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Manhunt for Brown University Suspect; Two Students Killed in Brown University Shooting; Search for Suspect in Brown University Shooting; Two Arrested After Reports of Shooting on Bondi Beach. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired December 14, 2025 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta.

An urgent manhunt is underway in Providence, Rhode Island after a deadly shooting at Brown University. We are learning that all 11 victims are students. At least two people were killed and nine others injured. The university's president says one of those students has been treated and released from hospital. Authorities released this video you're seeing there, which they say shows the suspect walking down the street wearing dark clothing. His face is not visible. He's estimated to be in his 30s.

A professor told the New York Times the shooting started to unfold in a classroom during a review session for final exams. A lockdown order is still in place for the surrounding community. The university says police officers are going into some non-residential buildings to help escort people to safety.

CNN's Leigh Waldman has been reporting from the ground in Providence near Brown University's campus. She's got the latest for us on the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hours after this shooting took place, we've seen city buses filled with students, taking them off of this part of the campus, moving them over to a reunification center that was also established on the Brown University campus. We've seen other students walking with their backpacks. We stopped two of them, two PhD candidates, who said that they didn't want to talk on camera after all that they had gone through, but they told us that when the shooting happened, they were barricaded inside of their office and then moved by officials to a gym area where they were surrounded by other undergraduate students. We asked them, what is it like in there? And they said it's chaos with everything that all of these students have gone through.

But I do want to direct your attention to that building off in the distance with its lights on. That is Bars Hall. That is the area of this campus where authorities have indicated that this shooting took place. Two students killed, nine others hurt. And we've seen a short video that appears to show the person who they think is responsible for this shooting leaving onto Hope Street in the back there and turning right onto Waterman.

Now, the FBI has set up a tip line asking for anyone in this area to send in any information that they can so they can find who that person is. But I want you to take a listen to what the university officials have to say about what's going on here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK DOYLE, BROWN UNIVERSITY PROVOST: This is, as the mayor and the governor pointed out, an unthinkable, unthinkable act. Incomprehensible, right? None of us could prepare our kids for this, the parents.

We've been in touch with the parents. The president's not here right now because she was at the hospital attending to the students, and she's now at the Nelson Shelter in Place location. We've communicated and put the word out to the parents. The perimeter that was spoken about earlier as part of a safe approach to managing the campus and getting students back in their dorm rooms, we'll continue to support them. That's our top priority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALDMAN: Now, the area that we're in is one of 15 areas indicated by Brown University as an area where law enforcement is heavily searching for the person responsible. It's more than 400 members of law enforcement, state, local, FBI, Secret Service, all working together, all with one goal in mind, and that is finding the person who is responsible for what happened here.

Leigh Waldman, CNN, Providence, Rhode Island.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: Earlier, my colleague Paolo Sandoval spoke with CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller. He said the released video of the suspect may still help investigators, even though it doesn't show his face.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST AND FORMER NYPD DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF INTELLIGENCE AND COUNTERTERRORISM: A video that doesn't show much is better than no video at all. And what I mean by that, Polo, is it doesn't say anything to us. We can't look at it and say, I know that guy.

But it may say something to someone in the area who said, oh, I saw a guy dressed like that, black jacket, black pants, black hat, you know, mask, getting out of a car in the parking lot on the far side of the Burris Building or something like that. I mean, you never know what visual stimuli will cause someone to recognize something where they may have seen more or can direct them to another better angle from a different camera. So, it's worth putting out.

You'll also remember, whether it was the Charlie Kirk assassination or the Luigi Mangione shooting of Brian Thompson in New York City, they'll go with an image that they have. And then as they expand that video canvas outward, they may come up with better and better images and release them as they get them. So, this is the beginning, not the end.

[04:05:00]

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, just off of one of those points, when I was watching that video, I mean, if I lived on that street and I had a ring camera, I mean, you better believe that I would be poring over my footage to see if maybe there's a better shot.

MILLER: They'd been looking through that (INAUDIBLE) shot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct. And it is certainly not unusual, especially at this point of investigation for authorities to not release everything that they have. I mean, hours later, do you believe that perhaps they already have begun to collect some of that ballistic information, especially if some of the spent casings were recovered? And maybe they have a pretty good idea of what kind of weapon was used?

