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The Situation Room

Mark Zuckerberg Set to Testify; Avalanche in California; Israel Raises Alert Level; Colin Gray Trial Continues. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired February 18, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Happening now: gut-wrenching testimony. For the first time, we are hearing from the officer who detained the Georgia school shooter, as the teen's father is on trial for murder.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And desperate search for survivors. An avalanche in California buries skiers under ice and rubble. We will talk to an expert who trains avalanche rescuers. That's coming up just ahead.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Happening now: Jurors are listening to testimony for the third day in the trial of Colin Gray. He's the father of Colt Gray, the teenager who carried out a mass shooting in 2024 at a high school in Georgia.

BROWN: We heard hours of emotional testimony from several students who survived the shooting, as well as from a teacher, David Phenix, who was shot in the hip and foot.

Take a look at this new surveillance video that was shown during the trial in the bottom right-hand corner. You can see the moment David crawls back into a classroom after being shot. And, this morning, we heard from the assistant principal. She was one of the first people to alert school resource officers that Colt Gray may have had a gun.

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SHANNON SMITH, ATTORNEY FOR JENNIFER CRUMBLEY: When that kind of emotion is invoked, it's just impossible. And so I hope the Gray situation is different. I think the charges...

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BROWN: OK, well, that obviously wasn't the assistant principal. That was actually the attorney for Jennifer Crumbley, who was convicted in her son's shooting in Michigan. We're going to talk to Jean Casarez about that. And also, Jean, bringing you in, today is day three of testimony in

this trial. How are the jurors reacting to all this emotional testimony we've heard so far?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we've heard is that they are emotional, that some of them cry, some of them look away, just focused and pivoted to the gallery, where you have all the family members that are crying.

So the emotion in that courtroom, I mean, that's overwhelming. I've been in a courtroom like that in Michigan for the Crumbley case. And the emotion just takes over everything. There's no question about it. And that emotion even continues when you have school officials. And we just had the school resource officer take the stand, Sergeant Donovan Boyd.

And he talked about that he realized suddenly there was an active shooter at the school. And he said that because of the AR rifle, there was so much smoke and dust and the ceiling was sort of starting to crumble down a little bit because of it, he couldn't see.

And he said that in the distance, he thought it was a book bag and he walked up to it and he saw that it was a victim that was on the floor. And then suddenly he comes face to face with Colt Gray. He doesn't know if he's the shooter, but there he is. There's a gun. He thinks he is. So he starts taking magazines.

I'm talking about the school resource officer, magazines out of his pockets of bullets and then asked to see his hands. And that's when he detained him. That's how it all came down. And it was very dramatic, but, once again, extremely emotional Pamela.

They're in a short break right now and the court is to resume at any minute.

BROWN: And, Jean, we heard a little snippet there, but tell us more about this exclusive interview you had with Jennifer Crumbley's lawyer this morning.

CASAREZ: Well, Shannon Smith, she does not give interviews. She was the lead attorney for Jennifer Crumbley.

And the similarities between these two cases, because, in Michigan, it was the precedent-setting case of Jennifer and James Crumbley of a parent being charged with criminal responsibility, even though they weren't at the school, they didn't pull the trigger on the gun, but the court believed that they should be charged.

And she was convicted. Jennifer Crumbley was convicted. There she is right there. She's serving time in prison because of the foreseeability and the knowledge factor. Well, Shannon Smith defended her and she had a lot of insight into this case and just take a listen to what she had to say to me this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SMITH: When that kind of emotion is invoked, it's just impossible. And so I hope the Gray situation is different. I think the charges are so grossly overcharged, and it's so unfortunate to see this, but it's really starting a slippery slope throughout this country, which is what I said in the Crumbley case.

And, quite frankly, it needs to be stopped. It's a tragedy. There's no question this is the worst thing that could have ever happened. It's a tragedy, but you can't extend criminal liability just to make people feel better and feel like something is being done and someone's being held accountable. That's not the way criminal law works. And that's not the way our Constitution works.

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And so criminal liability is really an individual issue. It's not something that you can pin on other people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: And, of course, the prosecution believes the actions of the father, knowing his son had issues in regard to the school and potentially even shooting up the school, gifted his son a Christmas present, an AR rifle, months before the shooting, helped him get even more ammunition for it.

