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CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Headlines: Delaware Hospital Shooting Suspect Arrested; One Dead; Alleged Plot to Attack UFC Event at White House Foiled; Tight Security in Place for Obama Presidential Center Grand Opening; Diver Reflects On High-Risk Laos Cave Rescue. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired June 17, 2026 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
BRAD SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: It is half past the hour. Let's hit the refresh button on our top stories. Iranian media is warning a harsh response if the war in Lebanon continues. Tehran says the signed agreement between the U.S. and Iran calls for Israel's withdrawal, but U.S. officials say it does not. Meanwhile, at this week's G7 summit, Trump said that Benjamin Netanyahu needs to be, quote, "more responsible" on Iran and suggested that maybe Syria can, quote, "deal with Hezbollah."
And a suspect is now in custody hours after a deadly shooting threw a hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, into lockdown with employees forced to barricade themselves inside rooms. One person was killed and another was hurt. Police say 23-year-old was taken into custody after a manhunt in the area. And Luigi Mangione is expected to appear in courts today for a pretrial hearing ahead of his state trial. The accused CEO killer was supposed to be in court yesterday, but the hearing was abruptly rescheduled after the Manhattan district attorney's office failed to follow correct procedures to secure his transport from prison.
More now on this top stories. G7 leaders in France today are saying that they support the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, but the secrecy around it is causing tensions abroad and here in the U.S. President Trump says he plans to release the text in a couple of days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: We have our deal done with Iran and it should be successful. It goes to a second stage, which I think will be actually easier. I'd like to get a formal setting first before we do that, but I have no problem with that. It's a great document. Actually, I'll not only release it, I'll probably have a press conference and read it to you word by word.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: And in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has exported its first crude oil shipments in two months. That is according to data from Tanker Trackers, that's a maritime intelligence company. President Trump says that the vital waterway will reopen and the U.S. will lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports after the formal agreement signing ceremony on Friday.
Now, to that deadly hospital shooting. An hours-long manhunt came to an end after a suspect was arrested following the shooting at a Wilmington, Delaware hospital Tuesday. A 23-year-old man was taken into custody in Philadelphia. CNN's Reid Binion reports with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILFREDO CAMPOS, CHIEF OF POLICE, WILMINATON PD: Police located two gunshot victims. One of those victims has tragically died from his injuries.
REID BINION, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Authorities addressing the public after a deadly shooting at a hospital in Delaware Tuesday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Attention all units to the Wilmington Hospital, 501 West 14th Street for a hostile MCI.
BINION (voice-over): Emergency crews responded around 3:30 in the afternoon to the Wilmington Hospital about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Engine one, engine five, ladder one, Battalion two, Battalion one, Battalion five responding.
BINION (voice-over): Several agencies rushed to the scene including the FBI and Delaware State Police. Authorities said the shooting left one person dead and another one wounded. We have confirmed two gunshot victims. A patient guide at the hospital said he heard two loud shots ring out on the ground level.
BRIAN PFEFFER, PATIENT GUIDE, WILMINGTON HOSPITAL: I was in the emergency room.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And where did the shooting happen?
PFEFFER: In the ground floor. I just got out of the emergency room and ran. And they're still over there going in and out.
[05:35:00]
BINION (voice-over): During the shooting, the hospital was put on lockdown which was later lifted. Delaware's governor spoke about the shooting in the hours that followed. Saying the tragedy hit especially close to home as his wife works at the hospital system that includes the Wilmington Hospital.
GOV. MATT MEYER (D-DE): Every Delawarean deserves to feel safe whether at home, at school, at work, or seeking care at a hospital.