MILLER: So, they're going to know the caliber of the weapon just by the shell casings, unless there were no shell casings, at which point they'll know the caliber of the weapon by the bullets they recover at the scene and from victims at the hospital that it was a revolver.

But, you know, looking at that video, one of the things we see is we see a guy who is walking briskly, but not running. You see a guy who is dressed in such a way that he's not going to attract attention. You might not notice him at all. But you also see that his left hand is free, but his right hand seems to be, at least from behind, from the angle I saw, seems to be jammed in his pocket. So, you have to ask yourself, is his hand still holding that smoking gun in the pocket? Is he worried about being stopped or confronted by somebody? Is he willing to shoot more people at that moment to get away? It tells us we're looking at an individual who had a plan.

SANDOVAL: Yes, John, you and I have too much experience covering mass shootings, however, I can't recall a moment or an incident which was a shooting on campus which then led to a massive and prolonged manhunt. I mean, how unusual is that, you think?

MILLER: So, that's unusual. Look, you pointed it out. These have three common outcomes, all too common, but we'll acknowledge that. Number one, the shooter is confronted by police and neutralized or shot and wounded or killed. Number two, the shooter is cornered by police and takes his or her own life. Number three, the shooter surrenders or is subject to arrest right then, right there.

The shooter getting away into the ether and being the cause of a manhunt, highly unusual. So, they're going to be looking for -- while they are searching for this image, they're going to be looking for other things. Sure, they'll look at the shell casings, they'll run them through NIBIN, see if that gun has been involved in any other shootings they can link that brass to, but they're also going to be looking for who has been fired from a staff job at the university, who was suspended, who was accused of something. Is there someone who has been making persistent threats to a teacher, to a class, to a student?

They're going to be going back through everything that the Brown University police has, everything that the human resources people at Brown have, anything that's popped up on social media to see, while we're trying to figure out who this shadowy image is, is there someone out there who is presenting to us as a threat who we can start down the road of taking a look at this person and see if that person is someone with a motive and someone who should be looked at in this.

SANDOVAL: It was also quite notable what we heard from authorities just a few moments ago that that shelter in place order will remain in place. Obviously, they want to make sure that they have the ability to carry on with the investigation, that people do remain safe. But also, that's I mean, is that also unusual to you? We are it's already 12:18 in the morning there, and it's likely going to remain in place for the rest of the night. I mean, what can people expect in that community?

MILLER: I mean, your two questions are connected. One, the shelter in place is usually lifted because the gunman is in custody or down and they've eliminated that very common thing of whether there was a second gunman here. You've got an individual dressed in dark clothing who is still out there and presumably still armed and definitely dangerous and moving in the darkness, perhaps within a close proximity. I think the shelter in place, at least till daylight, is probably a logical conclusion for the college and the police based on the safety issue.

On the other hand, you know, when the light comes out tomorrow and crowds are going to be out there and life is resuming, as the mayor said, people have to go about their lives. Providence is not a place that hasn't had a shooting or two in its time. It's a city that struggled with crime. This is just a different kind of crime. And, you know, they're going to have to recover from it come tomorrow.

SANDOVAL: John, before we wrap things up, perhaps a final thought, at least for tonight, I mean, how confident are you that authorities will likely make an arrest perhaps in the next -- at least next 24 hours?

[04:10:00]

MILLER: I think that I can't say within the next 24 hours because they're off to a very challenging start. But I think as they expand that video canvas further, they're going to come up with a better image. I think as they go through those other investigative steps, they're going to come up with somebody who emerges as a suspect in the next 24 hours. Somebody who emerges on the radar screen or more than one, somebody that's going to be a good potential suspect.

This is not the kind of crime that goes unsolved, not on this level. Look at Luigi Mangione and Brian Thompson. Look at Charlie Kirk. Look at any number of these things that we've started in the same place with a lot of technology, a lot of talent out there, a lot of FBI resources flooding in there to plug any gaps in terms of material or resources the police don't have in terms of technology or other things. This will get solved.

SANDOVAL: Yes. CNN's John Miller, thanks, as always, for sticking with us for hours now in what was an extremely busy and absolutely tragic night there. We'll check back with you in the morning. Appreciate you, John.

