ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at Noon - February 5, 2026

Episode Date: February 5, 2026

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Breaking right now at noon, the emotional testimony today from the father of convicted Raleigh mass shooter Austin Thompson. What he's saying about the son he lost in the mass shooting and the other son who carried out the crime. Also breaking right now an update on the former Raleigh police officer charged with sex crimes against a woman while on duty. John Dowding is live with a new investigation launched by the FBI. And Governor Stein today signing an executive order aimed at addressing mental health after the stabbing of a Ukrainian woman on a Charlotte train. it is the news at noon. Right now, live coverage from your local news leader. Today's top stories you need to know and your first alert forecast.

Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. And we continue to follow breaking news right now at noon. Shocking new testimony in the sentencing of convicted Raleigh mass shooter Austin Thompson. Thank you for joining us. I'm Barbara Gibbs. Today we hear emotional testimony from Austin Thompson's father about his conversation with his son immediately after the shooting. Elena Athens joins us live from the Wake County Justice Center with the latest on this.

Elena, good afternoon. Good afternoon to you. Barbara. Alan Thompson testified that there were no signs and he apologized several times to the victim's families. Officer Gabriel Torres's wife gave an 18-minute really heartbreaking victim impact statement that brought myself and others in the court. room to tears. Austin Thompson has kept his head down during the majority of this hearing, but during that victim impact statement Torres commanded him to look at her and he did. Look at me, Austin. My dearest husband Gabe, he was a man who worked day in and day out to not only ensure the safety of his home, but the community and the country and the country

as well. He, you stole his life. You stole my daughter's life. You had no right. None. And Dustin, how dare you point your rifle at my friend? And although the trigger was never pulled, that's also a life that's forever changed, and it is unforgivable. You heard my screams. I know you did. I replay that day over and over and over in my head. When James died, part of me died and with Austin, I mean, I still love him, but I just don't understand why. I can't put the problem I have, I can't put the two and two together. So Alan Thompson also testified quite a bit about taking both of his sons out shooting and also working with them, doing, going on trips at points for target practicing.

So that's the very latest live from the Raleigh, Raleigh Courthouse here in downtown Raleigh, Elena Athens, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Elena, I don't think I've ever heard anything. So, I don't know, soul-crushing as Gabriel Torres's wife, widow on the stand, just unbelievable. Elena Athens, reporting live. Thank you so much.

Also breaking now at noon, the FBI launches a federal civil rights investigation into a former Raleigh Police Officer. Tremail Goodell was charged with sex crimes against a woman while he was on duty. The FBI is now looking for more potential victims or witnesses. John Dowding is going just now live outside the Raleigh Outer News Center. John, good afternoon to you. Break down what we know at this point. Well, hey, good afternoon to you, Barbara. As you said, this is a really concerning development here in this investigation.

The FBI getting involved, believing that there could. be more victims out there also asking for potential witnesses to come forward to help them with this new civil rights investigation. Tramil Cogdell was a broadly police officer for more than two years before his arrest in October. Court documents from his arrest say last September he allegedly failed to conduct and charge a DWI investigation in exchange for sexual acts. A grand jury indicted Cogdell in October on several charges including obstruction of justice and at least five charges soliciting prostitution from multiple other alleged victims. Now, Cogdell was released on bond and he does not have another court date scheduled yet in Wake County.

But the FBI is now conducting a federal civil rights investigation and asking for potential witnesses or victims to come forward. Now, we reached out to the attorney representing Cogdill earlier this morning. I was told by his office that his attorney is in court right now for another case dealing with another matter. So once he is out of the courtroom, we will be, again, waiting to hear from him to get a response from him as the details of this FBI investigation are coming out right now. Live here outside the Riley Eyewitness News Center. I'm John Dowding. ABC 11, eyewitness news. All right, John, thank you.

More breaking news right now. We're working to learn more about a Nash County deputy who fired an assigned weapon. The incident happened last night in an area north of Nashville. Cindy Bay is with an update with the Nash County Sheriff's Office. We're still working to find out more about the circumstances of the shooting, including the conditions of the people involved. But deputies say there is no threat to the public. Authorities say the incident happened last night in this neighborhood along Tom George Road, just north of Nashville. According to radio traffic, some kind of weapon was involved and EMS was called.

