what kind of building is this? >> reporter: i think a three-story brick building with the name across from it. people here that have worked, it

is at least 100 years old. very historical looking. wood infrastructure. the problem with the fire now is that there are no windows on the north side of the building. it makes it very hard to -- >> thanks so much for that update. keep us posted. it appears that very few are in danger there in that situation in st. louis. meantime a lockdown continues at the virginia tech blackburg campus there because of a shooting that took place earlier there today. two people have been killed. we have with us now on the phone, a senior at virginia tech. and are you in lockdown in a particular building? on campus? >> yes. i'm in the hall next to the

squire state center and the library. >> now where is the building that you're in? this hall in relation to where this initial shooting supposedly happened in a parking lot area there on campus not far from the coliseum? if you're looking at the map, it will be in the northeast corner of the map. the reports were filed in the coliseum on the left side. the map you're looking at. it is kind of far away but it is within walking distance for sure. >> okay. now how were you and others alerted that there had been a shooting on campus and that a gunman was still on the loose? >> the initial reports is that a siren went off in and around campus. then everything went into lockdown. we've received multiple e-mails through the virginia tech alert

system reporting of shots fired. it is just an incoming as the day has gone by. >> what went through your mind when you heard the siren, when you saw the e-mails? >> when things go on lockdown, there are sirens and reports on shots fired. people tend to be on edge in the beginning. we're just waiting for more information to come around. it's been tense around here, especially since there have been confirmed shots and injuries. >> what has been taking place on campus? are you in the middle or about to embark on finals? >> sorry. could you repeat that? >> are students including yourself about to have finals? final exams? >> correct. today is the start of reading day. we have finals throughout the week and next week. >> okay. and have any alerts gone out to you and other students about the

person that you should be looking for or the suspected gunman that authorities are looking for? >> from what i've read through twitter and what i've heard through the radio i've been listening to, the suspect has been wearing black pants and a gray sweatshirt. some sort of green cap. that's it. that's all we've heard so far. >> how many people are with you at the location you are at that hall? >> it's been 20 something students and faculty. >> can you kind of describe for me the temperament mock everyone? most people are kind of on edge. >> some are just trying to get work done and ignore what's going on. all that comfort students including myself, or i was in a room listening to the radio. it's about me and four other students have been sitting here and listening while the rest have been talking, conversing.

>> if you look out the window, what do you see? >> right now out the window, i see two cop cars sitting idly. a couple policemen are walking by. every else just seems very quiet and very still. in the room or hall where you are, are doors locked? >> everything has been locked and secured. every is on shutdown. >> no one can leave. no one can enter. a senior there at virginia tech, thanks so much. we'll continue to monitor the developments there on the blacksburg campus there at virginia tech. again, authorities are looking for a suspected gunman who opened fire about midday. virginia tech authorities are saying two people were shot dead there on campus. we'll keep a close watch on developments there on virginia tech and bring them to you.

a twist in the hunt for a killer. >> there is just no way that he would do something like this. >> a man who helped search for a little girl and worked at the same apartment complex where she lived appears in court, accused in her brutal murder. >> we're so lucky. we're so privileged. and you see people who don't have that. . >> dr. sanjay gupta like you've never seen him before. plus, see this million-dollar mansion on the water? a special investigation reveals a woman who lives there apparently gets welfare. >> it's shocking. i have no inkling that this was going on. and president obama pushing for this man to be the new wall street watch dog. but this man is against it. republican senator orrin hatch joins me live.

we continue to watch this story out of blacksburg, virginia. on the virginia tech campus, a deadly shooting. two people confirmed dead according to virginia tech authorities. the search continues for the suspected gunman.

meantime the campus remains on lockdown. we'll keep you posted. also, growing outcry over a decision by the nation's health secretary to overrule the fda on plan b, the so call morning after pill. many are calling the move political. right now plan b is available without a prescription for those 17 or older. the food and drug administration was set to remove the age restrictions yesterday but health and human secretary kathleen sibelius nixed that move. >> the reason kathleen made this decision was she could not be confident that a 10-year-old or an 11-year-old going to a drugstore should be able alongside bubble gum or batteries, be able to buy a medication that potentially if