MILLER: Thanks, Polo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: The FBI has launched a tip off site so members of the public can submit any photo and video evidence they may have of the shooter who is still at large. The website is tips.fbi.gov. The Providence Police Department has also launched a tip line. They are asking anyone with tips or information related to the shooting to please get in touch.

Earlier, CNN spoke with a Brown University student who had been in lockdown for hours. Ethan Schenker was studying for finals in the basement of the campus library when the shooting occurred. He describes how he found out about the shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ETHAN SCHENKER, BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENT: About 4:15, I got a text from a friend saying their mom saw something on Facebook, and I looked it up on Twitter. I saw and then kind of two minutes later, I got a text from Brown saying to go on lockdown and lock the doors, stay away from windows, all of those things. And I immediately just called my parents and my brother to make sure -- to let them know that I was OK and to make sure my friends are OK. And it just was a little bit -- it didn't kind of seem real. I think that's what a lot of people experienced. And that's what I did.

After about two hours on lockdown, I believe, we kind of heard loud thuds, you know, everyone was very on edge. It was kind of startling to all of us. And we kind of realized this was police banging on doors of every classroom. Whenever anyone went in a room or opened kind of doors, since we were kind of outside these doors as this was happening, you know, we were kind of discussing, you know, do you ask police for their like ID number? You know, how do you approach this? And we didn't really know.

There are some students here who, as sad as it is, they're international students. They didn't grow up doing drills and lockdown drills. And so, it's -- these are kind of discussions we were all having as we just sat and waited and hoped they'd find this person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: U.S. President Donald Trump is calling on people to pray for the victims of the shooting. He says he's been briefed on the situation, which he called terrible. CNN's Julia Benbrook has more for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting at Brown University. He says that he is keeping the victims, all of those involved, in his thoughts and prayers. I want to play you his full remarks as he returned here to the White House Saturday night. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I've been fully briefed on the Brown University situation. What a terrible thing it is. And all we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those that were very badly hurt, it looks like. And we'll inform you later as to what's happening. But it's a shame. It's a shame. Just pray. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Vice President J.D. Vance also reacted in a social media post. He said, quote, "Terrible news out of Rhode Island this evening. We're all monitoring the situation and the FBI stands ready to do anything to help. We're all thinking and praying for the victims tonight." As far as the federal response goes, FBI Director Kash Patel put out a statement saying that FBI personnel are on the scene and assisting this evening after the shooting at Brown University. And we will provide all capabilities necessary. Please pray for all those involved.

During a press conference Saturday evening, we did hear from the Rhode Island governor who said that he is in contact with various leaders, including those here at the White House.

Julia Benbrook, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Well, as we continue to follow the deadly shooting at Brown University, we're also keeping an eye on another reported shooting incident across the globe.

[04:15:00]

Australian police say two people are in custody after reports of gunfire at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The statement says the operation is still underway and officers are urging people to stay away from that area.

Earlier, the Sydney Morning Herald said that there were reports of multiple shots fired at the famed beach. We'll bring you more on this developing story as we get it.

OK. Up ahead, we'll hear from Rhode Island's governor in the aftermath of the Brown University shooting and hear what he thinks needs to be done to maintain safety on the campus.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys, come. Did you hear anything? Have seen anything?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: You are looking at footage of students at Brown University being evacuated from a building after Saturday's deadly shooting. The students told CNN they were studying for exams in a small room when they heard about the attack.

Officials say at least two students were killed and nine were wounded when the government opened fire on campus. It happened at an engineering and physics building where multiple exams were scheduled to take place. Police have released this video of the suspect, which shows him near the scene, but doesn't show his face. The shooter is still at large.

Earlier, I spoke with Brown University student Theodore Coburn about his experience as the campus continues to be locked down. I asked him how he was coping through this absolutely shocking event. Here's part of what he had to say.

[04:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THEODORE COBURN, BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENT: It's a sleepless night. I don't think I'll be -- I don't think anyone will be getting much sleep tonight. I'm currently in my dorm. We're all in shelter in place. Most of the residential halls are under that same shelter in place order. Some students who are in the academic buildings or administrative buildings at the time, after all those floors were cleared, were shuttled to the athletic center. But for the majority of students still in their dorms, we're still here. We're still in our dorms. We've got our doors locked.