We briefly spoke with neighbors at the scene who were visibly upset this morning. The sheriff's office is expected to hold a press conference at. for this afternoon and we'll keep you updated on any new updates we can get as soon as we can in Nash County. Cindy Bay, ABC 11 eyewitness news. Cindy, thank you. Happening today, another meeting confer session for Durham Public Schools. Educators will meet to face-to-face with district administrators to discuss collective grievance policy, also budget priorities for next school year. The meeting starts at 6 o'clock at the Staff Development Center on Hillendale Road. Educators say that they will rally with school board candidates beforehand. New

Good afternoon, Governor Stein signs an executive order to address mental health and the criminal justice system. The event just wrapping up at the governor's mansion. Michael Perchick joins us live and Raleigh. Michael, this topic has gotten a lot of attention. Good afternoon, Barbara. That's exactly right. Particularly in light of the murder of Arena Zaruska, board a Charlotte Light Rail last year. The suspect in that case has reported mental health challenges. Today's gathering focused on ensuring individuals in need receive timely and appropriate care, accomplished in part by law enforcement and mental health counselors working more closely together.

Today, Governor Josh Stein shared some of the strategies the state is working to implement. We must expand the co-responder model here in North Carolina. That's when you join law enforcement in coordination with social workers and mental health professionals to respond to service calls. Whether it's embedding a social worker at the 911 dispatch to identify which call, which person should be responding to which call or strengthening the relationship between 911 calls and 988 calls. 988 is the national suicide and crisis lifeline coming up this afternoon. We speak with a Raleigh woman who has faced mental health challenges why she feels this

executive order is so important. In Raleigh, I'm Michael Purchick. KBC 11, eyewitness News. Right, Michael, thank you. New at noon, a developer has big plans for downtown Kerry. Cain Realty filing plans to build a 7.000. seven-story building with apartments and space for retail and restaurants. You can see the space right there. This is Chatham Street where it intersects with Old Apex Road at the roundabout across from

vicious, fissious brewery and Southline Brewing Company. The site would include an eight-level attached parking deck. Kane Realty is also heavily involved in the expansion of North Hills in Raleigh. Well now to a heartbreaking story in Samson County. A fire ignites at a dog-breeding business. Our breaking news crew at the Black Creek kennels on Black Creek Trail where you can see that building collapse. The owners say it housed all the mother dogs and the baby dogs, puppies. But now revealing how many of the 40 dogs perished in the fire, they have not done that yet. The owners say they were at church choir practice when it started and they thanked the crews for their quick response. A new study highlights the economic benefits of expanding passenger rail

service in North Carolina. The DOT is looking into restoring the link between Salisbury and Asheville. The agency says the service would generate $67 million per year in economic output, including employee earnings and state and local tax revenue, but the project currently has not been funded. The U.S. Supreme Court issues a critical ruling involving the newly approved congressional maps that favor Democrats. That story just ahead. And it is a race against time. The latest on the search for the mother of today's show host Savannah Guthrie in two minutes, the emotional plea from Savannah and her siblings. Plus. Yep, that is a priest.

Bring it down the house with a dance during high school basketball game. That story new. Coming up at 1230, stay with us. Watch Lauren Johnson tonight on ABC 11. I Witness News. Today's show host Savannah Guthrie posting a heartbreaking video on Instagram with her siblings pleading for their mother's safe return. Police believe someone abducted 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie from her home in Arizona early Sunday. As ABC's Olivia Rubin reports, the FBI is stepping up effort. to find her.

Everyone is looking for you, mommy, everywhere. Your children will not rest until we are together again. That is the heart-wrenching plea from Savannah Guthrie and her siblings begging for their mother's safe return. The light is missing from our lives. Nancy is our mother. We are her children. She is our beacon.

Investigators furiously searching for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. Missing since early Sunday, investigators believe she was abducted in the middle of the night while sleeping in her Tucson home. Authorities are investigating unverified ransom notes sent to several media outlets trying to determine if they are real or a cruel joke. The Today Show co-hosts seeming to make a direct plea to possible kidnappers. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images. are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen.

