Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Person of Interest in Brown University Shooting Released from Custody; 15 People Killed in Attack on Jewish Community in Australia; Rob Reiner & Wife Dead, Police Investigating Apparent Homicide. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired December 15, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:12]

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, we are following three major breaking news stories across the globe and here at home. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER NERONHA, RHODE ISLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL: That evidence now points in a different direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: A late-night twist. A person of interest in the Brown University shooting released.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We are stronger than the cowards who did this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: A terror attack on the first night of Hanukkah. I'll talk to one Jewish leader who has been warning Australia's government that an attack like this was inevitable.

And breaking in Hollywood. Actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife found dead. A homicide investigation is underway at their home.

It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. This is a live look at the memorial this morning in Bondi Beach, Sydney.

Good morning, everybody. It is Monday, December 15. I want to thank you for waking up with me. I'm Audie Cornish, and here's where we begin.

Breaking overnight, a manhunt is underway after a mass shooting at Brown University left two people dead. A person of interest in the case is now released from custody.

Police believe the person you see in this surveillance video is the suspect. A person dressed all in black, walking away from the scene of the shooting Saturday. Police still looking for that person after releasing a different person of interest late Sunday night.

The state attorney general says they have all the tools they need to solve the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NERONHA: There's a ton of things that happen next, and so I don't want to get into all those things. Because obviously, we have a murderer out there, frankly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Nine people are still recovering from injuries. And yet another community is left mourning a horrific school shooting. At least 75 such shootings have happened nationwide just this year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first couple gunshots went straight to the chalkboard, exactly where I was standing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It keeps happening, because lawmakers and legislators aren't acting.

JOSSELYN WOLF, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: This is an epidemic that's flooding our country. And to have it come so close to home, it's really, really hard to see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining me now to talk about this, Will Richmond. He's the managing editor at "The Providence Journal."

So, I want to just make sure people are clear on this. The person of interest that they were holding, they've been released. So, what is the state of this investigation now?

WILL RICHMOND, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL": The state -- the investigation appears to be pretty wide open. The state, local authorities are continuing to ask for people to provide tips, camera footage, anything they may have that could help with this investigation.

So, you know, I wouldn't say that -- they're saying they're starting at square one again, but they are looking for -- for any information they can get.

CORNISH: In the meantime, I understand the town is not in lockdown. The campus isn't in lockdown or anything like that.

RICHMOND: That is correct. They lifted the lockdown, both on campus and the surrounding area, yesterday morning when -- shortly after they had announced or at the same time that they announced a person had been detained.

And so, Brown campus is open again. And you know, while students are free to go, their finals have been canceled. It is open to staff and those who -- who need the facility, as well.

CORNISH: I want to talk about the mood on campus. We heard earlier from some students who talked about this in the context of other shootings around the country. What have your reporters been hearing?

RICHMOND: Yes, I mean, there is, you know, fear, concern, you know, for these students who knew of students who were in the building. There's just a lot of uncertainty about what happened, how it happened. And you know, obviously, what comes next at this point.

But the atmosphere on campus, you know, students are leaving. They're getting -- a lot of them are getting out. And those who can. You know, there's some who still need to make travel plans.

But also today, you know, campus, faculty, and staff can be returned into their buildings, their offices. So, there's -- you know, there's going to be some life on campus once again, as well.

CORNISH: I want to ask you about something the attorney general said in terms of what they do from here and why they let that person of interest go. Here's that announcement.

[06:05:05]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NERONHA: And what it means here is that, certainly, there was some degree of evidence that pointed to this individual, but that evidence needed to be corroborated and confirmed. And over the last 24 hours, leading into a just -- just very, very recently, that evidence now points in a different direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: It's still early days. I don't know if there's any criticism of how this is unfolding, but what are you going to be listening for next?

RICHMOND: Yes, certainly, there has been criticism in the sense -- sense of the lack of camera video footage that may have been acquired by investigators during this process. The attorney general last night assured that there is no video evidence that has not been released that would be -- that they believe would be helpful in this investigation.

What comes next? It's really, really difficult to say. I think yesterday, there was a sense of relief. There was a sense that the community could start healing. The vigil was held last night.

But, you know, when Providence and state authorities came out last night to announce that they were releasing the detained person, it felt like there was a new tension in all of this. And an uncertainty as to, you know, when will this person be found, if at all?

CORNISH: OK. Will Richmond, managing editor at "The Providence Journal," thank you for sharing your reporting. RICHMOND: Thanks for having me.

CORNISH: Now, we also continue to follow breaking news out of Sydney, Australia, where the death toll is now at 15 after two suspected attackers opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration.