HUNTE: Can you just walk us through what students were told when the lockdown first started and how information has been shared with you since then?

COBURN: I think it's very important to note that it was a solid eight or 10 minutes before we got an official alert from the university. But well before that, students were aware of the events taking place, especially through social media. I knew within about 30 seconds of the shooting that it had taken place when a student posted on Yik Yak, which is an anonymous forum at college campuses, that there were two students shot on Thayer Street outside of McMillan Hall. And from that point on, all students knew what was going on, or at least all who had seen that.

But yes, information has been really tough to pick apart. We've gotten around 10 or 11 official updates from the university through our emails, but a lot of them can be somewhat confusing. So, yes.

HUNTE: And speaking about some of that confusion, there are plans to evacuate students, right? What are you being told about the next steps there and how prepared do people feel?

COBURN: Yes. So, we've been told to prepare, you know, like a quick grab bag of, you know, a blanket, toothbrush, things like that in the event that our area is evacuated. However, it seems that the people that the president just sent out an email, it seems that the people who are in residential halls will be staying here for the night. And that the people who were in academic buildings and shuttled to the athletic facility will be staying there for the night. So, it appears that's our status for the moment.

HUNTE: Can you tell me a bit about what the atmosphere is like among the students right now? To have this happen in a place where you should feel safe, what's going on?

COBURN: Well, it's difficult to talk about atmosphere when most of us are in our individual rooms. But I will say that the atmosphere on social media that I've observed has been one of great unity. I think everyone is obviously very worried, still scared. The shooter is still at large.

But I think this could actually be an opportunity for the whole campus to come together. And I've already seen that whether it's getting phone calls from friends that I haven't heard from in a year, to reaching out to people, you know, who maybe I've lost contact with, it feels like a very tight-knit environment now. And I can only imagine that that's going to -- that atmosphere will continue throughout this next semester, throughout my time here at Brown.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HUNTE: As we continue to follow the deadly shooting at Brown University, we're also getting more information about another reported shooting incident across the globe.

Australian police say two people are in custody after reports of gunfire at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The statement says the operation is still underway, and officers are urging people to stay away from the area. Earlier, the Sydney Morning Herald said that there were reports of multiple shots fired at the famed beach. We're bringing you more on this developing story as we get it.

And for more, Angus Watson joins us now on the phone from Sydney. Angus, thank you so much for being with me. I'm going to get straight into it. What can you tell us so far about the situation at Bondi Beach? What have police said?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: Hi there. So, down here at Bondi Beach, there's a police line made up of dozens of police vehicles. At least 25 vehicles have been sent by the ambulance service here as well to respond to this shooting incident.

I can now tell you that police are working on reports that both suspects have been neutralized and that they are now working to clear the area. That means that they don't know what cars, for example, that these men drove to the scene in. They don't know whether there might be still some threats. So, this police operation is still very much ongoing.

[04:25:00]

Police are also responding to the possibility that there may be an explosive device in the area. They have an indication that there might be an IEV, an improvised explosive device, in the neighborhood. So, they're keeping the public well back. But there are hundreds of people here at the police line puzzled as to how something so horrific could happen in such a popular neighborhood on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon here.

We do know that there were multiple injuries. We've seen horrific footage appearing on social media of first responders and members of the public responding to people who appear to be critically injured on the ground. We're just waiting to hear more about those people and how this situation is unfolding.

HUNTE: We know this operation is still ongoing, but what can you us about the security that's there? People are surprised on social media that this has occurred on this day, in this way. How could it have happened like this?

WATSON: Well, the security situation is still very much in flux. This is an ongoing police investigation, and the police just don't know what other threats there might be here at Bondi Beach. They have the public well back from the scene of the incident. They have the public well back from the beach itself. But we just don't know.

The police just don't know what other dangers there are out there. They said they've neutralized the two gunmen, but we don't know what else could have been part of their plan, part of that incident today, and what dangers might still be there for the public. So, the police are absolutely cautious, and that famous Roe Campbell parade down the front of Bondi Beach is stacked with police cars, all their lights on. The public are shocked but unable to get any closer right now as the police try to make this place secure.