BINION (voice-over): I'm Reid Binion reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE) SMITH: Thank you, Reid. We are getting a better idea of what midterm ballots will look like this November after a night of primaries and runoff elections. In Georgia, CNN projects Republican Congressman Mike Collins will challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff for his seat. And in the governor's race, CNN projects billionaire Rick Jackson will win the Republican nomination to run against Democrat and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Our Dianne Gallagher has more on these key races.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: President Trump wins and loses in Georgia runoff races Tuesday. A marquee matchup for a key southern state Senate seat is set. As CNN projects Republican Congressman Mike Collins will win that runoff race. He will now try to unseat the incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE COLLINS (R), GEORGIA REPUBLICAN SENATE NOMINEE: You know, we're Republicans now. Now, we stand united around one mission. That's right. And you all know what the mission is. It's to put a Republican in that seat and get rid of that Jon Ossoff in November. Return this seat to the people of Georgia. And I look forward to helping and getting the help and working to do just that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Collins received an 11th hour endorsement from Trump on Sunday over his opponent. Former University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley, who was endorsed by Georgia's popular Governor Brian Kemp.
Now, Collins owns a trucking company and he's the son of a former congressman. He has represented Georgia's 10th district since 2023 and has been a longtime staunch supporter of President Trump, including his false claims that he won the 2020 election. After the GOP race was called, Ossoff released a blistering statement calling Collins, quote, "a notorious bigot, anti-Semite and extremist."
Now, in the GOP governor's runoff race, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones boasted a double endorsement from Trump and Kemp, but it was not enough, as CNN projects that health care billionaire Rick Jackson will win the GOP nomination in that race. Jackson dumped more than $100 million of his own fortune into the race, casting himself as a conservative outsider. He will face the Democratic nominee in that race who locked her nomination up about a month ago in the original primary. And that is former Atlanta mayor and Biden administration official Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Dianne Gallagher, CNN, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Thank you, Dianne. The massive UFC set up on the White House South Lawn is already coming down. Crews began dismantling the giant lighting rig and the octagon shortly after fight night wrapped up with the teardown expected to take more than a week. Meanwhile, event sponsor ScottsMiracle-Gro is donating one million dollars to help restore grass damage during the event.
Meanwhile, federal agents say that they stopped an alleged plot targeting that very UFC event. According to officials, at least five people have been charged so far. And the Secret Service says that the investigation remains active. One of the suspects is a 19-year-old Ohio man who was turned in by his own mother. CNN's Brian Todd has more on how the plot was uncovered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (voice-over): An energetic, crowded UFC event at the White House, with President Trump in attendance, members of Congress, and VIPs, all potential targets of an alleged planned attack using drones and snipers. And according to the Secret Service, there are still suspects on the loose.
According to a federal law enforcement official and criminal complaints obtained by CNN, a group of alleged online extremists planned and coordinated an attack at Sunday night's UFC fight on the White House. In order to, quote, ""jumpstart a revolution in the United States. But they were thwarted."
MATTHEW QUINN, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DEPUTY DIRECTOR: It was a serious threat. It was an active plot, and it's ongoing.
TODD (voice-over): According to a criminal complaint, the plan was to, quote, ""stage a demonstration on the north side of the White House," then detonate drones over the arena, forcing the attending crowd to evacuate, where the group would act as snipers to conduct shootings of the members of the crowd and HVTs, high-value targets, including, quote, ""both wealthy people and politicians."
Retired FBI agent Richard Kolko says it's not likely the alleged attackers could have enacted their plot in full, but they could still have inflicted some significant damage.
[05:40:00]
RICHARD KOLKO, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: If they had brought firearms, brought explosives, come to the area, found out where the perimeter was, and gone forward and carried out some sort of attack, people could have died, people could have been hurt, and it could have been very, very serious.
TODD (voice-over): According to court documents, the online group were ex-military, Christian-based, and anti-government, with anti- Israel and anti-Jewish views. The Justice Department has charged five people across California, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio in the alleged plot.
The investigation began when the mother of a 19-year-old in custody, Tyson Proper, alerted authorities that she was concerned about her son, who she says was communicating with radical people online and amassing an arsenal of weapons, including, according to Proper's father, an AR-style rifle and several boxes of ammunition.
KOLKO: This mom did exactly the right thing. She knew something was up with her son, something was wrong, and she picked up the phone, made the call, and probably saved lives.