Please reach out to us. But with no suspects identified, the FBI now sending more reinforcements to Arizona, including agents who specialize in hostageness. in hostage negotiations. FBI director Cash Patel heading to the scene too, according to multiple officials familiar with the matter. And in that video, Savannah Guthrie also saying her mother's health is a concern here that she has heart issues and needs her medication. Olivia Rubin, ABC News, New York. The Supreme Court clears the way for California to use a new congressional map. The new map

gives Democrats five additional seats. Californians voted to approve the new maps after Republicans in Texas decided to redraw maps to give the Republicans five seats. States normally redraw voting maps once a decade in coordination with a new census, but President Trump has pushed for mid-decade redistricting ahead of the midterm elections in November. A potential measles outbreak in Southwest Florida, at least 20 positive tests could be linked to Ava Maria University. At least three people from the private Catholic College were taken to the hospital. The Florida Department of Health deployed a team to the university. for contacting contact tracing and to manage response efforts.

Well, Americans struggling to make ends meet are splitting their rent into two payments. We'll explain what's happening in two minutes. And the Raleigh Convention Center passes a new inspection in its road to recovery after that massive fire two months ago. Never copy what I did or copy other kids what they do. Bless him, this young boy suffers serious burns after taking part and a TikTok challenge. Here is warning to other kids, new at 1230. Investing is all about the future.

So what do you think is going to happen? Bitcoin is sort of inevitable at this point. I think it would come down to precious metals. I hope we don't go cashless. I would say land is a safe investment. Technology companies. Solar energy. Robotic pollinators might be a thing.

A wrestler to face a robot, that will have to happen. So whatever you think is going to happen in the future, future, you can invest in it at WealthSimple. Start now at WealthSimple.com. By now, pay later is extending to rent. New services are now scouting up that let renters split up their payments over the course of a month. Customers say they appreciate the flexibility, but experts warn that the fees involved can add up to hundreds of dollars every year. About 109 million Americans or about 42.5 million households are renters in the United States. New at noon, an update on the Raleigh Convention Center as the recovery process continues after the devastating fire in December.

The convention just passing an inspection for various areas impacted by the fire, including an office, dressing room, and small conference room. You'll recall that the fire was caused by a mechanical failure in the cooling area of the heating and cooling unit. The convention center was reopened late last month. Happening today, the Southern Farm Show continues at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh. The annual show highlights the state's agriculture industry with hundreds of exhibits and vendors as well as workshops and training to attend the Southern Farm Show. It's free to attend and it's wrapping up tomorrow. Happening today, the public's first chance to buy tickets for this year's Art in Bloom, the popular event now less than six weeks away, starting March the 18th

at the North Carolina Museum of Art. More than 50 floral designers will participate in the four-day event. Public tickets are limited and will sell out quickly. It's always so beautiful. It's got a meteorologist Steve Stewart with the latest on the forecast and you know we got that that rain yesterday and the colder temperatures and so that was a concern. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It had some slick spots out there this morning. The sand hills really are the ones that picked up the most significant rain out of this when it's all sitting done. They got some areas picked up over an inch to the north. We didn't pick up that much and we could use some more rain folks. But outside right now we're just dealing with cloudy skies and it's cold for the most part. Tomorrow some spotty showers will be with us later in the day. Many areas stay dry.

It'll be really light, not a big deal at all. It's another really cold weekend. Feels like temperatures in the teens and 20s for a good part of the day, Saturday. And then Sunday clouds come back, but still cold. Temperatures will likely be in the 30s for highs both days. Make some plans. Hey, we're warming up a little bit as we head into next week. This colder air is going to push out.

