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Shootout in Las Vegas Courtroom; Anti-Government Protests in Iran Escalate Violently; Investigation Launched into NBA Players' Gun Episode

Aired January 04, 2010 - 15:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Making news right now -- is this the future of flying?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We saw the security chasing after somebody. Everybody was yelling.

SANCHEZ: Newark Airport in gridlock after a security breach.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With all due respect, this is nuts.

SANCHEZ: Who is she calling nuts? Jim DeMint? No.

New details on two NBAers who reportedly pulled guns in their own locker room and athletes who say they need to carry guns because they're targets. Targets? In your own locker room?

Have you seen the pictures coming out of Iran today? You will.

We'll countdown to January 18th and the premier of...

ANNOUNCER: "RICK'S LIST"

SANCHEZ: ... where my access will become your access every single day. America's cutting edge national conversation starts right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Hello, again, everybody. I'm Rick Sanchez with the next generation of news. This is a conversation, not a speech. As always, it's your turn to get involved.

We are following developments in Las Vegas now where there's been a deadly shooting in the lobby of this federal courthouse. It's really an ongoing story that we have been trying to get our arms around for some time, but there is so much information coming out on this story, not to mention the number of bullets that were fired in several directions.

The gunman and a court security officer apparently have been killed. A deputy U.S. marshal is in stable condition now at a local hospital. A by-stander was able to get this sound that we are going to share with you now on his cell phone. It is amazing to listen to, especially when you consider just how much -- how many rounds of fire are being heard when you listen to this.

Let's do this together now. Ready? Dan, if you've got it, let's go ahead and play it here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, NICKEYFLIPS/YOUTUBE)

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Shooting outside of a Las Vegas courthouse.

Holy (EXPLETIVE DELETED BY NETWORK)

Unbelievable.

Hell of a morning for jury duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: I'm going to have Mike Brooks here in just a little bit to take us through what he hears, and using his expertise, maybe he'll be able to tell us how many rounds are fired, what kind of weapons are being discharged.

A witness who heard that gunfire counted dozens of shots. He spoke by phone with CNN affiliate KTNV. Let me turn that around for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TROY SACEAL, RECORDED GUNSHOTS: I saw people running out of the building and I guess what looked like security or, I guess in this case it was the marshals. And kind of the whole firefight opened up. It was just blast after blast of the gun.

It sounded like 30 to 40 shots to me. It was kind of surreal watching it, because you know, I didn't realize what was going on at the time. And it was kind of scary, but that's what it sounded like. It sounded like it was going on for at least a couple of minutes.

I saw the one marshal, as far as I know now it's a marshal, got shot up in the corner of the building. Another marshal ran up and covered him up. I saw some other police officers arriving at the scene and coming up Las Vegas Boulevard shooting.

And then when the shots kind of subsided, I saw some officers run up and check on that marshal that was apparently hit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: For those of you just coming home from work and joining us now, this is a still developing story. This has taken place at the Lloyd D. George federal courthouse right there in Las Vegas. Many of you who have touristed to Vegas may be familiar with the area.

As you can tell from the Google earth map we have pulled for you, it's a fair distance from the area most people would consider the tourist district there, the Las Vegas Strip.

I'm being told we have a chance to talk to a witness now. His name is Bobby Scotland. He was either in that building when it happened or was about to enter the building. I'm not clear on the details. But I want to bring him on now, see if he's there.

Mr. Scotland, are you there, sir?

BOBBY SCOTLAND, EYEWITNESS (via telephone): Yes. How are you?

SANCHEZ: Thank you, sir. You're on the air now on CNN. I'm Rick Sanchez. Glad to talk to you. Would you take us through what you saw there earlier today?

SCOTLAND: Sure, Rick. I remember you when I played football at the University of Miami years ago. You were in Miami. I live in Vegas now. I was -- I walked into the Lloyd George building, and I asked the security people there if this is the right building for the address I need to be at. They said, no, I'm across the street.

So I left that building literally four or five minutes -- maybe it was two or three minutes -- before the shooting. I remember seeing some people walking past me as I walked down the steps to go across the street.

And there was one or two gentlemen, thinking back, that had a long coat, which I believe is what the shooter had. I was a little freaked out afterwards because I was just in there four or five minutes before.

I actually was in the building across the street, which is the Foley building. It's about 100 yards from the entrance of the security where the shooting took place initially.

I walked in, walked through security, which is pretty much the same as the Lloyd George building. They make you check your bags, and they make you go through the metal detector.

