dignity. >> we have six classes you can take. you are almost done. >> it's one of the greatest things you can offer anyone. you see someone and they have that pride, that light in their eye is relit. showing their little boys and little girl what is it means to be a man, what it means to be a dad. you are in the cnn news room. i'm martin savidge in for don lemon. we have breaking news where americans are involved they have been wounded in a shopping attack in a mall overseas. this is nairobi, kenya today. a group of men stormed the mall and started shooting. at least 39 people have been killed and an official report at nearly 300 others have been

treated at area hospitals. those are new numbers. few americans were inside the mall when the attack happened. some of them have also been hurt. we are told at least two of the attackers are now dead. the rest are still holed up inside that mall. shots rang out and grenades exploded. witnesses tell us they hid in stairwells and in the parking lot until police arrived. we have some indication as to who is behind this attack. an extremist group tied to al qaeda posted a claim of responsibility on their twitter account. a group called al shabab. joining me on the phone is lilian, a producer with our international network in kenya. it's been about 12 hours since this all began with the shooting in the mall.

what's happening now? are the attackers still inside? >> reporter: at the moment, they are at the mall. for the past five hours they have been marked. no one has gone into the mall or come out of the mall. they are on stand by. there's still a lot of security forces surrounding the area. it's been about five hours now. >> what do we know about the hostages? has there been any word about their condition? >> there are people who are trapped inside the mall. about five hours ago, they have managed to evacuate a number of people. they believe it's a significant number of people inside the mall. it's believed there are other people inside the mall. they couldn't indicate whether they are alive or injured.

>> lilian, what do we know about a possible warning in advance that this was going to happen? had there been any indication? >> reporter: there hadn't been a recent indication. about two years ago, there was the international community of people walking. there were various places they were told to avoid. it's areas frequented by the international community. this mall is one that had a red flag. >> people had at least been warned. tell us about the mall. what is the security like there? >> reporter: when they were warned about two years ago there was intelligence they were going to target areas where the international community

frequents a lotd. there was heightened security in the entrances, but, of course, over time the security hasn't been as high as three years ago. a terrorist attack of this level, maybe they could have anticipated, but they did respond hard. >> cnns lilian joining us in nairobi, outside the mall. we'll stay in touch. >> witnesses say the mall was very crowded. it would be. here is how some remember what happened. >> the next thing we know, we heard shots and people rushing. it sounded like ak-47s. >> i was on the floor. i was confused. i just talked to someone and they told me they are sniping. that's why we have to keep our

heads down. >> we heard three shots fired and people running. >> we heard this heavy -- wife tells me, please, let's get out. it looks like a terrorist attack. >> what's your name? what's your name? what's your name? >> there was blood on the floor. not a substantial amount. it looked like someone had been wounded. >> it was just worrying and, you know, people praying and crying.

it was traumatizing for everybody. >> easily accessible. there have been security checks. obviously today wasn't a day they came through. >> sights and sounds of terror in nairobi today. an extremist group claimed responsibility for killing 39 people. nearly 300 people needed treatment. the terror group is known for being affiliated with al qaeda in east africa. rick francona is with me. rick, i should remind people, you are a retired u.s. military officer. this group, al shabab, what is the connection? >> they self-affiliated with al qaeda when they formed back in the mid-2000s. al qaeda decided to recognize

them. they have that bond there. it ebbs and flows. they agree with al qaeda on some things and don't on others. there's a lot of fighting in the group. this is a disorganized group. that makes them dangerous. they don't normally go for the global jihad. going after this attack in kenya, they are going after their own interest in somalia. kenya is going after al shabaab. they are mounting attacks against al shabaab. they are fighting back. >> that's the question. if they have a beef with the military and the leadership, why are they going after a shopping mall? >> because they can't. they can't take on the kenyan military. they have been effective against al-shabaab. they are going to go after targets they can strike. they picked a great one. if you are looking at how to make a terrorism attack work,

