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Sheriff: DNA from Gloves Did Not Match Federal Database Or DNA Found At Nancy Guthrie's Home; Civil Rights Leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Dead At Age 84; Iran FM: Iran & U.S. Agree On "Guiding Principles" For More Talks; U.S. Military: 11 Killed In Strikes On Three Alleged Drug Boats; Man Armed With Shotgun & Wearing Tactical Vest Arrested At Capitol. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired February 17, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You don't want to do that. Make sure that you take out the trash before the start of Chinese New Year as well. Also, wearing new clothes is the right way to start off the New Year. Try to wear red as well, a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. And then perhaps the most important, you got to start Chinese New Year with a positive attitude. If you're a grouch on day one, that perhaps sets the tone for the New Year. So, you'll want to stay positive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Glad I cut my hair before New Year's Day. Our thanks to Mike Valerio for that report.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Remembering and honoring the life of Reverend Jesse Jackson, how one of the most influential civil rights leaders of our time helped pave the way for change in America.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Plus, new information on a potentially key piece of evidence in the search for Nancy Guthrie. Investigators now have DNA results from gloves found near her home. We'll go live to Tucson.

And emotions running high in the courtroom today in the trial for the father of a school mass shooter. The heart-wrenching testimony from students who survived that tragic day.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SANCHEZ: We begin this hour with breaking news in the search for Nancy Guthrie. The Sheriff's Department in the last hour confirming that DNA samples taken from a set of gloves located roughly two miles away from Guthrie's home did not trigger any matches on the federal CODIS database. CNN's Ed Lavandera is live for us in Tucson with this major update.

Ed, what else did you learn? ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is rather

disheartening news in terms of the hopes for the Guthrie family of perhaps creating some sort of lead that would give investigators some hope in finding Nancy Guthrie. But this is what we've learned here just this -- in the -- in the last in the last little bit. But the Sheriff's Department here in Pima County says that the DNA recovered from those gloves near the Guthrie home.

And remember, these are gloves that have been found as FBI agents have been canvassing and re-canvassing the area, that has been sent off for testing.

We are told that the DNA from those gloves does not pop up in the criminal database, the federal criminal database known as CODIS. And furthermore, and this is I think the most important part of all this, is that the DNA from those gloves does not match the DNA that investigators have said they've recovered of an unknown person at the Guthrie home. That was the hope that there would be some sort of connection there. Ideally, it could have led to a name in a database.

But the lack of that connection suggests that these gloves really have nothing to do with the crime scene here at the Guthrie home. So that was, you know, there was some hope that that could have proven to be a key piece of evidence because investigators said the gloves that they were testing looked very similar to the gloves that the suspect was wearing on the front porch of Nancy Guthrie's home.

SANCHEZ: And Ed, what more do we know about the DNA sample that was found inside the home?

LAVANDERA: Right. Well, this is interesting because, you know, despite this setback, investigators do have this unknown DNA inside the home that they're very interested in, obviously. And sheriff's investigators here say that there is more testing that is being done on that.

So, they haven't really closed the door on what that might reveal to them at some point. So, clearly more testing going on in that DNA. Clearly, they're trying to figure out whose DNA that is. And perhaps in the days ahead, you know, I don't know how long it could take. It's impossible to say at this point. But there, you know, is some -- some hope that if that could be identified, obviously, that would be someone that they would be very interested in -- in talking to.

And -- but at this point, we're only told that the testing on that portion of the DNA just continues at this time.

SANCHEZ: Ed Lavandera live for us in Tucson. Thank you so much.

Let's talk about this with retired NYPD detective, Michael Alcazar. He's an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Sir, thanks for being with us.

So, no DNA hits in CODIS for the gloves found near Guthrie's home. What comes next? MICHAEL ALCAZAR, RETIRED NYPD DETECTIVE: Well, like the reporter just

said, they're going to examine and further process the DNA evidence, the unknown male DNA evidence they recovered in the house, which to me is more probative, right? It's more likely that that belonged to the suspect than the glove they found two miles away.

So, it doesn't mean they can't check other DNA in other repositories. So, now they're going to check for like forensic genealogy, which was very useful in the Kohberger (ph) case, because that's another avenue they can do.

SANCHEZ: Yes, we're also learning that investigators are working with Wal-Mart to learn more about the backpack that the suspect was wearing, apparently an item that's only sold at Wal-Mart. What is that process like?

