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ATF Responding to Reports of Shooting in Rhode Island; FBI Analyzes DNA From Glove that Appears to Match Suspect's Glove; U.S. and Iran Prepare for Nuclear Negotiations in Geneva; 1 Dead, Multiple Injured in Shooting at Rhode Island Ice Rink. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired February 16, 2026 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All right, this Breaking News. Federal agents with the ATF tell CNN that they are responding to reports of a shooting in Providence County, Rhode Island. Gloria Pazmino is following this developing story for us.

Gloria, what are you learning?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred, we are just starting to get very preliminary information. But as you can see from live pictures there, we see local response outside of this ice rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. This is about five miles from Providence, Rhode Island.

And we're seeing law enforcement as well as emergency first responder at the scene. We are still trying to get more information about exactly what went on inside this ice rink, which I should say it's a small facility, usually hosts local schools and local teams. And from what we are seeing so far, there was a report of a shooting happening inside this ice rink.

We are still waiting to learn more about injuries and what else happened after fire -- after shots were reported inside the ice rink. But for now, we know that local law enforcement, emergency first responders are there, and federal law enforcement is also assisting local law enforcement according to the ATF. We have also gotten just recent confirmation from a local school, St. Raphael Academy, which issued a statement just a short time ago describing this as a horrific incident with an active shooter.

I just want to be careful with that last part there. We are still trying to get information about exactly what happened inside, but we are seeing overhead shots there of the local response. The school did say in a statement that they are aware of a serious reported incident at Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, where our boys' hockey team was playing.

Information is still developing, and we are actively working with event staff and local authorities to understand the situation. We have reached out to local law enforcement there, and we are waiting to hear back. As soon as we have more information, Fred, we will bring it to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much. And we did just get a statement from the governor of Rhode Island saying this, quote, "We are actively monitoring the shooting at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket. I just spoke with the mayor as well as state police who are working with local law enforcement. I'm praying for Pawtucket and everyone involved."

Again, that from the governor -- Boris.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: So there is still no solid leads nor motive in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, but investigators could soon get a potential break as the case enters its third week. Right now, officials are awaiting DNA results from a glove found near Guthrie's home that looks similar to the one worn by a male subject captured on Guthrie's doorbell video camera. It comes as Guthrie's daughter, NBC Today show host Savannah Guthrie, made another public emotional plea for her mother's safe return.

We're joined now by Richard Kolko. He's a retired FBI supervisory special agent. Sir, thanks so much for being with us.

So no leading motive, no named suspects. How do you see this shaking out? Do you still believe that she was abducted?

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RICHARD KOLKO, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: I do, Boris. But obviously there are several different theories that are going to float around there among investigators. But the thing is, if somebody is abducted, it's usually for one of two reasons. And this is what makes this one confusing.

Number one, if there's a grievance, political reason, whatever that is, but those people that would abduct that person, they would want that platform. They're looking for that world stage. They would have made some statements. Haven't seen any of those.

Number two is what's called KFR or kidnap for ransom. That means they want money. And we haven't seen any really bona fide requests or negotiations or back and forth communications asking for money, offering proof of life, and coming up with a plan to figure out how to transfer that money. So both of these are just confusing right now.

SANCHEZ: What plausible scenarios do you see as potentially what's going on here?

KOLKO: Well, certainly I don't have access to the information, but I still feel at this point it is an abduction. I don't think that somebody just wandered into Nancy Guthrie's home at 2 o'clock on a Saturday morning for a robbery or home invasion when that's a neighborhood that has very little crime. That's just a little too out there for me.

So I really do think at this point it is an abduction, and I know that that is what law enforcement is working towards, but they're also keeping every avenue of investigation open.

SANCHEZ: Yes. When you see the plea that we saw from Savannah Guthrie for more information about the case, trying to speak directly to, as she put it, whoever has her or knows where she is, what do you make of that? Do those kinds of messages resonate with folks watching?

KOLKO: They do. It's heartbreaking. It's frustrating. It's very difficult.

But this case is being covered widely by the media, and frankly it is because of Savannah's stature as a media celebrity, and that's good in this case. What's happened here is as we move into the third week, it's possible that people would start to move on from this case and forget to pick up the phone and call law enforcement if they have an idea or have a tip or something like that.

But Savannah putting out that message, that heartbreaking message, very important. That keeps this case front and center. So we're waiting for that tip.

Even though there's been 30,000 tips called in so far, and don't forget every time there's a lead called in, an agent or a deputy goes out and covers it, it likely creates another lead or two. So there are tens of thousands of leads to be covered. But Savannah and investigators want those phones to stay open, want those calls to come in, because you don't know if it's going to be the next call five minutes from now or way down the road.

But that one call is out there, especially after seeing that video of that person going into that portico at that front door. Somebody recognizes the clothing, his gait, the way he bent over, something, and they need that call.

SANCHEZ: When it comes to the DNA that's being processed on that glove that appears to resemble the one that the suspect was wearing in the video, talk to us about that process and where it could lead investigators.