this is it. go after a soft target, a mall in an upscale area where you know there are foreigners, embassies, rich, wealthy kenyans. that's the kind of target you go after. i gives you the notoriety you want. that's why we are giving it this coverage. >> kenya and the united states have a strong link. the u.s. embassy was targeted in 1998. does al-shabaab have a specific beef with the united states? >> not a specific beef. they know we support the kenyans and they support us. we have a relationship that goes back decades. kenyans have been useful to uls. it's a two-way street. the al-shabaab wants to break apart that relationship. they want the kenyans to stop working with us. events like this tend to backfire op them. >> if they can't launch an

attack here in the united states, what about inspiring somebody to say, oh, a shopping mall, look what they did. maybe we could do the same thing. is that a concern? >> absolutely. this is what terrorist groups do. they go after a target they think they can hit. malls, bus stations, train stations, anywhere where security allows you to get in. how do you prevent that? beef up the security and hurt the business. there's that median where you provide enough security, yet allow business and commerce to continue. here, today, we saw where it broke down. >> rick, is it ligkely to put that security into a mall to protect people? >> you can secure anything, but at what cost. i don't mean monetary cost. i mean you would basically shut things down. if you could put up the metal detectors, the scanners and everything like that. once you do that, you tend to scare people away.

it defeats the purpose of having a commercial establishment. >> military expert for cnn, thanks for your insight. to syria and the deadline for the government to share details on the stockpile of chemical weapons. we learned and received information. a u.s. official tells cnn the inventory is more complete than expected. the u.s. is pleasantly surprised, even encouraged. the u.s. and russia cut a deal last week calling on syria to hand over the information by today. the sense of urgency goes back to the chemical weapons attack that u.s. officials say killed about 1,400 people. three members of the u.s. army special ops forces were killed in afghanistan. men wearing an army uniform shot and killed them during a training exercise in eastern

afghanistan. it's unclear if he is part of the afghan army or just wearing the uniform. dozens of coalition groups were killed in similar attacks last year. here we go, again. could government offices and national landmarks close their doors? it's a possibility if congress doesn't reach a deal. we'll explain. plus, incredible dashcam video shows an officer running over a man. now a florida family is asking how that officer is even out free on the streets. play close.

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the government is inching closer to a possible shutdown with nine days left to reach a deal on a budget. house republicans passed a plan that includes a big problem for democrats. it would strip funding for the health care reform law, which is known as obama care. we are joined live in washington. it's probably dead once it reaches the senate. what do we expect to happen next week? >> you said it, it is dead on arrival because republicans have tied obama care funding to spending for the entire federal government. earlier today, we heard from congressman peter king, a republican, and also david scott, a democrat and they sort of laid out what the problem is. take a listen. >> i know a solid majority of house republicans do not want

the house to shut down and we will do whatever we can. whatever has to be done. i'm confident that the house will not shutdown. if it does, it's black eye for all of us. >> a party that wrote in a bill to close down this government if you do not take the health care away from the american people. that is desperation. there's something at work here where there are people -- i left the capital today and i saw a bunch of signs that said shut her down, shut her down, shut her down, so i'm worried. >> senate republicans have indicated to us that they don't intend to force a filibuster and that means once debate is finished on this bill, senate democrats need 51 votes to restore funding for obama care to the bill and pass the full bill and send it back to the house. we expect the house will be in

session next weekend and we'll be going through this all over again then. martin? >> i expect for the next nine days, every day. thanks very much. there hasn't been a government shutdown in more than 17 years. hopefully, it won't happen this time. if it happens, it could seriously weaken the u.s. economy. many federal offices, museums and parks would close. officials in new york city, which is the number one tourist destination in the nation are keeping close eye on developments. here is margaret on that. >> reporter: martin, from california to new york, millions of americans could be affected if there's a shutdown. national parks across the country could be affected. the statue of liberty could be closed down. it has a tourism business of $55 billion. in 1995 and 1996, those government shutdowns cost taxpayers over $1 billion.

we talked to the government, the department of interior. they said they are reviewing all the various budget scenarios so they can be prepared. in terms of what will be closed, passport and visa applications shut down. veteran benefits may be held up. governmental employees may have to be on hold. what will stay open, all the critical services, critical services like air traffic control, national security and border protection. martin, we'll be able to count on those staying open. >> good thing. thanks very much. replacing violence with compassion one brush stroke at a time. how murals in one city transform lives.

