Washington Redskins Safety Sean Taylor Dies From a Gunshot Wound; Mideast Summit Today in Maryland
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Heidi Collins. Watch events come into the NEWSROOM live on Tuesday, November 27th. Here's what's on the rundown. Redskins star safety Sean Taylor dies from a gunshot wound. Now the search for his killer. His attorney talks to CNN. And President Bush on his way to Annapolis right now. Forty- three nations try for peace in troubled world neighborhood. He proposed on a television talk show. She said no. Now she's dead. Marriage or murder -- in the NEWSROOM. Hours of anguish, brief hope, and now a tragic end. NFL star Sean Taylor loses his life after he is shot in his south Florida home. CNN's John Zarrella is outside the hospital where the Washington Redskins player died earlier this morning. John is joining us now via broadband. John, the latest.</s>JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi, the word about 5:00 a.m. this morning from his attorney, Richard Sharpstein, who gave us a call and told us that in fact Sean Taylor did not make it through the night. The exact time of death is not known yet, but there was grave concern, of course, yesterday, because of the extensive blood loss. That, at the very least, there could be brain damage and, at the very worst, there could be death. And, of course, the very worst did play out in the early morning hours. His family members were with him. They were here with him all night. We understand now the father, who is the police chief in the small town of Florida City, is now back at the south Miami home, Sean Taylor's south Miami home. Obviously, a great deal of mourning here</s>COLLINS: Yes. Lots of questions still remain, obviously. CNN's John Zarrella for us outside of the hospital where Sean Taylor actually died earlier this morning. John, thank you for that. Want to go ahead and move forward now. Sean Taylor, legal troubles off the field, scuffles within the lines. Those who know him say he seemed to soften, though, since his daughter was born. Richard Sharpstein was Sean Taylor's attorney and friend. He is joining us now from Miami this morning. Richard, good morning to you.</s>RICHARD SHARPSTEIN, SEAN TAYLOR'S FRIEND: Good morning, Heidi.</s>COLLINS: I know this is also a tough day for you personally. How did you learn about Sean's death?</s>SHARPSTEIN: His dad, Pete, who is longtime friend, police chief in Florida City, called me this morning at about 5:00 a.m. and told me that Sean was with God. He was devastated. It was horrible. I was there all day yesterday and into the night with the family. It's a devastating loss for the family, friends, his young girlfriend, soon to be wife, and 18-month-old daughter. And a devastating loss for the whole community that loved him.</s>COLLINS: Richard, do you know exactly -- or what do you know about what happened?</s>SHARPSTEIN: I spoke to Jackie (ph), his girlfriend, at length yesterday, and the police debriefed her. Apparently there was some noise out in the living room. Sean and she were sleeping in the bedroom with their 18-month-old daughter. They heard a noise, a thump. They went out. Sean locked the bedroom door. Before he could do anything, the door was kicked in. It's unknown how many assailants were there. Jackie (ph) hid under the covers. Two shots rang out. One hit him in the leg, piercing his thigh and his femoral artery. He bled out profusely. By the time Jackie (ph) waited for people to clear, she got down and he was breathing heavily and chest heaving, eyes back in his head. He was pretty much unconscious and nonresponsive from that point on, never really recovered.</s>COLLINS: It seems like, from the story that you tell, they knew immediately that they were in grave danger.</s>SHARPSTEIN: They knew immediately they were in grave danger. They heard noises. The door was burst open. Later, Jackie (ph) tried to call 911, and it's unclear whether the phone lines were cut or the phone was broken or off or unplugged or turned off. She had to use her cell phone to eventually call 911. By the time fire rescue got there, he was already bleeding. They called immediately to the Ryder Trauma Center here at Jackson, and they flew him to the trauma center, but he had already bled out profusely. That is what the doctors are saying caused his death.</s>COLLINS: Do you feel like someone intended to hurt him?</s>SHARPSTEIN: It's still unknown, but as his former lawyer and a friend for a long time, I'm suspicious, because there was a burglary at his house two weeks earlier.</s>COLLINS: Right.</s>SHARPSTEIN: Nothing was -- things were disturbed, nothing much was taken. But...</s>COLLINS: It seems like they may have been looking for something in particular.</s>SHARPSTEIN: Yes. It is high probability that it was the same people or some related people that returned. I don't think they expected to see them there. He's a football player. He was home really on an injury to see doctors. No one expected him there. I think he was surprised or they were surprised to find him there.</s>COLLINS: There has been trouble before, Richard. And I hate to ask you these questions on such a painful day for the family, obviously. But there had been a DUI in 2004. There had been a shooting in 2005, an aggravated assault in 2006. I know you represented Sean in some of those instances. What is the status of that 2005 case in particular where there was a shooting involved?