TODD: The charges include conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. As for the one defendant, Tyson Proper, the criminal complaint does not say that he purchased any drones, but it says he did purchase multiple firearms and ammunition. Tyson Proper has not yet entered a plea. CNN has tried to reach a public defender listed for him.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: And now, we take you to Chicago. That's where security is tightening up near the Obama Presidential Center ahead of this week's grand opening ceremony. Fences, concrete barriers and other measures have been taken to set up around the campus in Jackson Park. Some nearby streets and sidewalks will also be closed off in the coming days, so plan accordingly. Ahead of the opening, the Obamas thanked nearly 500 contributors and supporters for helping make it all happen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: This community embraced me and gave me a chance. And I grew up here and I met the love of my life here. And my daughters were born here and I represent this district. And I announced my first candidacy at the Ramada Inn on Lakeshore Drive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: The Obama Presidential Center opens to the public on Friday, Juneteenth in Chicago. Stevie Wonder is set to perform along with Bruce Springsteen, The Roots, Christina Aguilera, Chicago native Jennifer Hudson and many more.
On today's Buzz Express, boxing legend Floyd Money Mayweather is facing new legal trouble in Las Vegas. He was hit with two felony charges tied to an alleged bad check for a $200,000 luxury watch. Prosecutors say that the check was written despite insufficient funds. The case comes as he plans a return to the ring later this summer.
And we're getting new details and hints about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's upcoming hush-hush wedding from a very unlikely source, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. According to Entertainment Weekly, the mayor was outlining security for the July 4th holiday at a press conference Monday and listed several massive events happening that weekend. He told reporters the city is preparing for a World Cup match, America 250 events and, quote, "Taylor Swift's wedding." There have been rumors that the superstar couple will say I do at Madison Square Garden. A representative for Swift has not replied to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment. And speaking of nuptials, Spider-Man star Tom Holland appears to confirm reports that he and Zendaya have tied the knot. In a new interview with Esquire, Holland addressed all the fake A.I. photos of their wedding that popped up earlier this year. And when asked if he had to tell family members the pictures were all fake, Holland said, quote, "No, because they were all there." When pressed about the subject, Holland told the reporter, that's all you'll get on that. Reporters and rumors as well. Rumors had sparked in January when Zendaya's stylist claimed the couple had gotten married. Congratulations to the happy couple.
Ahead on CNN Headline Express, a cop is called to wrangle this slithery trespasser. Shivers up my spine right now. And he does it with his bare hands. It's a story that you don't want to miss. Stay with us. You're watching CNN Headline Express.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:45:00]
SMITH: Let's go around the globe starting in the English Channel. The U.K. prime minister is criticizing a, quote, "reckless crew" on a Russian warship that fired warning shots at a yacht. So, a British sailor describes it as completely unnecessary and the British defense ministry is investigating the incident. Russia says the U.K.-flagged yacht was on what appeared to be a collision course with its warship. Passengers on the ship deny that.
And in Indonesia, a powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit the country's central Sulawesi island on Tuesday. The strong tremors triggered panic and aftershocks, sent terrified residents fleeing into open areas. Disaster officials report at least one person has died. Dozens are injured and hundreds more have been displaced from their homes.
And remember that daring and dangerous Laos cave rescue from a few weeks ago? Well, now CNN's Will Ripley had the chance to speak with a Finnish driver who helped carry out that high-risk rescue. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What was that moment like when you guys got the first villager out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. It was -- I don't know how to describe. It was full of action, it was full of emotion, full of everything.
[05:50:00]
It's a very tight spot where we bring them out, so it was kind of a relief that at least we could prove that the system that we have works.
RIPLEY (voice-over): As night falls, the water levels are too high to reenter the cave, so they ramp up efforts to pump out the water overnight. On Saturday, they prepare to go back in to try to bring out the other four men. But then the unthinkable happens.
The men appear out of the depths. They manage to crawl out themselves. The pumping meant the water levels dropped enough for them to breathe without diving equipment. Emotional scenes unfold.
For the brave men, we took a shot and claimed a new chance at life. Carried on stretchers, villagers bring the men down the hill from the cave.