Now, this happened at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday. Police say the suspects include a 50-year-old father, who was killed at the scene, and his 24-year-old son.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know what I saw. I saw him shoot the gun and it just -- all he'll broke loose. There's just people everywhere, kids everywhere, kids screaming, people screaming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Now, you're looking at some video that may be disturbing. I want to give you a minute. Witnesses actually captured the moments that a bystander helped stop the attack. He wrestles a gun away from one of the alleged shooters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BURKE, AUSTRALIAN MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: All Australians stand together against that attack. The police, who were there, standing together against the attackers. First responders, standing together against the attackers, and even a bystander like Ahmed al Ahmed, standing there, putting their own lives at risk against those attackers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: CNN's Angus Watson joins us live from Sydney this morning.

So, Angus, what more can you tell us, actually, about the victims? I want to start there.

ANGUS WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Audie, this tragedy that's befallen the Jewish community here in Bondi has taken the lives of 15 people.

The youngest person among those victims, just ten years old, a little girl called Matilda. The oldest person among that group, an 87-year- old Holocaust survivor called Alex, who moved from Ukraine to Australia after the Second World War to try -- try for a more peaceful life. And he died on Sunday in an antisemitic terrorist attack.

Two gunmen standing on a bridge, shooting down into a Hanukkah festival where children, families, the elderly were all there to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah.

It's the second night of Hanukkah tonight, and behind me is a vigil instead of a celebration, because the Jewish community here is in mourning, Audie. CORNISH: We've seen something here that we rarely see, which is

attackers being stopped by a bystander. Can you tell us more about what happened there and the latest into the investigation?

WATSON: This is absolutely extraordinary video that's come out of this attack, Audie. So, we see a bystander by the name of Ahmed al Ahmed. He approaches. He sneaks up towards the gunman, tackles him, takes his gun away, and then points it at him and defends his community.

Now he got shot, too, by the attackers in this horrific terrorist incident Sunday afternoon. And he was hospitalized.

But authorities have just released this picture of him sitting up in bed with the leader of the New South Wales Parliament state premier. Christopher Minns, there in hospital, praising him as a hero.

Ahmed al Ahmed, whose parents came to Australia from Syria as refugees. He's a father, as well, putting his life on the line to save people that he perhaps didn't even know that day yesterday. Willing to put his life on the line for that.

[06:10:11]

Now, of course, we know that there are two alleged gunmen in this incident -- incidents. One of them was killed at the scene. Another one is in hospital now. He'll be the focus of police investigations, of course.

And police have raided two homes connected to these two men, a father and son duo, a 50-year-old and a 24-year-old man. That 50-year-old dead, his 24-year-old son in hospital now. Two homes have been raided. The -- the place that they stayed just before they carried out the attack the night before and their family home -- Audie.

CORNISH: OK, that's CNN's Angus Watson. Thank you so much. We'll be following with you the rest of the day.

And coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, two U.S. soldiers killed in Syria. The U.S. is now vowing retaliation.

Plus, a congresswoman's son pulled over by ICE and forced to prove his citizenship.

And an emotional moment. After leading Indiana's perfect season, there is a new Heisman Trophy winner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FERNANDO MENDOZA, QUARTERBACK, INDIANA HOOSIERS: This moment, it's an honor. It's bigger than me. It's a product of a family, team, community, and a whole lot of people who believed in me long before anybody knew my name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:15:59]

CORNISH: It's 15 minutes past the hour. Here are five things to know to get your day going.

Democratic Congresswoman of Minnesota Ilhan Omar says ICE agents pulled over her son and asked him to prove his citizenship. Representative Omar told our affiliate in Minneapolis that he was eventually released.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): After he made a stop at Target, he did get pulled over by ICE agents. And once he was able to produce his passport I.D., they did let him go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Omar, who is Somali-American, calls to stop racial profiling at a time when the Trump administration is targeting Somali immigrants in Minnesota.

New polling out of NBC shows President Trump's approval rating continues to drop. It now stands at only 42 percent, dropping three points from April.

And there may be cracks forming with the president's MAGA base. While his approval rating is still high, it's dropping down eight points from April.

And the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asking for public comment on a proposed rule to change the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The deadline to comment is today.

Civil rights groups say the proposal could weaken protections against discrimination in lending. The changes would make it harder to challenge credit policies that disproportionately harm communities of color, unless you could prove intentional bias.

And a bad day for Chiefs kingdom. For the first time since 2014, the Chiefs are out of playoff contention after a 16-to-13 loss to the L.A. Chargers.

It gets worse. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL.

And Fernando Mendoza making history as the first player from Indiana University to bring home the Heisman Trophy. Mendoza led the Hoosiers to a perfect 13-zero season and a Big Ten championship, a first in school history.

A Cuban-American, Mendoza gave a special shout-out in Spanish to his family.

And after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, if it seems like lawmakers are leaving politics, it's because they are. What's behind the rush to the doors? Plus, remembering a Hollywood icon. Rob Reiner and his wife found dead

in their home. A homicide investigation is underway.