Evidently, the shooter before he entered the metal detector is where he opened up. And he shot at a court security officer, and then as he was leaving the building is when the marshal, I believe, was shot.

And we actually came out of our hearing in the Foley building. It was a window, and we looked across. And there was a window. We looked across and this is about 10, 15 seconds after the shots began. There were five or six marshals in my building with their guns drawn, firing.

I must say the Metro Las Vegas Police Department did an outstanding job today in cordoning off the area and securing the crime scene. Literally, you know, 30 seconds after the shooting there were 10 to 12 cops there, and within two minutes there were seven ambulances, fire trucks, and about a hundred cops.

SANCHEZ: Mr. Scotland, you have done a remarkable job taking us through this scene. It sounds harrowing, indeed, to say the very least what you witnessed and about what you were almost a part of if you had only been delayed by a couple of minutes, according to the story you tell us. Bobby Scotland joining us live as you can hear sharung the story with us.

My colleague and friend Mike Brooks joining me now. As you know, he's a law enforcement analyst, works with our sister network HLN. Mike this is sounding like a scene where someone had walked in with an idea of doing something and they were stopped before they did whatever it is that they were going to do, but not without some loss of life.

MIKE BROOKS, HLN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: The court security officers, the ones the work the magnetometers, when you go in, take everything out of your pockets, in fact, a lot of them are retired law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions who retire and get a job as a court security officer. And So it was very, very sad that this is what happened, but prevented this guy from getting in, and, who knows?

SANCHEZ: Do we know what he wanted to do? It's too early in the investigation. Has everyone who may have been responsible for this been apprehended or killed?

BROOKS: It sounds as if right now, yes.

SANCHEZ: Because I heard one report that there was still somebody out there on the loose or somebody in the building.

BROOKS: So far this is the only person we believe. He was operating alone. We don't know for sure though. That's part of the investigation. They should know by now, Rick, exactly what this guy's motive was. But it may take a while to find out what his story is.

SANCHEZ: It sounds like everybody who was a victim or, in this case, one of the perpetrators -- perps, as you call them -- have been accounted for.

BROOKS: Yes, but there is standard operating procedure. When something like this happens, they want to do a search and make sure there is no one else who may have gone in beforehand as a sleeper. But right now it is believed he was operating alone.

SANCHEZ: Let me use your expertise in something real quick. I want you to listen to this gunfire. I want you to tell me how many rounds you think are being fired. Is it all coming from one type of weapon, or is that an exchange of fire from the weapons? Let's listen to it together. We're not sure. Play that, if you would, Dan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shooting outside of a Las Vegas courthouse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Here comes the big one now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy --

Unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKS: As we listen to that, Rick, it's hard to tell by listening to that off that phone or whatever -- PDA.

SANCHEZ: Does it sound to you like the echo is different in different shots?

BROOKS: It is, but you could hear that. But it sounded like a couple of different guns also to me, and possibly even a rifle fire. It's hard to say, because at this point, I'm not sure exactly where in this whole incident this was shot.

Because initially, Rick, the reports we were hearing, and I was reporting on HLN as we hear from the affiliates there in Las Vegas, is that he was across the street in some bushes and was shooting into the lobby of the federal building from some bushes. Now we hear from the eyewitnesses he was actually inside the lobby shooting.

It sounded like after that an exchange of gunfire because he fell outside across the street is where he was taken down.

SANCHEZ: Is this correct procedure, is it protocol to open fire in a lobby if you have to put someone down?

BROOKS: Oh, absolutely.

SANCHEZ: Really, with all the people inside running around? How many people could have possibly gotten hurt?

BROOKS: We don't know how many people were inside the lobby at the time. But if someone comes in and opens fire on a court security officer or on a federal -- and a U.S. marshal or anyone else, even if there are citizens...

SANCHEZ: You have to return fire.

BROOKS: Those law enforcement officers have to, if they believe that their lives or the lives of someone else is in danger, they will take action to bring that subject down and just make sure there is no other threat.

SANCHEZ: You have to return fire even if there are other people walking in the building? You have to?

BROOKS: Well, training.

SANCHEZ: You do what you have to do without killing other people.

BROOKS: Exactly. And that's why law enforcement officers go through that. The U.S. marshals go through fletsi (ph) as new U.S. marshals. And again, I have been involved in this. This is not something that you...

SANCHEZ: Not for the faint of heart.

BROOKS: Not at all.

SANCHEZ: Mike, let's do this. You're going to join me in a little bit because there is another we are following here.

BROOKS: Yes.