not used properly, could everybody up having an adverse effect. >> tmpbl iva pharmaceuticals which makes plan b contested the age him in court in 2009. a federal judge ruled the fad had based it on politics, not science and ordered the agency to rethink the decision. does the pharmaceutical company have any legal recourse now? our senior legal analyst, jeffrey tubin joins us from new york. can they push their case in court again? >> they can try but it is unlikely to proceed. this was a decision left to the food and drug administration under the supervision of health and human services. there was elaborate testing and the drug was found safe and effective for women and girls of all ages. but health and human services does have ultimate authority and i think a court would be very reluctant to overturn it. that doesn't mean it is the

right decision. i just think that is the likely legal outcome. >> and so one has to wonder why, if that ruling was to mean nothing, ultimately, because health and human service cosmetic override the fda decision, why go the route through the courts in the first place? >> well, there was a difference in how intensive the process was. the first time the courts said that there simply wasn't enough of an investigation. that politics in fact did the whole process. now there was more of a scientific investigation. it is certainly possible that the company that makes plan b could go back to court. it just seems like with the guidance of the first court on how to do the procedures, it is very likely that the obama administration this time has sort of crossed its ts and dotted its is in a way the court would probably not want to interfere with. >> won't the company try to make

the case that it is their belief this latest decision is a political one and not one based on science? >> they will, or they may. they might have a decent case. i think that given how long this process took and given the fact that the administration had the previous decision as a template to work off of, i think the court issue is unlikely to resolve. and i think it is more interesting and a more important political issue. here you have barack obama, very strongly supported by the feminist community. essentially overriding women's health, which is something he always talks about. he always says it is very important to protect women's health. here girls who obviously are in trouble in the first place, who are pregnant, would have access to this and he is taking it away from them. that i think is more of a political problem with his base

than it's likely to be a legal problem down the line. >> thanks so much. cnn heroes awards just around the corner. we take you for a preview coming up. and he is arguably one of the most famous doctors in the world. our own dr. sanjay gupta getting personal. >> i used to joke around with my wife that when we got married, that i don't think i cried since i was 6 years old. now i'm getting all misty eyed right now. when you think about the things and -- what's this? it's progresso's new loaded potato with bacon. it's good. honey, i love you... oh my gosh, oh my gosh.. look at these big pieces of potato. ♪ what's that? big piece of potato. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. if you have painful, swollen joints,

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we're very proud of our heroes here on cnn. plus we've been telling you about them all year long.

sunday night you'll find out the number one cnn hero of 2011 in an all-star tribute which will air at 8:00 eastern. right now i want to you meet one of the finalists. >> in haiti every day of your life, you are seeing poor kids. when the earthquake came, it became harder. no elect, you have to fight for everything. in 2006, the doctor told me that i had cancer and it was not curable. i wanted to do something good for my country, for the kids. my name is patrice millet and i do education soccer with haitian kids. >> you are at the shrine auditorium in los angeles where the event will be held. patrice is one of the finalists cnn is honoring sunday night. tell us more about him.

>> we have him here in person. he is going to tell you himself. we'll get to him in just a second. we're teasing you a bit. we're inside the shrine auditorium and let me tell you, the excitement is definitely building to sunday's huge show. a spectacular one it will be. they're laying the groundwork here, literally, getting that stage ready. there will be so many celebrity performers taking the stage to honor the top ten heroes. look at the top. we have some photos already going up. you can see one in the corner. green shirt. that's patrice. never mind the photo, we have him here. we're going to chat with him. patrice is joining us now. we're going to talk a little about all the incredible things that you've done. first of all, what a journey you've had. you traveled here all the way from haiti. how are you feeling today? >> very excited, very excited. so glat to be here with you. >> now sunday's show will be about inspirational stories. one thing we want to touch on briefly is your incredible

accomplishments, working with impoverished children in haiti. a association program, giving them free food, equipment, all while battling cancer yourself. it's amazing. tell us about that will. >> well, you know, i think that's maybe god who give me the strength to do that. that's it. i'm so glad to be here today. >> and your children in haiti thank you as well them cannot make the trip but they're so proud of you. what would you like the world to know about the amazing things that you've done, the lives that you've touched in your own way? >> well, i'm here for the poor kids in haiti that are living on the edge, you know. on the edge. and this is an honor for me to be here. >> tau so much. you're so emotional. we're so proud to have you here. inspirational stories like that, and that is the theme that you'll hear all night sunday night. one person can make a difference. >> yes. he is making a huge difference,