Weak and exhausted after 11 days underground.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: It's just an incredible rescue there, an incredible conversation, our Will Ripley with that finished diver.
Still to come on CNN Headline Express, finally some relief at the gas pump. We'll tell you how low prices could go. And this man found himself in police custody after aiming a gun and shooting directly at a police drone. We've got the details on the other side of the break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:55:00]
SMITH: In today's Money Express, oil prices are easing following this week's U.S.-Iran peace agreement, and it's bringing a little relief at the gas pump. Maribel Aber joins us now from the NASDAQ marking site with more details. Maribel, what are prices looking like now?
MARIBEL ABER, CNN 'MONEY MATTERS' CORRESPONDENT: OK. Brad, the national average for a gallon of unleaded is less than a nickel away from slipping below $4 a barrel. AAA puts the price at $4.03 today. The average has been falling a couple cents a day for the last three weeks. It's down nearly 50 cents since last month. So, oil is moving lower following this week's U.S.-Iran peace agreement. Crude is trading below $80 a barrel with U.S. oil around $75.
SpaceX has surpassed Amazon in market value as its post-IPO rally continues. The company is now worth roughly $2.7 trillion, closing in on Microsoft's reported $3 trillion valuation. SpaceX also announced this week it will buy a coding startup Cursor for $60 billion. Investors are betting on SpaceX's growth in rocket launches, satellite internet and A.I.
McDonald's is bringing back its iconic fried apple pie to celebrate America's 250th birthday. The handheld dessert known for its piping hot apple filling and crispy crust was a fan favorite for decades. It debuted in the 1960s when one franchise owner in Tennessee sold them out of his store. They were later adopted as a company-wide menu item and went from fried to baked in the '90s. They faded from the menu shortly after that. The original fried version is back June 23rd, while supplies last. Brad, got to go OG on that one.
SMITH: Oh, 100 percent. I also imagine that Popeye's somewhere is like, man, we thought we had the market cornered on these fried apple pies for a good little bit. McDonald's, throwing the hat back in the ring. Maribel Aber, thank you so much.
Let's get you caught up on some of the other stories making news around the country. We start in Florida. That's where authorities say a man was arrested after shooting a BB gun at a sheriff's office drone. And that drone, it caught the whole thing on camera. Authorities say that the drone was out looking for a bear, when the operator noticed a group of men who looked like they were shooting into the woods. Investigators say video appears to show one of those men firing a BB gun at the drone at least twice. Here's what they said when deputies caught up with them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you're shooting at our drone. Yes, it's me, it's police. But he's shooting at that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, yes, yes. It's on video. Yes, yes. He sees it, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SMITH: Deputies who were already nearby moved in quickly and arrested the man.
In New York, a Delta plane landed safely at JFK Airport, despite reports of a flat tire. Officials say that the flight was escorted to a terminal gate for examination. Delta released a statement saying there was damage to one tire, but it got replaced. No injuries were reported.
And in Texas, a cop makes a lightning fast and fearless grab with bearish hands at a snake squatting on a stoop. Jeremy Roth has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY ROTH, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): This cop had a bare-knuckle tussle, not with a surly suspect, but instead with a scaly squatter. All right. Technically, he had gloves on, but that doesn't make this full sheer PD officer's lightning fast and fearless grab of this live snake any less impressive. Onlookers were impressed, to a point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to see it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hell no.
ROTH (voice-over): And the officer safely relocated the snake whilst reading its rights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could give you a trespass warning, but I'm not going to do that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SMITH: Quick hands. You got that, man. And finally, meet Daisy the Porch Cow. The purple-hoofed princess in North Dakota has become an internet sensation. Her Facebook page has reached nearly 400,000 followers. Fans like to watch the bubbly bovine just hang out on the front porch of her family's home.
[06:00:00]
And life is about to get even more interesting for Daisy. Guess what? She's expected to deliver her first calf soon. Congratulations to the growing family.
Well that does it for CNN Headline Express, I'm Brad Smith. CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish starts right now.