SANCHEZ: That's also very important, involving the NBA. Can you make some phone calls and see if there is anything, because it sounds like there is a whole lot of information to be gotten on this thing?

BROOKS: A lot. And again, this happened at 11:00 a.m. eastern.

SANCHEZ: Police are still on the scene.

BROOKS: There's still on the scene, because there's a lot to do, because when you shoot at or you kill a federal officer, and that court security officer is considered a federal officer, the FBI will be working with the federal marshal. The FBI office was inside that building also. And there were a couple of senators' offices.

And we don't know the motive, exactly.

SANCHEZ: See if you can get motive for us.

BROOKS: And I'm interested to see what's coming up. Tax time. What do we hear a lot of times? What do we hear with people who are not happy with taxes?

SANCHEZ: Like Alfred T. Murrow and cases like that.

All right, we'll wait and see what we get, we'll report the facts as we get them, and we'll move on here. Thanks, Mike. We'll see you in just a little bit.

Meanwhile, this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARENAS: I never did anything violent. Anything I do it's funny. Well, it's funny to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: It's not so funny to police. They are investigating, and this is what Mike and I were talking about, reports that two NBA players pulled guns on each other in their locker room, an NBA locker room. Some athletes say they need to carry guns because they are big targets. Do you buy that?

Flames and bloodshed as protesters continue to fight the government in Iran, and the images we're going to take you to are right there on that scene, all throughout parts of Tehran. It's amazing video. It's just ahead as well. Stay with us.

Also, don't forget, the other way to participate in the national conversation is to call us at 877-742-5751. I'm Rick Sanchez. I will be right back with you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: And welcome back to your national conversation. I'm Rick Sanchez.

As you have probably seen, I am now keeping a list which I am divulging every single day of what newsmakers are tweeting that's of import, and also what you're tweeting. And my access becomes your access.

First up, our top story, this is a developing story that as you know, we're following. It's a major shootout really at the federal courthouse in Las Vegas.

I want to share with you first as this continues a tweet that we are following from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. As we look at the pictures, let me also read to you what this tweet says on my board. We have been following them all day to see if we can pick off some news on this.

We know this -- they are very concerned about the activity around the scene. They are saying police activity near Fourth Street and Stewart, traffic may be tied up on the northbound Fourth Street area. Please avoid the area if at all possible.

Also, we've got a tweet in from Senator Harry Reid, the senator obviously from Nevada concerned about his constituents there in Las Vegas. He has an office in that building, by the way, Senator Harry Reid does.

"This tragedy in Las Vegas," he writes, "serves as a reminder of the sacrifices all law enforcement officials make on our behalf each and every day."

So those are two relevant tweets to the breaking news story. We're following for you now a major shootout in Las Vegas at the federal courthouse there. We expect more information on it. And as we do I will share it with you.

Meanwhile, we're also going to be following this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL, (D) MISSOURI: With all due respect, this is nuts. Playing games with the process -- all it's doing is hurting the traveling public.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: Is Senator McCaskill calling out another senator, or is she calling the whole system nuts? We'll let you hear it for yourself.

And also NBA basketball players who reportedly pulled guns on each other are talking, and we've got them. Should they be arrested? Your take when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Once again, there appears to have been a horrific shooting in Las Vegas at the federal courthouse there. We are obviously all over this story, because it turns out it's more of a shootout than a shooting. It affects a whole lot of people, including bystanders in the area.

We are going to continue to nail that story down. We continue to get more information. We'll continue to play the videos. We are talking to witnesses, and we'll round out the coverage for you here, as you would expect from us, on CNN.

In the meantime, there is another big story that many people all over the country are talking about. I told you about this one, as a matter of fact, on Friday. Remember when we first reported the story? I said this is not a story that will go away easily.

This is a story involving Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton. They are the NBA teammates, Washington Wizards, who reportedly drew guns on each other in the team's locker room over some kind of gambling debt or something described appropriately so. This is an NBA locker room that we are talking about.

So far, most of the heat's coming down on Arenas, who has apparently been using the room, according to witnesses, to store several weapons, and apparently has a date to discuss the situation with law enforcement officials.

Some athletes are saying Arenas and Crittenton need guns because they are famous, rich athletes and they are targets. Other athletes are calling that assertion bull.

Mike brooks will join me in a little bit with more on this, but here first is CNN's Susan Candiotti with more on this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Washington Wizard's guard Gilbert Arenas is a three-time NBA all-star, but his alleged locker room gun antics could get him into serious foul trouble legally.

GILBERT ARENAS, BASKETBALL PLAYER, WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Nothing in my life is actually serious. I'm a jokester.