as are nine others and let alone the many other dozens who were recognized as cnn heroes throughout the year. thanks so much. in los angeles. you want to check out the other 2011 cnn heroes and vote for your favorite. go to cnn heroes.com. then watch cnn heroes, an all-star tribute. >> sanjay gupta will have a unique backstage look at cnn heroes this sunday night. you can watch at cnn.com. while you're there, check out sanjay's time in the cnn red chair. where people you know sit down to share their most personal reflections. watch. >> i used to joke around with my wife that when we got married, that i don't think i had cried since i was 6 years old. now i -- i'll getting all misty eyed right now. when you think about the things

and -- >> i'm dr. sanjay gupta. i'm a newero surgeon. i operate on the brain and the spine. i'm also a reporter for cnn. i try not to be one of those guys who can say if you have seen what i have seen. if you have time to think, if you sit back and think about the fact that we all live in the same world. whether or not you live in a developed or a developing world, it is the same world. that by good luck or fortune you were born into a situation where you have things that other people don't have. that's it. it was good luck or fortune. it's gotten to the point that i feel guilty going because i get to leave. we get to return to a place with running water, a warm bed. guaranteed food. and most of the people in the places where we go, they don't

have that. >> go to cnn.com to hear what sanjay remembers about his first brain surgery patient. also up next, a tough story to hear. one that is developing right now. a little georgia girl is beaten, raped and stabbed to death. and now a man is in custody, charged with her killing. he just appeared in court. stay with us for more. [ nurse ] i'm a hospice nurse. britta olsen is my patient. i spend long hours with her checking her heart rate, administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark, "when a person dies," she said, "someone must open the window so the soul can depart." i smiled and squeezed her hand. "not tonight, britta. not tonight." [ female announcer ] to nurses everywhere,

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the latest information we have for you now at that virginia tech shooting in blacksburg, we understand now, confirmation coming from virginia tech authorities that two people confirmed dead. clun including a police officer. the other, a student. you're looking at live pictures. they're streaming by way of our

affiliate wdbj. then we have pictures of the cordoned off area of the parking lot which is where the second victim was found dead. we believe that to be a student earlier. a police officer made a routine traffic stop. and he was shot and killed and then reportedly the gunman then fled on foot to this parking lot area where this second person was found dead. we understand now, while this campus remains on lockdown. students, faculty, et cetera, are expected to stay exactly where they are in all buildings, rooms that are locked, et cetera. we understand nearby the montgomery county public school system has been put on lockdown so that authorities can continue to look for the suspected gunman. live pictures now by way of our affiliate wdbj. we understand in addition to

virginia tech authorities, virginia police are part of the investigation as well as atf agents as well as the fbi has also sent in some dedicated personnel as they continue to look for this suspected gunman. also unfolding right now, the maintenance man accused of beating, raping and stabbing a 7-year-old girl and then dumping her body in a trash compactor appears in court. ryan br you were nn wore a bullet-proof vest before the judge. he is charged with killing her in canton, jork. police say he took her to a vacant apartment, then beat, raped and stabbed her. her body was stabbed in a trash compactor. his adopted brother is defending him. he talked with our affiliate. >> ryan is my wrote. i think he is innocent. there is no way he would do something like this. he is just a kind-hearted person

ever since i've known him, since we were younger. we've always been playing basketball. this is just a big mistake. they just got him on a big mistake just because he worked there. i think this is a big set-up on his part. >> the younger sisters have been in custody. children's services took them for their mother for alleged lack of supervision. the mother has been fighting to get them back and this afternoon, she actually won a judge. has just agreed to return the girls to their family later on today. up next, president obama blasts the republicans looking to take his job. >> ask osama bin laden and the 22 out of 30 top al qaeda leaders who have been taken off the field whether i engage in appease many. the president, pulling no punches as the presidential candidates attack his foreign policy chops. and one of those candidates rising extremely fast.