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chicago is earning a reputation it doesn't want. 11 people shot overnight. four of them killed.

13 people shot thursday night, one of them a 3-year-old boy. these aren't rare, isolated incidents. chicago has the highest number of homicides in the country. police blame most of the violence on guns and the city's gangs. while chicago is struggling with violence, another city is use zing artwork to transform bleak spaces. murals in philadelphia are urging people to replace vie rens with compassion. don lemon shows us how it teaches a story and a lesson. >> reporter: in a north philadelphia neighborhood, this is a reminder of michael's dark past. >> i did something that i really, really regret. >> reporter: in 2003, he provided the gun in a shooting. the incident left johnson paralyzed. he walked out of prison three years later. >> it's back up against the

wall. it's hard to do anything. >> reporter: until he came across the mural arts program. >> if i never was introduced to the mural arts program, i don't know where my life would be right now. >> reporter: it focuses on painting murals in crime neighborhoods. the artists -- >> we hire everyone. we hire young people all the time. we said to michael, you have a place at must recall arts, consider us a home for you. >> reporter: with that, he began his transformation and crossed paths, again, with his victim. >> i heard through the grapevine the mom of the young man who was shot had forgiven michael. i said can i bring him up to meet you in person and to meet kevin? she said come up and have dinner. >> reporter: it reached an unexpected conclusion. >> he and kevin started talking as if they had known each other for years. >> reporter: johnson passed away

in 2006 due to complications from the shooting. mural arts painted this mural in his honor. they gave it the fitting title, forgiveness. >> i had the chance to meet him. he forgave me, him and his mom. it was a crazy situation. we actually became friends. >> reporter: today, living out his friend's legacy, he works with mural arts lifting up disadvantages people. >> i see mistakes they make and i try to help them see the bigger picture. >> reporter: a picture where violence is replaced with compassion. don lemon, cnn. >> great story, thank you, don. they call themselves al-shabaab. it's the group claiming responsibility for a shooting. next, we'll show how the group was formed and how it's linked to al qaeda. the humble back seat.

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we have new casualty numbers to tell you about from nairobi, kenya. [ gunfire ] according to the kenyan president's office, at least 39 people killed and nearly 300 others have been treated at area hospitals. there are americans that were inside the mall when it

happened. nobody is sure how many gunmen are in the mall. at least two of them are dead. the rest are still holed up inside more than 12 hours since the assault began. as for who did it, a militant group that operates in east africa is claiming responsibility. they are al shabaab and claim they are an affiliate with al qaeda. several americans were inside the mall when the attacker started shooting. we spoke to a washington d.c. woman who managed to escape. >> we began crawling behind and under cars. our driver, who was kenyan suggested, well yelled at us to run. we ran with him toward the stairwell. we were one level down into the parking garage. i thought we'll go one level up and be able to exit and run out. that wasn't the case. we entered the stairwell and tried to go up several flights and heard gunshots above us. we all turned around and, you

know, headed the other direction down the stairwell. it wasn't safe to exit there, either. so, we stayed in the stairwell for an hour and a half or so. there were two people there inside the stairwell who had superficial wounds, but remained there and bleeding for the hour and a half we were trapped. >> the president of kenya addressed the people of the country on television. he also lost what he calls close family members in the shopping mall attack. he didn't elaborate on that. listen to the message for the people of kenya. >> we have overcome terrorist attacks before. we are fought courageously and defeated them within our borders. we will defeat them again. terrorism in and of itself is the philosophy of cowards. the way we lead our lives in freedom, openness, unity and