CANDIOTTI: But it's no joke. The D.C. police, U.S. attorney's office, and National Basketball Association, all say they are investigating. "The New York Post" reports Arenas and Javaris Crittenton allegedly drew guns on each other in the locker room on December 21 over a card-playing gambling debt.

ARENAS: I can't speak on that. But if you know me, if you had been here, I have never done anything violent. Anything I do is funny -- well, it's funny to me.

CANDIOTTI: Team owners say Arenas kept unloaded guns in his locker with no ammo, a practice they call "dangerous and a disappointing," quote, "Guns have absolutely no place in a workplace environment, and we will take further steps to ensure this never happens again."

ARENAS: I agree. That's bad judgment on my part storing them here, and I take responsibility for that.

CANDIOTTI (on camera): When players are working, there is a great deal of security, but away from the spotlight, it's a whole new ball game.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): Some professional athletes own or carry guns saying they consider themselves potential targets and need protection, protection from attacks like that suffered by Washington Redskins defensive back Sean Taylor who was murdered in his Miami home during a robbery.

But carrying a gun can be costly, even for a celebrity. Ex-New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress is currently serving a two- year prison sentence for illegal possession of a gun after accidentally shooting himself in the leg at a nightclub.

Mega-stars like Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal create a fan-frenzy, and postgame fans get up close and personal with their heroes. Shaq, who works with police in his spare time, declined to talk about the Arenas incident.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to ask you about the Gilbert...

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL: No, no. I don't want to talk about that.

CANDIOTTI: Neither did LeBron James, but he did talk about security in general.

LEBRON JAMES, BASKETBALL PLAYER, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: I live in Akron, Ohio, which is my hometown, so I don't need security. I don't travel with security. One thing I do is I just continue to make sure my family is always safe.

CANDIOTTI: What are the league rules? The NFL and NBA forbid players from handling guns on company time or property and recommend against gun use for personal protection. The discussion now is whether teams should write a gun clause into players' contracts, similar to banning skydiving or boxing.

As for Crittenton, the other player involved in this, CNN was unable to reach his agent. He tells "The New York Post" his client will be exonerated, and Arenas says he'll talk with investigators tomorrow. Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARENAS: I never did anything violent. Anything I do is funny -- well, it's funny to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: I wanted you to hear that once again after hearing it in Susan's report. "Funny to me." Do you think these athletes are bigger targets than the rest of us and that's why they have a right to carry more guns, et cetera?

I'm going to drill down on this a little bit later with Mike Brooks. It's something a lot of Americans ask themselves when they hear of these incidents.

Also, angry protesters in Iran taking out more of their frustration against the government, and you are not going to believe how much of this is caught on camera over the weekend. And today you're going to see it and hear it play out for yourself.

I'm Rick Sanchez. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez.

Have you seen some of the latest video out of Iran? It shows people who are -- or at least appear to be at wit's end, setting fires. There's plenty of bloodshed as well.

You might say this is the video the Iranian government does not want us to see. That's why we're relying with people in the crowds with video cameras who post clips on the Internet.

Let me set it up for you, if I may. You are about to hear a gunshot and see a police officer/militia member fire into the crowd and at protesters. Then you will be able to see and listen to what happens next. Let's do it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: In the past couple of days we have been seeing some of the most violent and some of the most disruptive protest marches in Tehran since the disputed presidential election last summer. Yes, that was blood on the ground you were just looking at right there.

We have heard reports of 500 people arrested. So far only eight confirmed kills. It could be much higher, of course. These are people who refused to accept the results of the election six months ago, as you know, and these demonstrations are among the biggest and deadliest in Iran since the Iranian revolution dating back to 1979.

We are relying in large measure on amateur video as the Iranian government keeps our journalists -- CNN's journalists -- either out of the country or on a very short leash.

What is the real price of a bag of doughnuts or a bag of chips or a soda, or a candy bar that you buy? Is it 75 cents? How about the diabetes care, the cardiac patient care we have to pay for when we end up hospitalized? Do you think that costs 75 cents? We're looking into it.

And then it's painful to see a man gored by a bull, but I'm going to show it to you coming up in just a little bit and ask, why did the man tease the bull? We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNSHOTS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shooting outside of a Las Vegas courthouse.

(GUNSHOTS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holy (expletive deleted)!