We'll start seeing more of a ridge building in here. And by the time we get to the middle part of the week, we could actually make it some lower 60s. Not a huge warm up, but definitely a much better than it has been. We need rain, though. If you look at the last five months, been below average, I know we're just starting February, but going back to September, we had a deficit of 3.23 inches. It's been a long time, so we've had six months of below average precipitation, so we're in severe drought across most of the area, and that's not changing anytime soon. Now, tomorrow's rain, yeah, it's a little bit as we get into the afternoon. That's it. I mean, it's really a, it's a tiny,

amount of moisture that's going to move through. Odds are we're talking less than just five hundredths of an inch at any one location and not everyone's going to get rain tomorrow. 35 in the north hills right now you see the overcast skies with a north breeze at eight feels like 29 degrees. So keep that heavier coat. Other area feels like temperatures mainly in the 20s across the board, but there's a 31 inside of their city at this time. Evening plans if you're taking a walk through the neighborhood, you have bundle up. Chili getting down to freezing by the time we get to 8 o'clock in the evening hours. under partly cloudy skies.

Had enough of the cool weather. It's been a long stretch of below average temperatures. Last 15 days, just one day has been above average. Well, we're going to flip the script, and we're going to see some warmer temperatures coming. Wednesday and Thursday, specifically a couple days up around 60 degrees. And we're going to increase the clouds, still a little uncertainty if we're going to get a shower

on Wednesday and Thursday. We'll keep an eye on that. Meantime, as we go through the day, Saturday, it's a biting northwesterly breeze with wind in the teens and 20s. Ambient temperature is probably only in the mid 30s for highs. Still cold, though, we're going to see some more clouds coming into play as we go and do our Sunday. But the coldest airs to the north, but there's that warmer air that's going to be heading east as we head into next week.

Heading up to the mountains this weekend, get a little skiing in. I'm telling you Saturday is really going to be cold. Sunday's probably the better of the two days. But I wanted to show you how healthy the bases are at the summits right now. Those are impressive numbers. And with the cold weather lasting all the way through. the weekend they're going to be making that snow for sure high temperatures upper 30s today to near 40 in Fayetteville tonight partly cloudy skies and lows will be in the lower 20s to mid 20s it's another cold start tomorrow on the first alert seven day morning sun afternoon clouds a couple of spotty showers a biting breeze on saturday more clouds on sunday but still cold there you go we got some warmer temperatures coming as we're headed in next week more clouds and maybe a spotty shower barbara but wouldn't be much but definitely getting warmer all right thank you ste The surge is underway in Atlanta for the son of rapper Little John.

That story is just ahead. And a former White House advisor calls for the president to deploy ice agents to polling sites for the midterm elections. And drink up. It is the end of an era for Minutemade Juice, a longtime breakfast staple that is frozen. That story new at 1230. Watch Steve Daniels. With the RBC Avion Visa, you can book any airline, any flight, any time. So start ticking off your travel list. Grand Canyon? Grand. Great Barrier Reef? Great. Galapagos?

Galapagos? Switch and get up to 55,000 Avion points that never expire. Your idea of never missing out happens here. Conditions apply. Visit rbc.com slash avion. Tonight on ABC 11-I Witness News. The adult son of rapper Little John is reported missing in the Atlanta area. Nathan Smith, who performs under the name of DJ Young Slade, was last seen in Milton, Georgia on Tuesday morning. Authorities say it appears the 27-year-old ran out of his house and hasn't been seen since. According to a notice from the Milton police, Smith didn't have a phone when he vanished and might be disoriented and in need of help. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the police.

Steve Bannon says the federal government is planning to send immigration and ice officers to patrol polling stations during this year's midterm elections. The former White House strategist made the comment during Tuesday's episode of his war room podcast. Bannon's comments come just days after President Trump suggested this week that the federal government should take over the voting and federalized elections, which are run by local and state jurisdictions to make sure that there is no fraud. Bankruptcy at the company behind Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus means some strong. stores will be closing for good. It now says most of the SACS off fifth locations, as well as Neiman Marcus' last call outlet stores will close and sales at some of those locations have already begun. The Sacks off fifth store in Charlotte is among the locations holding those closing sales. President Trump delivers remarks that this year's National Prayer Breakfast, he covers a wide

range of topics including the ICE deployment in Minnesota. And the staggering number of Americans are having their cars repossessed. One U.S. Senator is now sounding an alarm.