consideration for each other, represents our victory over those who wish us ill. we are as brave and invincible as the lions in our coat of arms. my government stands ready to defend the nation from internal as well as external aggression. i urge all kenyans to stands together and see this dark moment through. >> some details on the al qaeda linked group claiming responsibility for the attack. the group, al shabaab says kenya is too closely affiliated with the u.s. they are believed to be responsible for attacks in somalia. here is david. >> mass gunmen hold a hunting knife to the head of a terrified somali man hinting at brutal

justice. it's made to be late in 2008 by al shabaab, an extremist group with operational links to al qaeda. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: one of the militants recites verses from the koran. on camera, they behid the captive with knives. >> the most gruesome violations committed by al shabaab. they shoot, they kill, they maim and they lash. >> calling all the brothers overseas, all the -- wherever they are to come and live the life. >> al shabaab are using sophisticated ways of recruiting jihadists and recruiting american somalis to the cores. >> if you look at the websites, if you hear their preachers speak, you know, it's completely indistinguishable from al qaeda. >> their methods are, too using

ewe side bombings, once unheard of in somalia to inflict damage. >> the capacity to conduct the operations. this is a deadly organization. very formidable. >> an islamic group that continues to inflict terror in a region known for islam. cnn, nairobi, kenya. the u.s. and iran need to work together. is there something in the works between the u.s. and iran? if so, what would it mean at home? we'll talk about it next. this . her busy saturday begins with back pain, when... hey pam, you should take advil. why? you can take four advil for all day relief. so i should give up my two aleve for more pills with advil? you're joking right? for my back pain, i want my aleve. it's not a candy bar. 130 calories

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iran's new president says the time has come for the u.s. and iran to work together. it's fairly surprising rhetoric from a country at odds with the u.s. for so long.

that's not all. his country is not trying to develop nuclear webs and, in fact, never will. so, should the u.s. sit down and talk and what political impact would it have here at home? that is on the obama administration. let's talk about it with ben ferguson, a cnn political commentator and maria, a democratic strategist and cnn political commentator. we are accustom to the two of you disagreeing, but i'm told you both agree on this. ben, let's start with you. is it a good thing? >> i think it is because the background of this new president of iran. first of all, he walked away from his position in government when ahmadinejad was elected. they were not tight. they were not close. he ran on a different agenda than ahmadinejad. we have been hurt, our economy

has been hurt. it's part of the isolation of the world because of our nuclear program. in iran, he openly said, i'm going to get the west and the other countries and the eu3 as he referred to it, the uk, france and germany. he tried to negotiate a nuclear weapons early on in his career. i think it can't hurt for us to sit down and maybe try to start anew. at the same time, you have to realize you are dealing with iran and not say we are going to give you more time to work on things or hit the pause button because they have been pushing toward nuclear weapons. we have to be strong and stern. it's worth sitting at the table with him because he seems to be different than ahmadinejad was. >> let's get maria in the conversation. do you agree for the same reasons? >> similar. if ben and i can agree on this, why can't president obama and

the iranian president sit down and agree with how to move forward. >> this is a key indicator. >> exactly. the bottom line is, we saw this with syria. we have a very war wary nation. we have a nation that is full of american families who are sick of being engaged abroad. so, if we are not -- if we are not someone and president obama certainly is not someone who is going to be quick with military intervention, even though it is very important to keep it on the table as an option and he has done that throughout, then we have to go down and explore the opening of diplomatic possibility. that is exactly what the new president of iran is offering us. i think we should take it with eyes wide open. we have to verify and then trust and verify, again. i think there's a hallmark of statesmanship and we saw it with

reagan sitting down with gorbachev and carter at camp david. you have to be ready to open up the lines of diplomacy. >> they are notorious for dragging it out and the president doesn't have the final say. >> what you have to do here, if you are president barack obama and his leadership is you have to go in and make it incredibly clear we do not trust you, we do not believe you. it's because of this systematic culture of corruption we have seen from your government with hide and seek and nuclear programs. we are willing to sit down and have a direct conversation but we are not going to stop the until pressure on you and you are going to have to become more transparent and allow us more freedom to look at what you are doing if you want to fix things. one of the biggest things