(GUNSHOTS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: This is a crazy shooting in Las Vegas that happened earlier today. We have been following it for your throughout the course of the day. We're being told -- well, you know, I have heard reports of as many as 40 rounds fired, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. You know, at this point it doesn't matter. What does matter is that there is at least one person who was trying to stop this gunman who is dead. And there may be another one who is critically injured. Let me bring in Mike Brooks as we look at some of these pictures.

Mike, you have been looking into this. What have you been able to find out, my friend?

MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, we're hearing now, Rick, that the court security officer, a 65-year-old man, he did die of his gunshot wounds. The 48-year-old U.S. -- deputy U.S. marshal is in stable condition. And the alleged gunman who they had a little shootout with, apparently he took it across the street from the courthouse, he also was shot dead by law enforcement.

SANCHEZ: Let's take Joe Dickey. Here's the FBI representative who has been talking to reporters all day long. And I understand he's talking now. Let's dip into this, guys.

(LIVE EVENT JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SPECIAL AGENT JOSEPH DICKEY, FBI: ... the officers returned fire on him. The shootout started in the main foyer, the entryway into the courthouse, spilled out into the front area and then over into Las Vegas Boulevard. And he actually killed across the street.

QUESTION: Did the gunman have a criminal history?

DICKEY: We are not releasing that at this time.

QUESTION: Do you have ideas about possible motive?

DICKEY: Not at this point. We don't believe it is terrorist related at all. It looks like a lone criminal act.

QUESTION: Are you releasing the names of the two men who were shot?

DICKEY: Not right now. The Marshal Service put out a press release several hours ago sadly describing that the security officer was killed in the incident.

QUESTION: At this point, what do you do? How do you go forward from here investigating?

DICKEY: It is a criminal investigation that we are actively working with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshal Service.

QUESTION: Do you think that the courthouse will be open?

DICKEY: It's going to be closed for the rest of the day. As far as tomorrow goes, I would have everybody check in the morning to see if it's going to be opened up. And I think their plan is to get it open.

QUESTION: Do you have any idea if the gun that was used was registered or any of that?

DICKEY: We are not releasing that at this time.

QUESTION: So no age on the suspect or anything like that?

DICKEY: Not yet. Not that I can release.

QUESTION: Can you give us a physical description? What was he wearing? Anything...

(CROSSTALK)

DICKEY: He was wearing basically black pants, a black shirt, and a black jacket. And from what witness accounts have said, he walked in with the shotgun underneath his jacket and opened fire when he opened the doors. QUESTION: Was he wearing a mask or anything over his face?

DICKEY: Not that I'm aware of. No.

QUESTION: So after he opened fire, he runs out of the building and he is chased by several officers?

DICKEY: And he is -- again, seven officers responded and were returning fire at that point.

QUESTION: Sir, anything (INAUDIBLE) to the fact that metro may have shot back. Is that -- were they even on scene at that point?

DICKEY: I'm not aware that any metro officers were. I think it was the U.S. marshals, the deputy marshals on scene and the court security officers who man the front magnetometer area there in the federal courthouse.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: ... through the metal detector?

DICKEY: No, he didn't. He never got to that point.

QUESTION: But the people in line to get through the metal detectors at the time, how many people were in the lobby?

DICKEY: We're not real sure of that right now. And we're sifting through those facts, try to get witness accounts and that kind of thing.

QUESTION: So the witness accounts to this point that have said there were multiple gunmen, are they in error?

DICKEY: We believe there was one gunmen at this time.

QUESTION: Do we know how many people were evacuated in total?

DICKEY: Outside of the building -- out of the building, I have no idea. There are nine floors. And it's a very busy on a Monday morning. So I would expect hundreds were evacuated out of there.

QUESTION : Was there surveillance video?

SANCHEZ: That's Joe Dickey with the FBI. And Mike Brooks is joining me, taking us through this. What do you glean from that, Michael?

BROOKS: Well, it sounds like they did get the gunman. And he was dead right across the street. So you know, we heard different the different shots, as rounds, I said one sounded bigger. It could have been a shotgun of him firing back, because usually these officers there in the lobby will have their glock or sig on them there in federal building.

SANCHEZ: What a scene. He says usually Mondays are as busy as ever. And I can only imagine how many people either witnessed, saw this, or were scurrying from the scene as fires were being -- or shots were fired in both directions.

BROOKS: And I can guarantee you that it's all on video surveillance because there are a lot of cameras...

SANCHEZ: You know, you're right.

BROOKS: ... as you approach this building and inside the lobby, so they -- I guarantee you they have it all on video.

SANCHEZ: I had not thought of that. Can you do me a favor.

BROOKS: Sure.

