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Police: 'New Lead' in Search for Brown University Shooter; LAPD: Nick Reiner 'Responsible' for Rob & Michele Deaths; South Carolina Quarantines Hundreds as Measles Cases Spike. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired December 16, 2025 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: An urgent manhunt and a new lead. Students say they don't feel safe at Brown University as the search for a shooter intensifies. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Scared is the only way to put it.
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CORNISH: Authorities share new video of the suspect as they ask the public for their help.
Rob Reiner's son arrested, accused of killing both of his parents. One of the last interactions they had in the days before their deaths.
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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: No bomb does what this is doing.
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CORNISH: A weapon of mass destruction? Is the Trump administration setting the stage for a literal war on drugs?
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DR. LINDA BELL, STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST, SOUTH CAROLINA: Unfortunately, we have students who need to be quarantined a second time due to new cases in their schools.
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CORNISH: And hundreds of students quarantined as a measles outbreak grows in South Carolina. Experts warn it could get worse.
It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. This is a live look at Sydney, Australia, and Bondy [SIC] -- Bondi Beach, where people are remembering the victims this morning of that shooting.
Good morning, everybody. It's Tuesday, December 16. I want to thank you for waking up with me. I'm Audie Cornish, and here is where we begin.
A new lead in Providence, Rhode Island. Police release new video of the person they believe is the shooter at Brown University. They're asking the public for help, looking for an individual that is, quote, "approximately 5'8" with a stocky build."
The state's attorney general says there's been steady progress in the search for the suspect.
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PETER NERONHA, RHODE ISLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL: Investigations like this, you know, when you don't have an image of the person, right after a shooting, it takes time to build the kind of evidence picture you need to identify somebody and get them into custody.
And that's what's happening now. But I'm confident we're going to get there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, this morning, authorities say they have no way of knowing if the shooter is still in the Providence area. CNN's Ivan Rodriguez brings us the latest from the scene.
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IVAN RODRIGUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At Brown University, after new photos and videos were released by police, they're hoping that the public will reach out with any new leads.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Authorities are ramping up the manhunt for the gunman who opened fire at Brown University on Saturday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're asking the public for assistance to be able to identify this individual.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Law enforcement releasing new video showing a person of interest walking through Providence in the hours before the shooting. A poster released by the FBI describing the suspect as approximately five foot eight, with a stocky build.
NERONHA: Hopefully, very quickly we can get this person identified, detained, questioned, if possible. But certainly, he is our primary person of interest right now.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): The shooting left two students dead: Ella Cook, a student from Alabama; and vice president of the Brown University College Republicans.
GAVIN THORNHILL, KNEW ELLA COOK: I'm just super proud of her and what she was able to accomplish in her short life. I absolutely hate that it was taken away from us so short.
And MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, described by Vice President J.D. Vance as a brilliant young man who dreamed of becoming a surgeon. Nine others were hurt.
Saturday's shooting on Brown's campus has students rattled.
REF BARI, BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENT: There is no question that this is, like, anxiety inducing, and this is, like, the scariest moment for not just me, but all of my friends.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): Hoping for a quick end to the manhunt.
BARI: I'm trying not to use the worst language possible that I can to describe this guy, but I hope that, you know, he -- he gets punished to the worst extent possible of the law when he's caught.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RODRIGUEZ: And although the quality of these images aren't the best, police are hoping people who know this person will recognize any specifics about him. Maybe even just the way that he walks.
Authorities are also working to reconstruct the person's movements before and after Saturday's shooting, to try and establish a pattern -- Audie.
CORNISH: OK. That's CNN's Ivan Rodriguez. I want to turn now to the shocking double murder case of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, which will soon be in the hands of L.A. County prosecutors.
The suspect, the couple's son. Los Angeles police say 32-year-old Nick Reiner is, quote, "responsible" for their deaths. Now it will be up to local district attorney's offices to charge him once they get the case today.
[06:05:03]
A source tells CNN the couple's daughter found their bodies at their home in Brentwood after the attack.
The suspect was also seen arguing with his father over the weekend at a holiday party her over the weekend at a holiday party hosted by Conan O'Brien.
Now, those who worked with the Reiners for more than 40 years are remembering their lives and the legacy they leave behind.
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HARRY SHEARER, ACTOR: He was, above all else, a great collaborator. Sometimes funny people don't necessarily appreciate being around other funny people.
KEVIN POLLAK, ACTOR: Being around him was larger than life and -- and jovial always. A great laugh. Loved to laugh. And the joy of making him laugh, unparalleled.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: Joining us now, Segun Oduolowu. He's a TV host and entertainment journalist. And Areva Martin, attorney and legal affairs commentator.
Areva, I want to just start with you. What are the prosecutors kind of picking up in terms of this investigation? What are you kind of reading and what's being said?
AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY AND LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR; Well, what we know, Audie, is that an arrest for a double murder, followed by a no- bail detention almost certainly means that the police have very substantial evidence beyond the family relationship, beyond what we're hearing about this argument that happened at a party the night before the murder.
Clearly, they have some direct evidence that links the son, Nick, to the murders of both his parents. Very tragic set of circumstances.