playing to our advantage is when he ran, he had the support of the people because he said i know we become so isolated that it's destroying our economy. the people rallied around him because he was not associated with ahmadinejad. for him, he's looking at i have to get reelected soon. if i can put a pause button on nuclear ambitions and not be so flamboyant, the people continue to like and trust me. that's the biggest thing to his advantage right now. in many ways, how gorbachev was when you saw communism in the ussr and they overexpanded. the people were at their wits end and you may have that here. >> maria, the presidents, both of them are going to be at the united nations this week. is it wise for president obama to have a direct face-to-face meeting? how would that go over with the american public? >> there's a possibility for them to sit down and talk.

how formal will it be? we'll see. but, it's going to be interesting to see how it does play out here, martin, because the american people do have, i think, a deep psychological impact of their image of iran. i'm one of those z. look, i grew up in elementary school, catholic school and we prayed every morning for the release of the hostages. but, what has changed is we have a war wary nation. we are much more also of a global community and it's been clear for some time now that the american people don't want the united states to be the world's policeman. i think all those put together go to we really do need to figure out whether this dmom si is going to work. one other thing to your point, the president of iran also has in addition to what ben said, the support of the people.

he also has the support of the supreme leader. he doesn't have the say, right now, what we are hearing is he does have much more of the support and trust of the supreme leader. >> ben, you get one quick last word. >> one of the other things important to look at is he did not run on an anti-american platform as ahmadinejad did. he was out there throwing nuclear bombs at america and the west and every country involved with america. this guy ran on saying i'm going to do the opposite of that. i think he has to put up. otherwise, he could be in trouble with people in iran. that can work to our advantage as well. >> ben ferguson and marimaria, k you. i'm open for peace. i hope it works. thank you. a pennsylvania police chief took his frustration to youtube. he's gotten a lot of support for

his position, but he's out of a job. what got him so riled up? plus, a florida man's family released this disturbing police dashcam video that shows a police officer running over a man. the family hopes this video leads to charges. that is next. across america people are taking charge of their type 2 diabetes with non-insulin victoza®. for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar, but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about victoza®.

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charges on the police officer who ran him over. on may 8, he was clased by police because they saw he was not wearing a seatbelt. he stopped his car and started running. the dashcam reported the incident showing a police car hit and run him over. cnn is not going to show the moment of impact. it's simply too graphic. a grand jury decided not to indict the officer. the family say that is is not acceptable. >> he went around the officers into the backyard at a high rate of speed and you determine if he revved up the engine with the intent of getting marlon brown. we don't understand how this is not vehicular manslaughter. >> the police are conducting an internal review and fired the officer behind the wheel. the state attorney is standing by his decision not to file charges. we came to know her as the

hiccup woman. you might remember her nonstop hiccupping and how she was an internet must see. today, she's back in the headlines, this time convicted of first degree murder. she lured a man to his death. she wasn't the one that killed him. she was sentenced to life in prison without parole. the pennsylvania police chief who delivered a profanity lates pro-gun message, guns blazing on youtube is out of a job. [ bleep ] yourself and get some more. [ gunfire ] >> his videos went viral generating a lot of support for his stand. also, there was a lot of criticism. we are joined from new york to sort it all out. rosa? >> reporter: good evening, mark kessler blast eed gun control. he got fired as police chief.

the town council voted 6-1 to terminate him. let's take you back and get one more look at how this all started. >> [ bleep ] you. here's what i have to say. if you didn't get enough the first time around, go [ bleep ] yourself and get some more. [ gunfire ] >> this is kessler back in july firing his weapon and railing against liberals for attempting to curb gun rights. he drew thousands of supporters to a town of about 750 people. his supporters include openly armed people. now fast forward to today, the crowd thinned out, but the rhetoric has not. kessler was suspended by counsel. he is accused of misusing property, neglecting his duties and failing to turn over weapons to the bureau.