SANCHEZ: Hang on, we're going to come back to you after the break, we're going to pick up on the incident with the NBA basketball players. I know you have got a lot to say on that. So do a lot of Americans, by the way, we have been getting...

BROOKS: I bet they do.

SANCHEZ: ... a lot of involvement on social media on this. Stay right there. Michael and I coming back with that, and the latest on what's going on in Las Vegas as well. I'm Rick Sanchez, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: This is a story that has got a lot of people downright angry. It's about two NBA basketball players -- if you can imagine this, two NBA basketball players who took it upon themselves to have in their locker room -- an NBA locker room, mind you, this is their place of work, guns, pieces. And when asked why they brandished the pistols or guns on each other, according to reports, the reason they did it is because of some kind of gambling debt or question that they were having with each other.

On its surface, beyond even looking under the surface, this looks horrible for the NBA and for them.

BROOKS: Absolutely. What is that arena? That is their workplace, just like you said. First of all, let's look at the District of Columbia where I was a proud member of the metropolitan police department for over 26 years. And I can tell you, Rick, they don't like it when people bring guns into the city. They're not law enforcement.

SANCHEZ: What would a normal employer do if they found out that a couple of the employees were pointing guns at each other in the workplace?

BROOKS: Well, I can tell you. When I left, I was in charge of workplace violence program for Delta Air Lines, and I have fired people for bringing guns to work.

SANCHEZ: Immediate termination.

BROOKS: Or even having guns in the trunk in the parking lot.

SANCHEZ: Immediate termination.

BROOKS: Absolutely.

SANCHEZ: What about this conversation that some athletes are having these days about the fact that they somehow, because of their fame or their money, are bigger targets than the rest of us, even bigger targets than other rich or famous people? Do you buy that?

BROOKS: I think they have a lot of bigger egos than everyone else. They have enough money, hire a bodyguard. Hire a real security person who may be allowed to carry guns. But in the District of Columbia, unless they hire off-duty officers, you're not supposed to carry a gun, you're not even supposed to bring a gun into the District of Columbia, much less store them there.

And you know what, this excuse that Gilbert Arenas said, well, I didn't want to leave it in my house, you know what, I think you've got enough money to buy a gun safe that you can bolt to your floor. You can put it in concrete and only you know the combinations. And I doubt if your kids are going to get in to that gun vault. That doesn't fly with me.

SANCHEZ: I've seen -- you and I are in the world here at CNN and other places where we are around very wealthy, very famous people. I have seen Bill Gates walk into a room.

BROOKS: I'm with you.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Arguably -- yes, I'm on my way home every night talking to my wife about what we are having for dinner. But you know, the idea that a Bill Gates, for example, who I have seen, needs to have a ton of bodyguards or needs to have -- I have seen guys like Bill Gates, I've seen ambassadors, I've seen others -- they're just as simple as anybody else. They walk into this room, hey, Mike, Rick, how are you doing?

Why do these guys feel like because they make that much money or because they're famous, which, by the way, either of these two guys -- play for the Washington Wizards, if they walked in here right now, I wouldn't know who the hell they are, by the way.

BROOKS: I know one of two. That's it.

SANCHEZ: I mean, I just -- I wouldn't know. I mean, you know, they're basketball players, it's great. Like a football player with the helmet on. I think they're great athletes, I think they're probably wonderful people, but you question why they think they are that famous that they need to be protecting themselves with a piece coming out of their holster or wherever they go? BROOKS: No, exactly. And you go back and one name comes to mind, Plaxico Burress had a gun inside of his pants because he felt that there might have been people -- he was threatened by people, could have been a target. You know, a Bill Gates, yes, could they be a target because you're one of the richest men in the world? Could they be a target for kidnappers and those kind of things? Absolutely.

But sports figures, you know...

SANCHEZ: So this is what, then, this is a psychological need for some young men who really haven't matured yet and don't know how to handle fame nor the money?

BROOKS: No, and you know what, the NBA...

SANCHEZ: Am I right?

BROOKS: That's -- you know, that's one person's opinion. That's kind of what I'm getting out of this, Rick. But when we get down to the bottom line here, you know, and I like to bottom line it quite a bit. When it comes to violation of the law, if you pointed -- if I point a gun at you and you point a gun at me, that's assault with a dangerous weapon. That's...

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Then why aren't these two guys arrested?

BROOKS: Well, that's what law enforcement is looking into. And I guarantee you that if the metropolitan police department finds that there is probable cause to charge them, they will. And where did the guns come from? That's why a federal probe -- that's why the ATF might be looking into, OK, were these guns obtained legally? And I can tell you, the Pollin family, they do not like this kind of publicity for the Washington Wizards.