and wolf blitzer sat down with newt gingrich. but first we want to take to you blacksburg, virginia. a news conference just underway involving that virginia tech shooting. >> the virginia state police take the lead on this investigation. as of right now interesting status of the shooter is unknown. we're asking the campus community to stay indoors to secure themselves. we're asking for no visitors, for no one to come on to campus. >> can you talk about the cage parking lot -- [ inaudible ]. >> that person has not been identified. i don't know the identification. >> are you doing -- can you tell me, is it clearing every building? is it just following -- can you tell me about what they're doing actively right now? >> we have many law enforcement

agencies. they are searching all buildings, outdoors, indoors, we're looking everywhere for the person who matches the description. >> i don't know if you know this but is there any way that this is connected to an armed robbery yesterday? we've had some reports that the suspect description is very similar to that. >> i don't know that. that might be something that we'll have to flush out with police as we're investigating. i think at this point, we don't know, have a lot of confirmed facts. >> can you tell me about today on campus? >> you're listening to the spokesperson of the virginia tech campus about the ongoing search for the suspected gunman. a gunman now being blamed for at least two deaths on campus there including a police officer and a student. we'll tip to watch the developments there from blacksburg, virginia. sneezing, aches, fevers. tylenol: and i relieve nasal congestion. nyquil (stuffy): overachiever. anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime

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wolf blitzer joins us now with the 2012 politics. one of the people hammering the policy is newt gingrich. you recently sat down with him but you also had another high profile interview, right? >> donald trump is always a high profile interview. as you well know, he is not a shy guy. spend some quality time with him at trump towers in new york. we had a good opportunity to talk about politics.

some of the substantive international issues out there. he has a brand new book that he is promoting this week. he came out. but at one point we did discuss, he is supposed to moderate this news max sponsored debate on december 27th in iowa. so far o'only rick santorum and newt gingrich have agreed to debate. we spoke about endorsements. let me play you a little clip of what donald had to say. >> i'm going to be endorsing somebody. i think that person would be on to win. i love to win. >> you were disappointed when romney said no to you? >> i was surprised he said no. as you know, he wants my endorsement very, very badly. i've spoken to him since. he was very nice. he called me. but i was surprised. frankly, if i was losing in the polls, i wouldn't be saying no to anybody. >> yeah, he's obviously been impressed by newt gingrich who

did say yes to him together with rick santorum. he is slightly leaving open the possibility that if the republicans nominate someone he doesn't like, after the next season of celebrity apprentice is over with in mid may, he said he is leaving open the possibility that he could run as a third party candidate. that's irritating a lot of republicans including rins priebus who says it would be negligent on his part if he didn't raise those concerns. it's a problem, why republicans in his opinion should not necessarily run out and do debates moderated by donald trump. because he is leaving open the possible that he wouldn't support the republican nominee. so it is a source of some irritation. we'll interview that later. i think our viewers will find it interesting. always interesting, as you know, to speak with donald trump. >> never a dull moment. meantime you spoke with newt gingrich and he does not hold

back. what does he believe is behind his surge in popularity? >> i think he believes it the substance. he has a lot of breadth of knowledge. he has some flaws but everyone seal to know those flaws already. he's been an excellent debater in the debates that have occurred. he has come out of seemingly nowhere. last summer he was like he was not going anywhere after he announced he was a candidate for the republican presidential nomination. he has come back as others have gone down. and he acknowledged at one point, i said to him you still could ill ploed potentially. he said, i know, i worry about it but i'll do whatever i can based on my experience not to let that happen. i got the sense he can begin to taste that he will be the republican nominee based on all the polls coming out. our own cnn "time" magazine. our polls that came out yesterday and the first four

battleground states for the republican nomination. he's beginning to sense it but he knows it is a struggle and he senses mitt romney will be a formidable challenger. >> thanks so much. we'll be for that interview. meantime we'll hop back down to your home city of washington, d.c. and give you some live pictures. the state capitol there. eric cantor is talking about all that he understands to know about what's taking place at the virginia tech campus. reportedly two people have been killed. a suspected gunman still on the loose. still unclear where he might be but the campus is on lockdown. we'll tip to listen in to eric cantor. "well, maybe we ought to buy this hot dog cart and set it up someplace." so my parents went to bank of america. they met with the branch manager and they said, "look, we've got this little hot dog cart, and it's on a really good corner. let's see if we can buy the property."