And want to say good morning to Buffalo. You've got more winter weather ahead. We're talking 2 to 4 inches of snow expected today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:22:43]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROB REINER, ACTOR/DIRECTOR: I mean, with or without protesters, this country would still have the same problems.

CARROLL O'CONNOR, ACTOR: What problems?

REINER: Well, it's the war, the racial problem, the economic problem, the pollution problem.

O'CONNOR: Oh, come on. If you want to nitpick.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Breaking overnight, Rob Reiner has died. He was best known for his breakout role as Archie Bunker's son-in-law. You can see there in "All in the Family."

Reiner's family confirmed to CNN that Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were both found dead. Detectives are investigating an apparent homicide at their home after finding two bodies there. The LAPD have not officially released the identities of the victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAN HAMILTON, DEPUTY CHIEF, LAPD: We have not identified a suspect at this time. We're going to try and speak to every family member that we can to get to the facts of this investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Reiner's career in Hollywood stretched decades. He was a prolific director, with titles including "This is Spinal Tap," "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally," and "A Few Good Men."

CNN entertainment reporter Lisa Respers France joins me now.

Lisa, it's fair to say this is an absolute shock nationally but as well as for the Hollywood community. Can you talk about what you've been hearing overnight?

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, what we've been hearing is people are devastated, as you said, shocked. Cannot believe it. The word that I think is most going to be used when it comes to Rob

Reiner is "range." He had such an incredible range. He worked with so many people. Christopher Guest and his wife Jamie Lee Curtis. Christopher Guest, of course, was in "This is Spinal Tap." They released a statement expressing their condolences and their shock.

People are just mourning him greatly, because he was so beloved, so well known. One of my friends said, he's got to be the most popular nepo baby ever.

Because he went above and beyond what people expected of him. He continued to act, by the way.

CORNISH: Yes.

FRANCE: You know, he was just in season four of "The Bear." He's in the sequel to "Spinal Tap," "Spinal Tap 2," which just came out.

And -- but he really, really loved making movies. And just looking at that list of films, just banger after banger after banger. Just people loved what he produced.

[06:25:00]

And they also are leaning into his love story with his wife, because they met on the set --

CORNISH: Yes.

FRANCE: -- of "When Harry Met Sally." And he said, Audie, that he changed the ending of the movie and made it more hopeful and romantic. Because initially, they were not supposed to be a couple. But after he met her, it sounded like it was love at first sight for him. And I mean, he was inspired to change the ending to that beloved movie.

And so, we know how -- how they were partners, not just in marriage, but also in business together. They worked very closely together.

And people just cannot believe. This is a tremendous, tremendous loss for Hollywood and for the world, Audie.

CORNISH: Yes, she had been a photographer. And when they did meet after that, they worked on many projects together later on.

He also had praised his wife in the past, even because of some of his politics. He was very well known in political circles, especially among Democrats.

I think the governor, Gavin Newsom, actually released a statement, saying, "Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights, taking on big tobacco to fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education."

Can you talk about her and their partnership in activism?

FRANCE: Yes, they both were very passionate about people and especially the disenfranchised. And we see with Nancy Pelosi coming out and calling them dear friends and talking about their passion for others. President Obama released a statement.

So, they were extremely well known in political circles, but also because they really stood up for others. They believed in helping people that they felt were not getting a fair shot, not getting a fair chance.

And they were both equally passionate, as I said, about doing that type of work and being outspoken about it. They -- neither one of them were shrinking violets when it came to their beliefs.

And so, they're being hailed not just for the work that they did, but also for the compassion that they led with in their lives.

CORNISH: You know, Lisa, these are people, as we said, they were still active, they were still working. They were still making projects.

What are people out there talking about, you know, not their legacy, but even their active work in Hollywood?

FRANCE: Yes, they're talking about what projects we will never get from them. You know what they were, you know -- there was a lot of conversation about the "Spaceballs" sequel and about Rob Reiner being involved in that.

And people just are now saying they had so much gas left in the tank. You know, they just were both so incredibly creative. And people are now saying there are movies that we will never get, that won't be produced, won't be directed by, you know, by the couple because they're no longer with us.

And so, there's just a great deal of sadness in Hollywood and among fans, but especially among people who knew them and loved them and worked with them.

And so, you know, their legacy stands. But it's a legacy that even though, you know, they had been in Hollywood for decades, still feels like it was cut short -- Audie.

CORNISH: We're going to be hearing more outpouring of grief today from Hollywood. Lisa Respers France, thank you so much.

FRANCE: Thank you.

CORNISH: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, we're continuing to follow breaking news here at home and across the globe. Police in Rhode Island starting from square one after releasing a person of interest overnight.

Plus, the rise in antisemitism. I'm going to be speaking to a Jewish leader who says she warned the Australian government something like this might happen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:30:00]