And you know, Rick, it's kind of ironic. What was the name before the Washington Wizards?

SANCHEZ: The Bullets.

BROOKS: You got it.

SANCHEZ: So much for changing the name.

BROOKS: Yes, changing the name and changing the culture.

SANCHEZ: Good conversation, Mike.

BROOKS: Thank you. Rick.

SANCHEZ: Enjoyed it. Stay with us. Let me know if you learn anything on this.

BROOKS: I will. SANCHEZ: Also this, new details about the suicide bomber who killed seven CIA agents in Afghanistan. We are learning it was an al Qaeda double agent who may have fooled everyone. This is an amazing turn of events. Stay right there. Once again, there is developing news on the seven CIA agents killed in Afghanistan. You're not going to believe what we are learning. I'm going to share it with you in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. This is a perplexing angle to the story. And this is information that is just now coming in. Let me share with you what we have been able to gather on the story. Remember last week when Americans were shocked by reports that a suicide bomber had infiltrated a CIA base in Afghanistan, ended up killing seven people as well as himself?

Well, today, NBC News is reporting -- and the Associated Press is confirming as well, that the suicide bomber was actually, get this, a double agent. They say that he was an al Qaeda sympathizer who had then gone to the Jordanians and convinced Jordanian intelligence that he would be able to help them find someone as important as, say, Zawahiri, the number two man in al Qaeda, who we have been looking for, the guy who, as you know, founded the Muslim Brotherhood.

Now reports seem to indicate at this point that he was able to fool the Jordanians and, in turn, fooled U.S. intelligence agents for more than a year, which finally led to what happened last week, that deadly attack where he walked into the CIA base in Afghanistan, pulled the cord, killed himself and took everybody in the room with him.

What a story. CNN INTERNATIONAL security correspondent Paula Newton is live in Dubai. She is good enough to join us now.

This is amazing. What a development that this guy was able to fool the Jordanians and the U.S. into thinking -- and it sounds like he was going to deliver one of the big guys, right, Paula? I mean, he was promising to deliver Zawahiri, which means these agents eyes dealing with him, you know, may have gotten bigger than their own sense of security, didn't it?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Rick, when you're talking about trying to get people like Osama bin Laden and Zawahiri, I mean, these are big value targets, this can be done with double agents. And that, of course, is the kind of operation that the CIA would expect to have in these areas. What's interesting here, Rick, is that when we first heard about this report, all of us thought to ourselves, everyone gets checked for security going into a lot of these camps, even the smaller ones. There is some kind of security.

If the story is confirmed and if it's true, it would be interesting in the sense it would explain how someone with that kind of an explosive vest strapped to them can actually get into that kind of a CIA base. Also very interesting, Rick...

SANCHEZ: Wouldn't that tell us that this guy...

NEWTON: I just want to mention one more thing.

SANCHEZ: Yes, go ahead.

NEWTON: Sorry. The Taliban first said it was an Afghan national army officer. They corrected themselves within a day. Now this is going back now four or five days, Rick. And they were the first to say, he is an Arab martyr, pointing to the fact that this person was not an Afghan and that he was an Arab. They didn't mention Jordanian.

They also claim, the Taliban, Rick, that they have some type of video that they will release linked to this event. Sorry to interrupt, Rick. go ahead.

SANCHEZ: No, no, it's just that we have a satellite delay. So when I talk, I don't know when you're talking. And you don't know when I'm talking, because we're so far away. Let me just get this out. Listening to what I just heard you say, as a laymen, I'm thinking, this guy was coming and going a lot there and that's why he was able to make this final entrance so easily. Am I right?

NEWTON: He wasn't coming and going a lot -- from what we can understand, it's not coming and going so much. And of course, usually most of these agents would have different locations to meet any one of these so-called double agents. They wouldn't want to bring them onto the CIA base. The claim here, Rick, is that he had a Jordanian handler -- a very high-ranking Jordanian handler. He called the Jordanian handler and said, look, I have got to talk to these people at the CIA base in Khost, can you take me there? And he obliged.

This is after a year of gaining confidence. That's if we can confirm the stories. Those are the details as being reported by NBC and now the Associated Press.

SANCHEZ: I know we don't have the answer to this. But I think I'm still left with the question, I think our viewers are still left with the question, that's all fine, but why did you let him walk into the building wearing a vest? Isn't there some kind of screening process? Isn't there some kind of machine that he had to walk through? Didn't somebody think let's not just let this guy walk back here and have a conversation with us. Let's make sure he is legit.