And the prosecution is saying that knowledge right there, there was a known risk of what your son could do, but you did it anyway, and you should be held criminally responsible.

And, Pamela, he is facing, if convicted on all charges and consecutive sentences, 265 years in prison.

BROWN: Wow.

Jean Casarez, thank you so much -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Also, there's more breaking news coming into THE SITUATION ROOM right now, sources telling CNN Israel, yes, Israel is raising its alert level right now, stepping up military preparation.

The moves come amid growing signs of a potential joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

Let's go live right now to CNN's Jeremy Diamond, who is in Tel Aviv for us.

Jeremy, what's the latest? What are you learning?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, for weeks now, here in Israel, there has been speculation about the potential for war with Iran, when it might happen, when President Trump's patience with negotiations might run out or whether a diplomatic deal would actually avert the possibility of war altogether.

But there has been over the course of the last 24 hours a significant rise in tensions, and in the sense that there could be a potential military action. And I can tell you, according to two Israeli sources, that Israel is stepping up its military preparations for the potential of military action against Iran.

This involves preparations on both the defensive and the offensive front. That's because, according to one Israeli source, Israel would likely join the United States in carrying out strikes on Iran should President Trump, of course, ultimately choose to go the military route.

And should those strikes actually take place, this source also indicating that the operation would be far larger and more devastating in scale than what we saw during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, during which the United States also joined in striking Iran's nuclear facilities.

The Israeli prime minister has also held several special security consultations this week. And, meanwhile, we are watching a massive buildup of U.S. military forces in the region with more than 250 cargo planes traveling between the United States to Europe and the Middle East over the course of the last month.

These are cargo planes capable of carrying everything from air defenses to personnel. We've also seen fighter jets moving in. One aircraft carrier strike group has already been positioned in the Middle East with a second now ordered by President Trump to head to the region.

We know that yesterday there were those negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. The Iranian foreign minister emerged saying that there was agreement on a set of guiding principles in order to try and reach an agreement. And according to a U.S. official, the Iranians indicated that they would come back in the next two weeks to try and bridge the gaps that remain.

But we have heard publicly from some U.S. officials that there is also the possibility that President Trump's patience with the Iranians ultimately runs out. We know the Israelis certainly have been very skeptical of the potential for a real agreement to be brokered here, particularly one that would address the concerns that Israel has not only on the nuclear file, but also as it relates to Iran's ballistic missile program, its support of regional proxies as well.

So, all of those issues really feeding in as you see this kind of massive buildup of military force in the region, and Israel now raising its alert level for the possibility, I should note, of war with Iran.

BLITZER: And what are you hearing? Because I'm hearing a little bit about the possibility that Israel might shut down its airspace to all incoming and outgoing flights from Israel, given the tension, given the possibility of a full-scale war erupting.

DIAMOND: Well, we haven't seen that step be taken yet. During the 12- day war between Israel and Iran, Israel did indeed shut down its airspace to civilian flights, but that only happened once Israel carried out those surprise strikes at the time on Iran.

So it's hard to know exactly when that might happen, but it likely would only happen once there's a real sense that a decision has been made to carry out strikes, or should there be incoming warning of Iranian strikes against Israel.

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Again, important to note that Iran has warned it would retaliate against Israel, as well as against U.S. bases in the region, should the United States carry out strikes on Iran.

BLITZER: All right, Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv for us, good luck over there. Thank you very, very much -- Pamela.

BROWN: And still ahead, Wolf: Time is of the essence in the California mountains, where heavy snowfall is hurting efforts to find missing skiers who were caught in an avalanche.

BLITZER: And taking the stand. Mark Zuckerberg will soon testify in a social media addiction trial that could have wide-ranging implications. We will examine the potential legal effects.

That's coming up later right here in THE SITUATION ROOM.

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BROWN: Happening now, a desperate and urgent search for survivors in Northern California after an avalanche buried a group of skiers. And now rescuers working to find any of the nine people still missing are battling harsh conditions, heavy snow and strong, gusty winds.