[15:05:04]

ALCAZAR: So, if this suspect that we have on video purchase his backpack, his jacket, his bag and any department store, detectives, investigators are canvassing right now for any kind of video surveillance. They're going to track any kind of credit card usage and hopefully identify who purchased that backpack and maybe a link back to the offender in the -- on the video.

SANCHEZ: I also wanted to ask you about the fact that the sheriff's office came out publicly to say that Nancy Guthrie's family members are not considered suspects. It seemed to be the sheriff directly addressing these true crime influencers and -- and amateur detectives that have been openly speculating about the Guthrie family online. How do you see that playing into this investigation? I mean, it -- it has to be not only frustrating for investigators to see their work criticized that way, but also for the family internally to have to hear some of that coming from the outside.

ALCAZAR: I think the sheriff is just protecting the family we've seen in the past where, you know, people have misidentified suspects and that could be a potentially dangerous situation. Maybe harm could, you know, fall on them. I think it's a little bit premature also because we haven't identified any DNA profiles. So, I don't know how he can completely eliminate anybody's a suspect right now without even identifying the evidence or the DNA profile they have at hand.

SANCHEZ: Given that it's now day 17 of the search for Nancy Guthrie, what would you say is the most pressing matter? And -- and I wonder, in part, because officials have revealed that they're taking steps to try to scan for Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker to try to see if -- if they could find it somewhere. Is that something that you think should have more urgency?

ALCAZAR: I believe they should have been doing that all along, you know, in modern day technology. I'm not an expert, but I would hope that -- that -- that pacemaker is not just tracked by a watch. I'm hoping that there's some kind of technology out there that can track it at a longer distance, perhaps like a medical facility. Yes, it's definitely something that they should have been doing all along. Like you said, it's been a long investigation. Nancy has been away

without her medication for a long time, so it's very difficult for her and it's arduous for the family and -- and the investigators.

SANCHEZ: Michael Alcazar, thanks so much for sharing your perspective.

ALCAZAR: You're very welcome.

SANCHEZ: So, those who may have seen anything suspicious or who know anything about the potential whereabouts of Nancy Guthrie, you're being asked to call either of the numbers on your screen. You can reach out to the Pima County Sheriff's Department or you can reach out to the FBI directly at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Brianna?

KEILAR: Tributes are pouring in after the death of the Reverend Jesse Jackson at the age of 84. Jackson marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and after King's assassination helped carry the movement into a new era. He preached self-empowerment, fought for economic and educational justice and helped reshape national politics.

Former President Barack Obama writing, quote, "In his two historic runs for president, he laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land."

Former President Joe Biden said history will remember Jackson as a man of God and of the people.

Former President Bill Clinton remembered Jackson as someone who, quote, "championed human dignity and helped create opportunities for countless people to live better lives."

And President Trump called him a force of nature like few others before him.

CNN's Victor Blackwell is with us now.

Victor, I wonder how you are reflecting on Jesse Jackson today.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Brianna, I'm thinking about the voice that we lost today. I mean, we have not heard his literal voice in some time now because of complications from Parkinson's. But when you look over the arc of his life and the work that he did, the -- the communities he championed, there are few who had influence in all of these places.

I interviewed him back in 2018. And we can talk about that in a moment if -- if we have time. And after spending a few hours talking with him, I went back and read some of his speeches and that 1988 DNC convention speech, which there have been clips of playing throughout the day in which he talked about his meager beginnings, being born at home and that wallpaper in his house was not for decoration. It was for a windbreaker. His mother serving Thanksgiving dinner to a white family across town. And she brought the carcass and the leftovers home for them and they ate at eight o'clock.

And then in his 20s, starting to work in -- in civil rights and -- and working for Dr. King. He was 26 years old. Think of that.

[15:10:04]

The day that Dr. King was killed in Memphis, Jesse Jackson was there in his mid-20s and continued the work of the Poor People's Crusade, continued the work of Operation Breadbasket to get black people jobs across the South and across the country. And by the time he ran for president in 1984, there were many who dismissed him as -- as fringe, as an also-ran, until he started winning contests and then, 30 percent of the vote in '88.