And it seems like nobody asked that question, or else he wouldn't have been able to walk in with a bomb strapped to him. And I guess that's just what we're left with, Paula, until we're able to find out. Wow. What a story. Thanks again. Appreciate you joining us with this.

Meanwhile, we have this, dash cam video, giving new meaning to the term "have a Coke and a smile." I'm going to explain this one next. Wow.

Also don't forget to visit me in the studio when you're in Atlanta. In fact, let me show you something. Yes, that's what you can do to get here. Look at the folks who are joining me today. This is one of those days when we let people from our CNN tour join me here in studio, give a little wave, folks, happy to have you. Welcome aboard. And we're going to be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back. I'm Rick Sanchez. There's something I want you to watch. I can promise you this -- you're going to have a reaction when you watch this. This is something that surfaced since Texas Tech fired Mike Leach, fired Mike Leach as its football coach over his treatment of one of the players. Now, there's a video that has surfaced of Leach. I saw it for the first time this morning, cursing out that same player at practice last spring. Let's watch it together.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE LEACH, FORMER TEXAS TECH HEAD FOOTBALL COACH: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: By the way, if you know curse words, and you can imagine putting in some of the worst ones that you know, those are the ones that apply there. If you've ever been to a college football practice or taken part in one, as I have, obviously, you know that's not really unusual language. Like it or not, that's the way some coaches talk.

That particular incident that I just showed you right there is not why Mike Leach was fired, though it was the same player that he was talking to that ended up putting him in the situation he's in now. Mike Leach was fired because he allegedly ordered that guy, sophomore wide receiver Adam James, son of ESPN football analyst Craig James, to stand in a darkened equipment closet.

James had a concussion and he couldn't take part in the practice. He supposedly showed up wearing street clothes and a cap on backwards. Leach said, fine, stand in a darkened shed and don't move. For that he was suspended and then eventually fired.

Now keep in mind, Leach and his lawyer, who I spoke to, have spun this case as that of a coddled young player and his influential father trying to railroad the coach, because the coach wouldn't give the kid enough playing time. That's one side of the story.

In fact, just last week, they released this statement from the team's trainer, quote: "Adam James was never locked in any facility and was never placed in an electrical closet or tight space or instructed to do so." That statement was dated December 31st from Texas Tech trainer Steve Pincock.

And for Leach, that looks pretty good. But now there's this. Here's the same trainer with new information, and maybe what you would call a different spin. In a sworn affidavit released over the weekend by Texas Tech, Pincock says, quote: "Leach told me to place James in a dark place near the practice field. Leach further said something to the effect that he wanted me to tell James that I was to, quote, 'lock his blanking blank blank in a place so dark that the only way he knows he has a blank is to reach down and touch it.'"

Yes. As an aside, it made my spare money as a kid -- as an aside, I should mention to you this, I was taken aback by that own quote. Look, personally for me, I made my spare money as a kid umpiring and coaching. I went on to play college football. I coached my son's high school football team last year. I've encouraged my kids, my children, to join sports teams and have had to hold my wife back a little bit when she thought that one of the coaches was being mean to one of our children.

So, like you, I get it. Here is the bottom line though. Being a good coach is like herding cats. Think about that for a minute.

It may be hard to appreciate from the outside, and it takes an awful lot of discipline, but there is also a line that should never be crossed by some of these coaches. And this case will likely reveal to us -- we don't know which way it goes yet, we don't know what the truth is here, but this case will likely reveal to us and to other coaches and other athletic directors and other university presidents and other parents where and how that line was crossed.

Take a look at this video of a car chase. What's that at the end of the car? "Fotos" next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Welcome back. Get ready, no time to wait for firefighters in one part of the world, and a bullfight ending tragically in (INAUDIBLE). This is "Fotos."

All right. This is random, dash cam, police in Tennessee, you see what is going on there. Also, that is a Coca-Cola vending machine freshly snatched from outside a store near Chattanooga. Hey, let's run from police anyway. He didn't get too far, of course, busted, charged vandalism, evading. Be careful of opening those sodas after this ride.

And this, why bullfighting is called a bloodsport, folks. On New Year's Eve, bullfight in Columbia ends with one man dead from wounds suffered from -- and this will shock you, maybe not, the horns of a bull. Officials in Columbia say about 20 people a year die in these small town bullfighting festival where bulls are teased.

Wolf Blitzer is standing by. He is back here now in "THE SITUATION ROOM."