But when you think about a stabbing, the death of two people due to stabbing, you can imagine that there must have been, clearly, a lot of blood evidence, a lot of forensic evidence, and evidence that linked this double homicide to the son.
We've heard reports of the son having long-term problems with drug addiction and perhaps even mental health issues, none of which will be excuses or which will shield him from prosecution.
So, we're expecting the L.A. district attorney's office today, to move forward with these very serious murder charges.
CORNISH: Segun, we have, in this family, a very public telling of their story of Nick Reiner's substance abuse. Right? They literally made a movie about it.
So, as a result, people have been kind of poring through these old interviews, I guess trying to understand maybe the dynamic. What have you noticed about how people are talking about this?
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, TV HOST/ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST; Well, there's the timeline, right? And Areva touched on his checkered past, where there was drug abuse. There was mental illness. There was bouts of homelessness.
And the movie that you're talking about, that's almost like a documentary of a troubled -- troubled teen and his famous father, "Being Charlie." That was in the -- around 2014.
But on 2018, he was a regular on this podcast, "Dopey Podcast," which deals with addiction and recovery. And he tells some pretty harrowing stories of relapsing, enjoying --
CORNISH: We actually have some of that. Let me play some of it for you, Segun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NICK REINER, SUSPECT IN PARENTS' MURDERS: I got totally spun out on uppers. I think it was coke and something else. And I was up for days on end, and I started punching out different things in my guest house.
DAVE MANHEIM, HOST, "DOPEY PODCAST": But weren't you pissed? Like, weren't your folks, like, you've got to go and you were pissed that they were like, you've got to go?
N. REINER: Yes. They told me I had to go.
MANHEIM: And that's why you got upset.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So that's --
N. REINER: I don't remember the specifics of it.
MANHEIM: You do or you don't.
N. REINER: I don't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ODUOLOWU: So, what you hear in that is someone who -- "my guest house." Well, actually, it was his parents' guest house. And when they tried to evict him, violence ensued.
We know that what we're hearing is a precipitation of an argument that was at Conan O'Brien's house between his parents and Nick. And then this led to the stabbing and his subsequent arrest.
So, we see someone who maybe doesn't get their way or has had, you know, relapses with -- with drugs and then turns violent.
So, as this plays out, we're looking to see how quickly this can move through the courts. It's just sad.
CORNISH: Yes.
ODUOLOWU: Because Rob Reiner was an incredible figure, incredible movie maker that touched all of us. Right? "A Few Good Men," "Stand by Me," "When Harry Met Sally."
You think of his complete body of work, and there's a -- there's not a movie in there -- "The Princess Bride" -- that people can't quote from and aren't, you know, a part of their -- of their growing up.
CORNISH: Areva, I want to give the last word to you, because there's going to be a lot of amateur sleuthing online as people try and understand his motivations. Will prosecutors also use this information? Past quotes, past commentary?
MARTIN: Oh, absolutely. We should expect the prosecuting attorney's office to use all of the evidence, the public evidence that exists.
[06:10:01] Statements that he's made in the past. They're going to be talking to friends. They're going to be talking to individuals that were, perhaps, involved with him when he was in these drug-induced states. Any individuals that were at that party.
We don't know a motive as of yet, but clearly, there appears to be some link between what happened at that party and then the subsequent stabbing of his parents.
We may not know that motive for a while. The police and the prosecuting attorneys may choose not to disclose it right away.
But eventually, through preliminary hearings, through the presentation of evidence at the various hearings and court appearances that will happen as a result of the charges, we will learn a lot more about the family dynamics between Nick and his parents and what led to this very, very tragic murder of these great, you know, producers, actors, and talent, Hollywood talent.
CORNISH: OK. Areva and Segun, thank you so much for talking with us.
ODUOLOWU: Thank you, Audie.
MARTIN: Thanks, Audie.
CORNISH: Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, summoned to the Hill. Today, Secretary Hegseth will give another classified briefing as the U.S. military launches another strike on drug boats.
Plus, delayed and incomplete due to the shutdown. What this week's jobs data could reveal about the economy.
And a rare rebuke. President Trump's party calling him out for his response to Rob Reiner's death.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was classless. I mean, the poor -- Here's a mom and dad stabbed to death by their -- likely their son, we think. It's not something to joke about.
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CORNISH: It's 15 minutes past the hour, and here's your morning roundup.
The FDA sends warning letters to retailers who are still selling recalled baby formula. Target, Walmart, Kroger are some of the stores who have not pulled By Heart formula off the shelves, the product linked to an infant botulism outbreak.
The FDA says it has repeatedly reached out to them about the recall, but those retailers have not responded.
And the November jobs report, set to be released today. It's coming in nearly two weeks late, delayed because of the lingering effects of the October government shutdown. And because of that, it's going to be a big report, also including about half of the October's data.
And it's expected to show 40,000 jobs added and unemployment rate holding steady at around 4.4 percent.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm here with one of our newest patients, Triton. These turtles were transferred from the New England Aquarium.
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CORNISH: Two dozen sea turtles rescued from the frigid waters of Cape Cod. The endangered animals were cold-stunned, and left with frostbite, pneumonia, and abrasions.