CNN's Stephanie Elam is tracking the story closely for us.

What's happening with this rescue operation, Stephanie?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is some very treacherous terrain right now, Pamela, when you look at the conditions that we have been having here in California,

We know that this group headed out in -- on Sunday for a three-day backcountry ski trip. While they were out there, there was an avalanche that has ice, rocks, snow, debris, all of that that came down on them. Under these extreme weather conditions, you need to understand that when that snow comes down like that, it is like cement the way it packs you in, the snow falling three to four inches an hour yesterday during this.

So those heavy snows, those strong winds, the second highest avalanche threat going into this morning. We know that it's still snowing up there right now, but it has eased up, making it helpful to get these searchers out there to help these missing nine skiers. The call came in yesterday morning at 11:30 a.m. local time about this avalanche. And I think it's very important to point out just how quickly things change. I actually traveled up to Canada to profile this organization that works with avalanche dogs. And in that, I learned that 93 percent of people live if they're pulled out within 15 minutes. Only 20 to 30 percent live if pulled out within 45 minutes.

And most people who are buried more than two hours don't make it. So just to give this perspective, 11 hours after they heard about this avalanche, six people were rescued. They were able to communicate with the sheriff's department because they had these beacons that would also allow them to text.

So they just put up a tarp. They made a shelter as much as they could possibly do it. We know, according to the company Blackbird Mountain Guides that was leading this trip that there were 12 customers and four guides is what we understand. But there's still those nine missing.

Of those six that were rescued, they had various different injuries, according to the Nevada County Sheriff's -- county. And they're looking to get out there with skis, snowcats, any way that they can get in there. The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, also saying the state is coordinating an all-hands search-and-rescue effort.

But, obviously, this is a very precarious situation. And when they're looking at that much snow falling, it is just a scary situation out there, what they are dealing with.

BROWN: Yes.

ELAM: You have to be fast and efficient to get to them.

And usually the people that save you, Pamela, are the ones that we're skiing along with you, because it takes so much time for people to get out there.

BROWN: Yes, our hearts are going out to all those rescuers, and, of course, those nine missing skiers.

Stephanie Elam, thank you so much -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, I want to continue the conversation.

Mike Duffy has spent decades training avalanche rescuers.

Mike, thanks very much for joining us.

We know that, as we have been reporting, six people have been rescued, but nine are still listed as missing. How are rescuers trying to save them?

MIKE DUFFY, FOUNDER, AVALANCHE 1: You know, just getting into the scene is really tough, a lot of -- I'm very impressed with what the rescue teams have done.

Hopefully, everybody has a transceiver, an avalanche transceiver like this, which most people wear in the backcountry, or they should wear. You're sending a signal. When someone gets buried, you switch it to search. You can also pick up that signal and pinpoint the person. And if it's a deeper burial, you're using a probe to get a strike.

And then, when you're shoveling, you're following the probe to get to the person.

BLITZER: We know that it wasn't just the snow, but a wave of ice, rocks and debris, that came crashing down on the skiers. How difficult does that make this rescue effort?

DUFFY: Oh, the density of the debris can be very hard. And it's very hard to shovel through it. And it's very time -consuming. And it depends on the depth of the burial also.

BLITZER: Take us through an avalanche, if you don't mind, Mike. What kind of things did these skiers likely do to survive?

DUFFY: You know, there's techniques to survive. Some people have avalanche airbag packs. It's like -- being in an avalanche is like being in a difficult whitewater river, a Class 5 river. You don't have much control. You try to get onto your back.

You try to backstroke out the side, grab a tree, if there's one possible, before the avalanche picks up speed. You can deploy your avalanche airbag pack, which inflates a balloon, an airbag, increases your volume, decreases your density, and you have a very good chance of being on the surface or close to the surface.

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BLITZER: Officials said the stranded skiers were communicating with the rescuers through what they described as emergency beacons and had made a makeshift shelter with a tarp. Is that a hopeful sign to you?

DUFFY: Yes, it is a little bit. Having a GPS satellite communicator makes a big difference. You can get a message out and get the rescue teams in there. It takes rescue a long time to get in there. Their safety is paramount.