</s>SHARPSTEIN: I represented Sean, and my wife Janice (ph) and I represented Sean in that case. The minute we took over the case, we turned the tide in that. He was originally the defendant. They said he had a gun. He didn't. The other people were the ones with weapons that did the shooting. Eventually, we got the state -- a new state attorney on the case. The one that originally had the case was pushing it for his own interests. Eventually, Sean pled to a misdemeanor with hold on adjudication, not convicted, case dismissed. He spoke to schools. He was incredible at 10 high schools and gave them a $1,000 donation each.</s>COLLINS: Was there probation? He served time in probation?</s>SHARPSTEIN: There was probation, but it was immediately terminated after he spoke to the schools. The prosecutor who took over the case, Abe Lazer (ph), was a tremendous assistance and saw the case for what it was.</s>COLLINS: OK.</s>SHARPSTEIN: That was not Sean guilty of anything. And it's a shame that that sticks with him. The DUI was dismissed in Virginia. The shooting was related to the other case, and it was not he that did the shooting, but other people. And whether that's related to this case has still yet to be seen.</s>COLLINS: All right. Understood. Well, we appreciate your answering the questions, obviously, there out there today, even though it is such a painful day for you and the family.</s>SHARPSTEIN: It is painful.</s>COLLINS: We appreciate it though very much.</s>SHARPSTEIN: And it should be known that Sean was a dedicated and incredible, humble student in this community. Everyone loved him and he was a fine young man. My wife and I have known him since he was 14. He'll be a loss to this community in more ways than one.</s>COLLINS: Richard Sharpstein, Sean Taylor's attorney and family friend, we appreciate your time. Thank you. Well, how does a leg wound turn fatal? Here to answer that question, CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Elizabeth, when we're talking about the femoral artery, in case people aren't familiar, this is a main artery in the body.</s>ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. It's a large artery in the body. It's about the size of your pinky, which doesn't sound so big, but that really actually is big for an artery.</s>COLLINS: Yes.</s>COHEN: And it goes from the abdomen, down into the thigh. You can see it there in red. And you know, usually you think if someone has gotten shot, that if there is ever a good place to be shot, that the leg is a good place, you're not shot in the heart or anything like that. But, in fact, in if it hits the femoral artery in just the right or the wrong way -- it was interesting, a vascular surgeon said if it hits -- if the bullet hits the femoral artery and completely severs it, that is actually good because it will just shut down.</s>COLLINS: Right.</s>COHEN: But what happens is that if it hits it and gets, say, like half of it, then it turns into a pipe with a hole in it. And the blood will just gush out like water would gush out of a pipe.</s>COLLINS: Yes. There's a very specific way that you have to be able to stop that bleeding. You can't just put pressure on it, if I remember correctly. I mean, you've got to find the exact hole, if you will, to be able to plug it, right?</s>COHEN: That is exactly right. You can't put indirect pressure. You can't just, like, take a towel or a piece of gauze and put pressure on the leg. That's not going to do it. The doctor I talked to said you actually have to take your fingers, go in and find exactly where it is, and block it. And, I mean...</s>COLLINS: It's very hard to do.</s>COHEN: Right, especially under those circumstances.</s>COLLINS: Absolutely. Are any of these types of injuries to the femoral artery survivable? I mean, I guess when you're talking about where it completely separates?</s>COHEN: Right. Where it completely separates, it sounds strange, but it's actually a good thing. So it depends how the artery is affected, and also it depends who is there, if they know that kind of specific first aid. And secondly, of course timing is important. And it sounded from the report that we had earlier that it took a while to call someone and get someone to come help, and that some time passed. And that blood is just gushing.</s>COLLINS: Yes. Once you get him to the hospital, will he be OK? But by the time he had gotten to the hospital, there was just too much blood loss.</s>COHEN: Right. But he did survive for -- I mean, the surgery itself was about seven hours, we're told. So, I mean, he did survive for a period of time. So the doctor I talked to said probably what either happened is he did just bleed out or he bled so much and he lost so much volume that he went into cardiac arrest, and that it was the cardiac arrest that did it, lost blood flow to the lungs and other organs.</s>COLLINS: Well, it's a very sad story, no question.</s>COHEN: Oh, it's just awful.</s>COLLINS: All right. Elizabeth Cohen, we appreciate it. Thank you.</s>COHEN: Thanks.