The turtles are now recovering in Florida, where they are expected to stay until the spring. They will then be released back into the Atlantic.
And after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, the measles outbreak getting worse by the day. And with the holidays approaching, experts warn cases could spike.
In the meantime, good morning to Phoenix. May be cold for the rest of the country, but hey, in Phoenix they broke a heat record over the past couple days.
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CORNISH: Hundreds of people in South Carolina under quarantine after possible exposure to measles.
Most of the cases are reported to be in Greenville. Officials say some of the outbreaks are linked to a church and a school.
Experts are reminding people there's only one way to fully protect yourself against the measles.
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BELL: Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people's education, to employment and other factors in people's lives in our communities.
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CORNISH: So, across the country, there have been more than 1,900 cases of measles this year alone. That's according to the CDC.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. continues to question the safety of the measles vaccine.
Joining me now is Dr. Carlos del Rio. He's the medicine department chair at Emory University School of Medicine.
Good morning. Thanks for being with us.
CARLOS DEL RIO, MEDICINE DEPARTMENT CHAIR, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Happy to be with you, Audie.
CORNISH: Can you talk about the scale of this outbreak? I understand this is the second surge in the U.S. this year, but what's going on in South Carolina?
DEL RIO: Well, we're having outbreaks throughout the United States. You know, the outbreaks initially started in Texas, in West Texas, but it has now spread to many other states.
And what's happening in South Carolina right now is exactly what you see when the rates of vaccination in the community go below a certain level.
Measles is highly transmissible. Therefore, you need a very high level of what we call community immunity, community protection. And if less than 95 percent of your kids are -- are immunized -- South Carolina has had 92 percent -- you have enough people out there susceptible that the virus is going to spread.
CORNISH: And that -- yes.
DEL RIO: One person with measles transmitted -- transmits the infection to about 9 to 16 other people.
CORNISH: And at this point, just based on what you're saying, some people are now in quarantine for a second time. So, this is starting to affect, right, day-to-day life.
Can you address how RFK Jr. has been talking about the measles vaccine? Because some of the things he says, right, are kind of commonly espoused in certain circles of the internet. What are the doubts people have about the measles vaccine that the health community is trying to overcome.
DEL RIO: Well, first of all, I would say that, as an infectious disease physician, as somebody who has studied vaccines for a long time, I can tell you that vaccines are a blessing.
And the measles vaccine, the MMR vaccine, is a quietly effective and useful vaccine and very safe vaccine. If I didn't believe that, I would have not have immunized my children, I would have not have told my children to vaccinate my grandkids, if I thought it wasn't safe. So, let's start my own personal experience is that this is an incredibly effective and safe vaccine.
You don't want to get a disease like measles. Measles, you want to prevent it.
[06:25:05]
There's a lot of concerns out there. People have had concerns. One of the biggest concerns people have brought up is the issue that measles vaccine can cause autism.
That is wrong. That's not true.
The second thing is that measles vaccine is not safe, that it can, you know, cause more deaths than measles itself. That, too, is false. That's not the right scientific data.
So, there's a lot of misinformation out there. The information I would give people is that measles vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine. And the fact that you don't use a vaccine is exactly why we're having an outbreak right now.
CORNISH: Before I let you go, do you have any concerns about holiday travel?
DEL RIO: Again, if you -- your kids have been vaccinated, if you're an adult who has vaccinated during childhood or you, you know, maybe you had measles as a child, you don't have any concerns.
But if you, you know, have your kids have not been vaccinated, I would have concerns. I'll give you an example.
The measles vaccine tends to be given the first dose between 12 and 15 months. If you have a baby less than 12 months, maybe eight months, seven months, you know, and you decide not to give a dose of measles vaccine early, you want to wait. I would be concerned about that baby. And if a baby gets measles, it could be a very severe disease. So, yes, that would be my concern.
You know, people are crowded at airports and family gatherings, going to church. So, yes, there is concerns and something that I would just say: be vaccinated, be protected, be safe.
CORNISH: Before I let you go, so many people have not seen the measles in so long. Are there symptoms they should look out for?
DEL RIO: Well, measles in kids starts like a cold, right? You get runny nose, you get runny eyes, you get cough, it looks like a cold, but then you start getting the rash, which is very characteristic of measles.
But the problem is that that kid with measles is infectious four days before the rash starts and four days after the rash starts. So, the kid can be going to school totally normal and start, you know, already spreading the disease without knowing it, because the kid is feeling fine. So, just because a kid is fine doesn't mean they're not transmitting the virus.
But then they start having the disease. And as I said, it looks like a cold. So, you may think, oh, my son or my daughter have a cold, but in fact it's not a cold. It's the measles.
CORNISH: All right, Dr. Carlos del Rio, thank you for your time. Really appreciate it.
DEL RIO: Happy to be with you.
CORNISH: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, new details coming in overnight about the Bondi Beach shooting. What investigators say the shooters were motivated by.
Plus is the war on drugs about to become an actual war? The president using his strongest language yet about the fentanyl crisis. Group chat has some thoughts on that. They're going to be here next.
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