KOLKO: Well, that's just one piece of a puzzle. People sometimes think this is the secret thing that will get everything done. But the FBI can do what's called rapid DNA, and they can actually get those results in a matter of hours.

But that checks against a very limited database. Then the DNA, depending on the condition it's in, goes to the lab, and that can take a little longer to analyze. And then that's checked against larger databases that are available throughout government, throughout the different states.

And then, of course, there are the commercial databases that are out there, the ones where people check their genealogy, looking for family members and such. But, of course, those may require a warrant, so that also takes time. So typically when we send in DNA or when the law enforcement sends in DNA, it can take weeks or months to get the results. But because of the exigent circumstances, because there's a victim, you can expect this one to be put to the front of the line, because everybody wants to get an answer for this as quick as possible.

SANCHEZ: Certainly. Richard Kolko, thanks so much for joining us and sharing your expertise.

KOLKO: Of course.

SANCHEZ: Those who have seen anything suspicious or perhaps know anything about the whereabouts of Nancy Guthrie are being asked to call the Pima County Sheriff on that number that's on your screen. You can also call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Stay with CNN NEWS CENTRAL. We'll be right back.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the U.S. and Iran are preparing for a new round of nuclear talks. Sources tell CNN U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to be in Geneva, Switzerland tomorrow. The talks come amid a U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and President Trump's warnings that the U.S. could strike Iran if a deal is not reached.

Let's bring in CNN's Kylie Atwood with more on all of this. And where do things stand?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a good question. We heard from the secretary of state over the weekend that the United States is open to diplomacy. That's evident in the fact that these two top envoys for the Trump administration are meeting with the Iranians tomorrow in Geneva.

But what really isn't clear is what both sides think that they can actually accomplish at this round of talks tomorrow. This is the second round that we have seen in recent weeks between the two sides, and we've heard from the Iranian foreign minister that he's going to be coming to the table with real ideas, but he also said in a post on Twitter that they are not going to come to the table and be sub- missioned before the threats. Obviously, the subtext there is that they're not going to be intimidated by the massive U.S. military buildup that we have seen over the course of the last few months and increasingly so just in recent days, really, in the region.

[15:45:00]

That's Naval assets, that's Air Force assets as well, and so our colleagues have been really looking at that military buildup, and it's evident that the Trump administration is preparing for a potential strike inside Iran. We've heard from President Trump over the course of last month that he is considering this, particularly when there were those protests happening in Iran. Now he is pivoting and linking a potential strike if these actual diplomatic conversations do not come to fruition, do not come to a solution. But when you talk to people who have been involved in these talks before, it just doesn't seem like they are on the precipice of any sort of agreement here. So we'll have to watch and see, of course, what happens tomorrow and what the elements of that discussion look like.

But for now, President Trump said last week that he does not believe that Iran should be allowed to have any enrichment at all, and you have the Iranians that are still saying that it's their fundamental belief that they have the right to enrichment. There is no overlap here in terms of issues where they both see a possible outcome, let alone the Iranian ballistic missile program, which the Iranians don't even want to discuss, and the U.S. has said would have to be part of any deal.

WHITFIELD: Iran say it won't respond to pressure, but the White House is doing just that, trying to create more pressure. All right, Kylie Atwood, thanks so much. All right, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Returning to our breaking news now, we're learning more on the shooting in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Gloria Pazmino has been following this developing story for us. Gloria, what are you learning?

PAZMINO: Yes, Boris, we are starting to get more information unfortunately. We can now report that at least one person was killed in the shooting which took place inside a ice rink, a hockey ice rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It's about five miles from Providence, Rhode Island.

There are also four people who were injured in this shooting, and we are still waiting to learn more about exactly what led to the shooting. But for now, we are seeing a significant presence of law enforcement as well as first responders there in front of the ice rink. This is in Pawtucket.

We also know that agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives are responding to the scene, providing assistance to local law enforcement. What we know so far is that there was two co-op teams that were supposed to be having a game, a hockey game this afternoon. As you know, Boris, today is a holiday, so school was out.

But these two teams were scheduled to meet on the rink today, and we understand that that is where the shooting took place. We are still trying to get some information about whether this was a targeted shooting, a random shooting, but some of what we have heard so far from our local affiliates on the ground is that the shooting broke out during this co-op game. We also have received a statement from one of the local schools in the area describing this incident as a horrific incident with an active shooter.

They also said in the statement, which went out to school members, that none of their students were injured, so still trying to learn more about exactly what went on here. But for now, sadly, we can report one person was killed, four are injured, and we're still waiting to learn more from local law enforcement about the response and about what led to the shooting -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Gloria Pazmino, please stand by. Let's bring in Steve Moore. He's a retired FBI supervisory special agent.

Steve, talk to us about the complications of shooting -- of rather investigating a shooting with so many people, and especially young people. If this was a hockey game with two high schools involved, it must not be easy for investigators to gather all that evidence.