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we continue to watch the suspected gunman at large after two people were reportedly shot dead on the virginia tech campus in blacksburg, virginia. a lockdown is underway right now. all students, faculty, et cetera, all expected to stay right where they are in the buildings that are locked up as the sex continues. meantime not far away on capitol hill, senator eric cantor is on the senate floor. he is talking about all that he knows about the virginia tech shooting. let's listen in. >> there are reports in which law enforcement was involved and we also want to extend our

thanks to law enforcement in that community as well as everywhere else in this country. certainly in this capital for what individuals and the capitol police and other police forces do for us every single day. but again, we express our sorrow to those who are mourning the loss of life and extend our thoughts to the president at virginia tech and to that community. i do thank the gentleman from maryland for yielding. >> you are listening to eric cantor there. we'll continue to monitor the developments there in the blacksburg campus at virginia tech. meantime, forget diamonds this holiday. get that someone special an experience they will never forget. i'm talking about driving a real life tank. just pay $500 and you can do some serious damage in one. poppy harlow takes one out for a test drive.

>> reporter: meet larry. a 120,000 pound chieftain battle tank. here you can drive it and crush almost anything you want. >> i found larry about an hour south of my home town. >> we are in the drive a tank world headquarters in kasota, minnesota. >> don't you know. >> sure, you betcha. >> they own seven tanks. for $500 a pop, people get the ride of their life. >> we ill ported them in pairs. we got two and then two more and two more. >> we have an investment banker from saudi arabia stop by. i've had a group of engineers come from auld around the world. one from india, china. >> reporter: these puppies are all bricks. 60 to 80 grand a pop. you can't buy american tanks.

>> you have to be a thinker to have these. >> reporter: you have to take a safety class before getting behind the wheel. >> you're here to drive tanks. and shoot guns. do we have any questions? >> this is where we're going to drive them. we're in the middle of the woods. >> we can get it together! >> meet rick. driving instructor. of sorts. >> a perfect thing for the mid-life crisis. what do you get to the man who has everything but a tank? >> don't even think of trying to shoot it. these guns won't fire. >> disneyland for an army retiree. >> now, my turn. down in the hatch. watch your feet. how do you brake? here we go?

>> go down a little bit. all right, all right, all right! good job! perfect! we'll stop. >> reporter: i only hit one tree. >> well -- you knicked a couple but got one pretty good. >> reporter: it turns out half the folks who drive them are women. >> women love to be in charge, have power. a tank, that's about as cool as it gets. >> we had gun gal that came in a camel skirt and flip flops. >> reporter: at the end of the day, you get to do this. >> all right. poppy harlow joining us now live. you survived it but you looked like you had a blast. >> reporter: i certainly did. the most unique assignment i have ever been on. this is surprising, right? this is a small business that who would have ever thought you could do this.

they're charging $500 a pop. they had a bachelor party there. people surprising their fathers for their 50th and 60th birthdays. and those tanks pretty indestructible. eventually the costs will be covered. i have to tell you a mildly terrifying story. >> how much is it for each person who wants to partake? $500 a pop. what we saw is a lot of families who come with one driver. the driver pays and rest the family rides in the back of the tank and they don't have to pay. see that car i'm crushing, $500 more if you want to crush a car. >> my goodness. whatever float's one's boat, huh? now we know. bomby harlow what gets you revved up. thanks so much. >> reporter: exactly. a major develople in the long island serial killer case. police may have found a purse, clothing and a cell phone of one of the victims. a live report in 60 seconds. ♪

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a break in the case that led to ten bodies and the hundred for a serial kill order long island. searchers have found personal items that belonged to a missing prostitute named shannon gilbert. they're back on the scene for her remains now. cnn's chris knolls is back in our studio. what more did you learn? >> reporter: police say over the last two days they found her purse, clothes and a cell phone, all belonging to shannon gilbert. gilbert from new jersey went missing in may of 2010 after she advertised sex services on craigslist. seven months later, while searching for gilbert, police discovered the remains of ten other people, all with ties to the sex trade. police believe all ten are the victims of one serial killer who has been operating on long siltd for the last 15 years. police were able to more effectively search the area on long island south shore because

the water in the area has receded. they've also pumped some out and cut down some brush. the newly discovered, to get those newly discovered items. gil bert was last known to be in that area after she made an early morning 911 call saying someone was trying to hurt her. she also knocked on a door there and screamed, help me, help me. indicating someone was chasing her but then she ran off. police say they believe they'll find her remains there as well and are searching again today. >> and so police feel fairly confident that shannon gilbert is indeed a gil victim of the long island serial killer? >> reporter: they're saying that she is not. police told cnn they believe she is not connected to the others. the suffolk police commissioner richard dormer puts it this way. >> this may be just a young lady who ran into the brush in an