They can't get caught in an avalanche on their way in.

BLITZER: Well, let's hope they are rescued, and rescued soon.

Mike Duffy, thanks so much for joining us.

DUFFY: You're welcome. Thank you.

BLITZER: Pamela.

BROWN: Up next here in THE SITUATION ROOM, Wolf: Can you be addicted to social media?

And hours from now, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will take the stand in a trial that looks to answer that question and potentially set the stage for hundreds of other similar cases. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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BLITZER: Next hour in Los Angeles, a landmark trial will gavel into session.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify as a witness today and face the heartbroken parents who say their children were harmed or worse by the social media world he helped create. In fact, he will likely pass through a contingent of families on his way into the courthouse.

These are images just moments ago of the loved ones who have gathered outside.

BROWN: The landmark trial is accusing Facebook and other platforms of intentionally getting kids hooked and causing damage to their mental health. A woman claims that they created features that deliberately hooked her on their platforms when she was a child. The suit alleges it ultimately harmed her mental health.

Joining us now is CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams. He is also an author of a new book about the 1984 New York subway shooting right here on your screen, "Five Bullets."

Elliot, thanks so much for being here.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Of course.

BROWN: So this is the first of more than 1,500 similar lawsuits that could go to trial. How significant is this trial in terms of setting a precedent for other cases against tech companies?

WILLIAMS: It could be significant, particularly if there was some sort of global settlement that the tech companies enter into that affects everybody and makes all of the suits go away.

Look, litigation is really about making trials go away, and I think none of these tech companies have an interest in taking these things -- every single one of these 2,000 suits all the way to trial. Now, at their core is a really central question about, does -- how these platforms operate in their most basic way form hurt children, right?

They are designed to keep you on. They make more money when they keep you on. Well, are there potential health effects to children? And that's what's sort of being worked out here.

BLITZER: We know internal documents have leaked out showing that these various social media companies chased the goal of making their products hard to put down, obviously to make money. Is it a big leap to show that companies were trying to engineer ways to addict the brain?

WILLIAMS: It's not a big leap to show, to your question, Wolf, that the companies were trying to hook people's brains because there's plenty of data saying that if you keep scrolling and you're liking what you're seeing, you will keep scrolling more.

The harder leap is the one sought by the plaintiff today, which is that, because of those features, I as the plaintiff was mentally harmed. I suffered bullying, I suffered threats, but also some body image dysmorphia issues and all sorts of other things that, on account of being on the platforms, my mental state got affected.

That's a bigger leap because, as the tech companies are saying, as Meta is saying, a whole host of factors going to someone's mental state, not just the amount of time they spent on social media.

BROWN: I'm wondering.

Meta put out a statement in response to this trial and basically said, look, you can't pin this on us. It is clear that this woman had issues before and a rough life and that's really the issue here. It's not social media. And I'm wondering how compelling you think that argument is. How can you connect the dots?

If there were struggles before and then a person starts using social media, how do you connect the dots there?

WILLIAMS: A host of factors go into someone's mental state and it is simply going to be difficult to establish a causal link between the time they spent on social media, Pam, and the harms that she clearly suffered psychologically.

Now, all of those things are true that Meta had put out there, that she'd grown up in a family where there were allegations of abuse and her parents were divorced and she'd been bullied at school outside. So there were a host of factors that affected her mental state.

The simple fact is, there was still a platform and a series of platforms that were designed to keep her on and had in some way some effect on her. I would also note that she and her team are noting too internal documents from Meta saying...

BROWN: This is live right here.

WILLIAMS: Oh, wow.

BROWN: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, is walking in right now.

WILLIAMS: He's walking into the courtroom.

BROWN: This is the first time he's actually going to take the stand in trial, right? I mean, he's been -- he's gone before Congress before, but this is a big deal.

WILLIAMS: Right. It absolutely is a big deal.

But what I was -- the point I was making before, there's internal information that they have...

QUESTION: Mark, do you have a message to the parents?

WILLIAMS: They have no...

BROWN: Let's listen to this, actually.

WILLIAMS: Let's listen, yes.

BROWN: Is he not talking? He was asked, do you have any message to parents?