HUNTE: Even from the scrolling on social media that I've just been doing, there's quite a lot of misinformation that's already out there. How cautious should our viewers be about scrolling on social media and seeing somebody's videos before it's been confirmed by the police?

WATSON: Absolutely. The police have been very measured in their public statements. I don't believe they've said anything yet officially about the reports that they are responding to. So, viewers should certainly be very cautious about what they see on social media, and particularly in the sense that this is very violent and disturbing content that is spiraling around on social media, and people should be well aware. Stay off it and wait until the official information is out there.

HUNTE: The police are urging people to avoid the area and take shelter. What should anyone near Bondi right now be doing to stay safe?

WATSON: Well, I can tell you that the streets in leading -- in the lead up to the beach are very quiet. People are staying home. People are staying away from the area. But there are people still here nearby the police cordon who were in the vicinity when the incident happened. I think that those people are still rather shell-shocked. The police are trying to look after them and move them away to make sure that they're safe.

But right now, it seems that Sydney is a very quiet place, which is obviously extremely unusual on a sunny Sunday evening, afternoon, in the lead up to Christmas and other holidays.

HUNTE: Was there anything significant about this day and what was taking place on that beach?

WATSON: There have been reports about different festive events happening at the beach right now. The police are obviously urging there to not be any speculation as to what the motivation for the attackers could be right now. But there were festive events going on down at the beach. So, it's possible that one of those was targeted. But right now, to avoid any kind of misinformation or confusion, the police haven't said what they believe the motivation for the attack might have been.

HUNTE: We do actually have a statement from the Australian Prime Minister. I just want to read that to you and get your reaction. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has released this statement on social media. He said the scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing. Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts are with every person affected.

[04:30:00]

I have just spoken to the AFP Commissioner and the NSW Premier. We're working with NSW Police and will provide further updates as more information is confirmed. I urge people in the vicinity to follow information from the NSW Police.

What is your reaction to what the prime minister is saying now?

WATSON: My reaction is that the prime minister, like all Australians, would have been shocked that such a thing could have happened. And I know from the reports on Australia's public broadcast to the ABC that he is being briefed now by security officials in Canberra, the Australian capital. I'm sure we'll hear more from the prime minister and other politicians soon, but I can only imagine the level of shock that they would be in, like all Australians, responding to this horrific incident down at Bondi Beach, a place beloved by all here.

HUNTE: Can you just tell us a bit about what it would be like for someone who is actually stuck within that space? Because they're saying to avoid it at all costs. But if you are currently there, what can you do?

WATSON: I think all one can do is try to move away, try to honestly go home at this stage if they can. Police have moved the public behind their lines. So, there doesn't appear to be any of the public milling around in the zone that the police have cordoned off while they undergo their clearance operation, as I said earlier, looking for any other threats that might be there down here at Bondi Beach.

So, the police are urging people just to dissipate as they can. And obviously, the police cordon here is extremely strict and very well staffed by officers here responding to this horrific incident.

HUNTE: And do we know any more about when we're next expecting a police update at all?

WATSON: There will be a police press conference tonight, that's for sure. So, we will hear more. I'm sure that we will hear more from the prime minister. But at this stage, police certainly aren't ready to divulge too much information to the public. Just while this operation is ongoing, they don't have a lot of information to share right now.

HUNTE: OK. Well, thank you so much for now, Angus Watson. We'll keep updated with you. Appreciate it.

WATSON: Thanks.

HUNTE: We'll be right back.

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[04:35:00]

HUNTE: Welcome back to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta.

Officials in Providence, Rhode Island are still telling people to shelter in place after a deadly shooting at Brown University. It left two students dead and nine others injured as they prepared for their final exams. The suspect remains on the run. Authorities described the suspect as a male estimated to be in his 30s. He was seen wearing dark clothing. In this video, you're seeing that released by police.