kessler will tell you he thinks the firing is due to his videos. >> no surprise. it was -- you know, we knew it was coming. >> clean house. it's time for a change. these people have a death grip on this town long before my time. i don't live here. be persecuted by these people that run this area. >> he was suspended by ten days. i talked to him earlier and he plans to appeal on monday. he also says, at the end of the day, his gut tells him he's going to get terminated any way. >> i presume he's suspended without pay. what is he doing now and what is he going to do if the appeal is denied? >> he tells me he is raising money by hosted classes to help people learn how to shoot weapons and self-defense classes. hear this, he's also running for sheriff of that county. he tells me that he didn't sign up early enough, so he's not on

the ticket as a democrat or republican. he's on there as an independent and he is keeping his fingers crossed. we'll see. >> we will. i'm sure it's not the last we have heard from him. rosa flores thank you so much. a man dying of cancer. a symbol that connected him to his mother. a story that will bring tears to your eyes. don't miss it. for all those who sleep too hot or too cool, for all those who sleep and struggle to sleep comfortably together, now there's a solution.

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apple fanatics, you know who you are, are making a mad dash for the new iphones this weekend. check out the crowds waiting and waiting yesterday in new york city. the iphone 5s and 5c are in huge demand. people lined up all over. there was a gold rush for the gold colored iphones. fans are choosing the gold over

the traditional silver and space gray options. from charleston, south carolina, a story that is so much more than just lost and found. the recovery of a long lost treasure is more like the reflection of the family's love, coming full circle. ed has more. >> reporter: this dark river in south carolina holds ancient secrets. scuba divers come here to uncover long lost treasures. he had no idea this river would send him on an unforgettable journey. i'm looking at the periphery of the ring. >> reporter: he found a treasure 40 feet under the gravel bed. 1974 class ring with the initials rlp engraved on the inside. >> let's do some investigating, follow the path and see where it leads us.

>> reporter: he called the school, he was told only two people in the graduating class had the initials rlp, one was a woman, the other this man in his college photo. robert la von phillips. through social networks, he found his son and learned how special the ring is. >> he talked about it all the time because it came from his mother and, you know, it's one of the stories that kind of apit mies a season of his life. >> reporter: robert phillips and his wife decided to come out on the river in charleston, south carolina. they were on a boat, he reached for a beer and popped open the tap. it's stuck on his finger and when he tries to flick it off, the ring goes with the tab. he never got over losing the ring. it was the last gift his mother ever gave him. she died of cancer years later.

that makes this moment all the more profound. >> mr. phillips? >> i'm brian. nice to meet you. you have been waiting for something for awhile? >> i have been. >> reporter: 39 years later, he is dying of cancer. he doesn't have long to live. >> i know this is going to look like i'm proposing to you, so please don't tell my wife. >> i promise, i won't. >> here it is. let me take it out for you. >> wow. that is awesome. >> reporter: tears trickled down his cheek. >> you have spent a lot of time thinking about why 39 years later this ring is back in your life? >> yeah. i have thought about that. i just -- i just i thank you lord that i got it back. >> reporter: robert phillips feels his mother had a hand in bringing back this long cost

treasure reunited with a symbol of love when he needs it most. >> your mom is still looking out for you? >> i think she is. >> reporter: cnn, charleston, south carolina. >> wonderful story, thank you, ed. it's a role that president obama has taken on many times in his presidency. comforter in chief. it happened after newtown, connecticut, boston bombings and superstorm sandy. it's about to happen again. this time at the navy yard. i'll explain. [ male announcer ] pepcid® presents: the burns family bbq.

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we want to keep you updated on events in kenya. we are working on information from the kenyan president's office. at least 39 people are dead. there's a new figure, more than 290 people needed some kind of hospital treatment. some of those hurt are americans. they were inside a large shopping mall when gunmen rushed inside and started shooting. at least two attackers are said to be dead. the rest of them are inside the mall and holding hostages. president obama will speak tomorrow at a memorial service for the 12 victims of that navy yard shooting. it is a role the president is getting used to after mass shootings in newton, connecticut, aurora, colorado and tuson, arizona. we'll bring the remarks of the president live at 5:00 p.m. eastern time. here is me