And -- and people connected with him outside of just the black community because of his connection to labor, advocating for striking workers, coal miners in Virginia. He said in -- in that '88 speech, I understand you because I understand work. And so, when we look at these different arenas and you think about his influence in civil rights and his influence in -- in federal politics and his influence in international affairs, negotiating the releases of hostages in the '80s and '90s, when you get to that center right there is Jesse Jackson and we lost a -- an icon today.

KEILAR: Victor, tell me about that interview you did of him in 2018.

BLACKWELL: Yes, so that was in 2018 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. It was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King. I interviewed Reverend Jackson and former ambassador to the U.N., Andrew Young. They were with King there that day in April 4th, 1968. And this was the first time they'd been back together 50 years later. And I don't know if they actually went back after that. So, this may have been the only time that they were there together.

And he talked about that day, but also the influence of what happened there in Memphis on the rest of his public life and career. Here's part of that conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE JACKSON: Every move I've made at some -- you know, if -- if Atlanta was Bethlehem, the birthplace, and this balcony was the Calvary, the crucifixion, the resurrection takes place not far from the crucifixion spot. That's why it's significant to me that this is where he died, not just the trauma of death, but the drama of his life. But every move I've made, whether it was a demonstration or running for the presidency, I always felt his spirit. And somewhere I touched base with him for doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: He was one of the few foot soldiers who were left, and now he's gone, who worked directly with Dr. King. We lost John Lewis almost six years ago now. And so, to have that through line from that era to this, an era in which books are being pulled off of shelves, curriculums are being changed to eliminate some of the stories of that era and to eliminate some of the public discussion of what those men were fighting against. It was a privilege to interview him. And unfortunately, we now lost a person who could tell that story firsthand.

KEILAR: Victor, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate it.

BLACKWELL: Sure.

KEILAR: And be sure to join Victor for "First of All," which airs Saturdays at 8 A.M. Eastern, only on CNN.

Still to come, a new round of nuclear talks with Iran as the U.S. boosts its military presence in the Middle East, plus the partial government shutdown now in its fourth day as Democrats send the White House a new counteroffer. We have some news on the response that is just coming in.

And then later, Mark Zuckerberg expected to testify before grieving parents at a landmark trial, accusing social media of harming young people. We'll have that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:18:03]

KEILAR: Iran's foreign minister and U.S. officials held indirect talks about Iran's nuclear ambitions today in Geneva. Iran saying they've agreed to guiding principles for further discussions in the near future. CNN's Natasha Bertrand is here with more. What are you learning, Natasha?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, U.S. officials came out of this striking a fairly optimistic tone. They said that, quote, "progress was made." But there are still very substantial gaps, of course, in between the U.S. and Iranian positions. And they said that the Iranians are expected to come back to the United States within the next two weeks to kind of try to fill those gaps with new detailed proposals about what comes next.

Now, one of the biggest sticking points here has been that enrichment of uranium, which can lead to the development of a nuclear weapon, according to the United States. And the Iranians have said that they do not want to end their enrichment of uranium permanently, something that the U.S. has demanded. But they have offered some concessions, we're told. Behind the scenes, they have signaled an openness to ship some of their uranium out of the country and actually send it to Russia and even pause their enrichment of uranium for a matter of years. That is not something that the Trump administration appears to be completely on board with. They want to see a complete end to that.

The U.S. also wants to talk about Iran's support for proxy groups, about their ballistic missile program, which, of course, poses a very direct threat to Israel. That's not something that the Iranians want to talk about either. And so right now, it seems like everyone is kind of in wait and see mode. But at the same time, of course, we're seeing this massive U.S. military buildup in the region. Two carrier strike groups, well, I should say one is in the region, one is on the way. You also have dozens of fighter jets that have been repositioned there. You have more air and naval assets that are being moved to the region. So, they're really negotiating with Iran while they're putting a gun to Iran's head. And the President, of course, has not ruled out military action if the Iranians don't come back with a deal that the United States views as viable.

KEILAR: Yes. And a lot of hardware there behind that threat. So, we're also learning about some of these new U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats carried out here in the last 24 hours. What can you tell us about that?

[15:20:04]

So, 11 people were killed yesterday in U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. And these strikes, even though the U.S. took Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, out of the country, said that he was the major contributing factor here to ferrying drugs to the United States. The U.S. has continued these strikes against suspected narco traffickers in the area. And now, the death toll has been brought up to about 135 people since September that the U.S. has killed in these boat strikes. And they have no signs really of letting up.