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: No, because sometimes the people closest to the shooting have run the farthest away. I've read reporting that at least a dozen got into a CVS that was closed immediately afterwards because they were literally running from the shooting. So identifying the people who were closest to the shooting so that they could provide information is very important, and those are going to be some of the hardest to find.

SANCHEZ: I also wonder how you see this situation potentially playing out in terms of how investigators go about determining whether this was something indiscriminate or rather a targeted shooting.

MOORE: Well, they're going to have to find some kind of nexus if it exists between the shooter and the victims. You know, when high schools meet together, there are sometimes tensions between them, you just don't know. So that is certainly a possibility.

[15:50:00]

You're going to have to also determine, you know, between the victim and the shooter, obviously, and determine the type of weapon. And, you know, the issue here is that there didn't seem to be a lot of people at a hockey game on a holiday. So my guess is that it's probably related to the game, some conflict there or people that are going to the game rather than a target-rich environment for an active shooter.

SANCHEZ: Understood. Steve Moore, thanks so much for the analysis. Again, much more on our breaking news. A shooting at an ice rink in Rhode Island. One person dead, four injured. The suspected gunman, we've learned, also dead.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, back to our breaking news. At least one person is dead, and four others injured after a shooting at an ice rink in Providence County, Rhode Island. This is according to CNN affiliate WJAR.

[15:55:00]

SANCHEZ: We have CNN's Gloria Pazmino and CNN law enforcement contributor Steven Moore with us. Gloria, walk us through what you've learned about what happened.

PAZMINO: Well, Boris, we have been trying to understand for the past hour or so exactly what led to this incident. This took place inside of an ice rink in Pawtucket in Rhode Island. This is about five miles from Providence.

And there were two local teams that were supposed to have a competition inside this ice rink today, and that's when shots rang out inside of this ice rink. You're seeing overhead images from some of the young people that were likely inside that building waiting to get more information and waiting to see if they're going to be able to leave the area. You're also seeing the local law enforcement as well as emergency first responders that have arrived there to respond.

As you said, so far, we know tragically one person has been killed, four were injured, and we've also learned that the shooter is dead. What we do not know yet is what led to the shooting, if it was targeted in any way. But we also know that schools were out today, and this was supposed to be, you know, a co-op game between these two different teams.

It was supposed to be a happy afternoon for these two teams that were meeting on the ice today, and we are now learning about this shooting that took place. We are expecting to hear from law enforcement in the next several hours, trying to get more detail about exactly what happened and whether or not we can learn more about those who were injured and about what led to the shooting.

WHITFIELD: And then Steve, in these last few minutes of this hour, I wonder if you could give us an idea how investigators are not only responding to the emergency right now but also launching their investigation simultaneously.

MOORE: Yes, hopefully with news that the shooter is dead, that there's not going to be any more active threats. So the investigators are coming in, trying to piece this together and determine first motive. And so if you look at this, you know that active shooters who are shooting randomly or with minimal attachment to a particular target are looking for a lot of victims.

That's their big deal. So if you look at this situation, it's a holiday, the school is out, and not a lot of people are going to know that there's going to be a high school game, high school hockey game at this arena. So it is not an obvious active shooter target.

Obviously, you have somebody shooting in there. But I, you know, the indications that the lean I would have going in as an investigator is that somebody was settling a score, whether it's a real score or a perceived score or something that, you know, you're not normal if you're going in and shooting people over this. So it we may never totally understand it, but it could be at least in the eyes of the shooter targeted.

SANCHEZ: And Gloria, what are officials in the state saying?

PAZMINO: Well, Boris, we are hearing from the governor, Governor Dan McKee, who posted a message on social media just a short while ago saying that he is actively monitoring the shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket. He also said that he spoke with Mayor Grayburn as well as a Rhode Island state police, which is working with local law enforcement.

He said, quote, "I am praying for Pawtucket and everyone involved." I should also mention, Boris, that federal law enforcement agents from the ATF are providing assistance to local law enforcement there as well. This is a small town, as I said, not far from Providence, Long Island.

But we are just seeing the size of the response, again, for a place that's not that big. And as the investigator was just mentioning, you know, the fact that schools are out today. But this was a game that was scheduled between these two high school teams.

And we are also starting to hear from some of the local schools that are trying to put out communication to obviously families and members of their community, trying to notify them that they are aware of the incident and trying to communicate whatever information they possibly can about the incident. We know that St. Raphael Academy, one of the schools in the area, put out a statement describing this as a horrific incident. But they also said that they have been told none of their family -- their school family, was injured.

[16:00:00]

So I think we'll learn more hopefully in the next few hours from law enforcement about the response and what happened inside. But, again, at least four people was injured. At least one person is dead.

And we can now report that the gunman, the shooter, is also dead -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Gloria Pazmino, Steven Moore, thank you so much for that.

We have much more on our breaking news coming up. "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

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