</s>COLLINS: Here now, a closer look at Sean Taylor's football career. The south Florida native was a standout at the University of Miami and named an all-American in 2003. In the NFL draft the next year he was the fifth pick overall. Since then he was fined at least seven times for late hits and other penalties. He also faced legal troubles off the field as we talked about earlier, an assault case and a DUI charge that was later dismissed. Last year he played in his first pro bowl, and this season he had five interceptions, tied for the NFC lead. Well, back on the job. Vice President dick Cheney arriving at his office just after 7:00 this morning. That is after being diagnosed yesterday with an irregular heartbeat. Doctors used an electrical current to get the vice president's heart beating once again with a normal rhythm. The 66-year-old Cheney has a history of heart problems. He's had four heart attacks since 1979. A spokeswoman says Cheney has resumed his normal schedule. High hopes, plenty of criticism, and tough choices, too. Mideast leaders looking for peace today in Annapolis, Maryland. Why here and why now? CNN State Department Correspondent Zain Verjee has that.</s>ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPT. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The U.S. is serving up Mideast diplomacy after keeping a low profile for seven years.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I restate my personal commitment on behalf of the United States to all those in the Middle East who wish to live in freedom and peace. We stand with you at the Annapolis conference and beyond.</s>VERJEE: The goal, a push for a final peace deal ending in a Palestinian state by the end of next year. So what's the payoff for the U.S.? It wants to counter the growing threat of Iran, which backs militants in the region. And the U.S. needs Arabs on board.</s>AARON DAVID MILLER, WOODROW WILSON CENTER: I think there is a degree of urgency -- Hamas, Hezbollah, the Iranians. The region is not really in the hands right now of the peacemakers.</s>VERJEE: Also, the U.S. wants Arab leaders, especially Saudi Arabia, to help make peace in Iraq. A more stable Iraq means U.S. troops can get out faster. And a more stable region means gas prices won't hurt so much at the pump. All this means President Bush is going to have to get personally involved and stay committed.</s>MILLER: If the president isn't willing to be tough on both sides, then he might as well pack it up.</s>VERJEE: Students at Cairo University in Egypt are among some in the Arab world who don't see the U.S. as an honest broker and say it's on Israeli's side. Some on the Arab street add that this conference is simply to bolster the U.S. image and isn't about Arab rights.</s>COLLINS: And Zain Verjee is joining us now live from Annapolis. So what exactly is going to happen today, Zain?</s>VERJEE: Well, Heidi, behind me, across the water, President Bush has landed just moments away from a three-way meeting he is going to have with both the Israeli and the Palestinian leaders. He is going to come out after that and make a speech. That is really going to be one of the key things in this whole day -- what is he going to say? How substantive and how specific is this speech going to be? And how is it going to push the way forward for Israeli/Palestinian peace? The other thing, too, is that we're all looking out to see whether the Israelis and the Palestinians will agree on a joint statement. So far, there are many differences, and they haven't been able to -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Yes. Speaking of what's at stake, you know, when we talk about Secretary Rice, I would imagine this is a very big summit, if you will. I know they're not really wanting to use that word for this meeting, but this is a big meeting for her.</s>VERJEE: Yes, it is. I mean, her legacy and her reputation is really at stake here, Heidi. Secretary Rice has worked very hard to bring this moment to come to pass. She's been to the Middle East about eight times this year, shuttling back and forth to make this happen amid some enormous skepticism, particularly from the Arab world, that says, you know what? The U.S. just wants this to be a big photo-op. Secretary Rice convinced them and said, no, that's not it. We're serious about this, we're throwing our weight behind this. And you need to come because there needs to be a comprehensive peace agreement between Arabs and Israelis, and to support the Palestinian process. But she is aware that the clock is ticking, but she seems determined to deliver -- Heidi.</s>COLLINS: Well, it is definitely a beautiful scene for those pictures that we do know will take place, nonetheless. Zain Verjee, thanks so much, live from Annapolis today. We'll check back a little bit later on, Zain. Meanwhile, Mideast leaders meeting in a city now with a lot of history. Annapolis was founded almost 360 years ago on the banks of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay. The city figured prominently in the colonial era. In fact, it was briefly the nation's capital. Today, Annapolis is perhaps best known as the capita of Maryland and home of the U.S. Naval Academy. We're going to hear from the key players in the Mideast talks a little bit later this morning. President Bush, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, their remarks will be live in the NEWSROOM coming your way 11:00 Eastern. Still ahead, the body of a little girl washed ashore in Texas. How her family helped solve the "Baby Grace" mystery -- in the NEWSROOM.