They say that they are completely legal, something, of course, experts very much disagree with. But clearly, you know, even as the U.S. military is continuing to blow boats up in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, the Coast Guard is continuing to interdict drugs every single day in the eastern Pacific without using lethal force. So, raises even more questions.

KEILAR: Yes, it's a good point. Natasha Bertrand, thank you so much.

It was an emotional day in court. Students describing the harrowing moments when a gunman opened fire at their Georgia high school. We're live inside the courthouse with an update on today's testimony.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:25:43]

KEILAR: Here's some breaking news into CNN, Capitol Police have taken an armed man into custody at the U.S. Capitol. The man had a loaded shotgun and in addition had other rounds on him. And he was wearing a tactical vest. CNN's Brian Todd is following this story for us. Brian, what can you tell us?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Brianna. Some startling details of this incident delivered just a short time ago by Chief Michael Sullivan of the U.S. Capitol Police. He was telling reporters about how this incident unfolded. This is according to Chief Sullivan, at today, just after noon Eastern Time, police -- U.S. Capitol Police observed a white Mercedes SUV parked in the 100 block of Maryland Avenue. That's just on the west front of the Capitol, not far from the foot of the Capitol steps there.

Police, according to Chief Sullivan, then observed the person exit that vehicle and begin running toward the Capitol with a shotgun. Chief Sullivan says that individual was then challenged by U.S. Capitol Police officers in order to drop to the ground and drop the weapon. Chief Sullivan said that the person complied with that order. He laid down the weapon, laid down on the ground and was then taken into custody.

As you mentioned, Brianna, Chief Sullivan said the person had a tactical vest on. Also had tactical gloves and a Kevlar helmet. They also looked in his vehicle and found -- that's where they found the Kevlar helmet and a gas mask in the vehicle. The shotgun, according to Chief Sullivan, was loaded. And as you mentioned, Brianna, he had additional rounds on his person. They are not naming the suspect at this moment.

And as for a motive, they say that is still under investigation. But we hope to get a little bit more details on that later. They -- he did give a description of the person without naming the person. He said it was an 18-year-old who does not live in the area. The suspect, according to Chief Sullivan, was not known to police. We'll try to get more details as we get them very shortly.

KEILAR: All right, Brian, we know that you'll follow it. Brian Todd, thank you. Boris.

SANCHEZ: Today, the trial of a school shooter's father is giving us a painfully up-close view of what it's like to live through a gun rampage at school. More than half a dozen student survivors testified in the Georgia trial of Colin Gray, who's charged with 29 felonies for allegedly buying the rifle his son Colt used inside Apalachee High School in 2024. Prosecutors say Colin ignored past warnings to restrict his son's access to guns.

Remember, two students and two teachers were killed. Nine others were wounded. Some of them took the stand today. Hayden Bowen (ph) was among the witnesses. Here's part of her testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What were people yelling?

HAYDEN BOWEN, APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL SURVIVOR: Help me. I've been shot. I'm going to die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you able to call anybody?

BOWEN: Yes, ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And who did you call?

BOWEN: I called my mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what did you tell her?

BOWEN: I told her that I was going to die.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you kind of talk to us about how that day has affected you? BOWEN: I often have really bad thoughts relating to that and other

things.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you tell me what you mean by really bad thoughts?

BOWEN: That it's going to happen again and that this time I'm going to die, because I was supposed to the first time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's go live outside the courtroom in Winder, Georgia, now with CNN's Isabel Rosales.

Isabel, there was also an intense video that jurors watched before testimony wrapped for the day.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris, we just ended day two of testimony right here behind me in courtroom three, where we heard from the final two witnesses of the day, both of them teachers, Valerie Lancaster (ph) and David Phoenix (ph).

Now, that name might be familiar, David Phoenix (ph), because he was one of the teachers who survived that was injured, was shot. And what we saw in that video that you mentioned, Boris, is this fishbowl-eye view of the classroom where Valerie Lancaster (ph), David Phoenix were -- were teaching a geometry class. And we were told via David's testimony that he heard this loud noise. He thought it might have been construction or perhaps a kid picking a fight with a teacher, so he does what he always does in this situation. He goes out there to make sure he's supporting other teachers, making sure everything's okay.

[15:30:04]