More than 400 law enforcement officers responded to the scene. And police say the gunman opened fire inside a seven-story building that houses classrooms and lab space. Authorities say they will investigate why that building was targeted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF OSCAR L. PEREZ, PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT: That's something that we need to look at, right? What was this building? Why was this classroom? And as well work very close with Brown police to see what type of resources they have in the building so that we can utilize to find the evidence that we need to follow and identify who this individual was.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One quick follow up. When you look at that video, he's going right down (INAUDIBLE), comes up (INAUDIBLE), what does that tell you? He seems fairly calm. He's not running. He's walking at a brisk pace. Your background. What does that tell you about this?

PEREZ: I'll tell you, this individual, you see a nationwide, you never think it would happen here in the city of Providence, but that's the dynamic actions that they do. And it's exactly what you saw. And it's something that we have to investigate further to figure out who this individual was. But we'll take that into account.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTE: Well, we're also following another reported shooting incident across the globe. Australian police say two people are now in custody after reports of gunfire at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

The statement says the operation is still underway and officers are urging people to stay away from the area. Earlier, the Sydney Morning Herald said that there were reports of multiple shots fired at the famed beach. Well, let's keep talking about it.

For more, Angus Watson joins us on the phone from Sydney. Angus, thanks for being with me again. What can you tell us now about the situation at Bondi Beach? You're there, right?

WATSON: Ben, there's an ongoing police operation here at Bondi Beach where police say they're clearing the area after a horrific attack featuring at least two gunmen. Both of those gunmen have now been neutralized. Police are also responding to a report that there may be an explosive device in the area. There may be an IEB in the area. They cannot right now guarantee that the area is safe and what they're doing now is mounting a clearance operation to try to achieve that.

Right now, they don't know the motivation for the shooting. They aren't saying if they know how the gunmen got here or the full picture of what they did. We do know that there are multiple people injured and from videos on social media, it appears a horrific incident in which people are seriously, seriously injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance has dispatched at least 25 vehicles to the scene and here at the police barricade, there are dozens upon dozens of police vehicles creating a barrier around Bondi Beach where, as I said, officers just cannot say whether the area is safe right now or not.

HUNTE: We were just seeing some video and it did show people leaving the scene in quite an orderly way but earlier, apparently, it was very chaotic with people rushing to leave. What can you tell us about that?

WATSON: Absolutely, Ben. There was panic here, obviously, as the gunmen began firing. It appears that the gunmen fired from a bridge which is over a car park near the beach.

[04:40:00]

The bridge looks over a park as well, where we know that there were festive events happening, including a Hanukkah event down here at Bondi Beach. The Jewish Board of Deputies here in Australia says it's aware of the incident and is responding and trying to help the community as best as possible. But right now, we do not know what the motivation for the shooting was. We can say that that Hanukkah event was ongoing at the time.

HUNTE: What's the general mood like there right now? Are you seeing people responding in any way to this?

WATSON: It's absolutely a shock among the several members of the public that are here at the police lines. Most of the people here were in the vicinity when the attack happened. So, I think that those people are here just kind of trying to process that and try to find out a little bit more if they can. But while this police operation is ongoing and police cannot say whether the area is safe just yet, police are not giving a lot of information yet.

HUNTE: Even the fact that we're talking about this incident at the same time as talking about the incident here in the U.S., these are the holidays people want to be out and about doing things. How do you think that this could change what people do going forward?

WATSON: It will change everything, Ben. Here at Bondi Beach, this is summer. This is December in the lead up to the festive season down here in the southern hemisphere. The holidays have begun for many people. Schools, some schools are already out, some schools will be out. And the number one thing to do if you're in this area is go to Bondi Beach.

It's obviously extremely popular, world famous, and the focal point of so many communities here in Sydney, absolutely beloved by all. And it's certain that now it will have a dark cloud over it for a long time to come, and these nerves, this unsettling feeling in the community will almost certainly stick around.

HUNTE: We're seeing on social media that people are responding to this and saying that it may have been a result of a targeting of the Jewish community in Australia. Can you tell me a bit more about that, what people are saying?

WATSON: That's a feeling within the community now, absolutely. And we can say without a shadow of a doubt that anti-Semitic incidents have been on the rise over the past couple of years in Australia. The state government here, the federal government here in Australia, has warned about this, it's aware of this. The police have responded to several anti-Semitic incidents over the last few years. Hundreds of anti- Semitic incidents have been logged by rights groups.

So, there's certainly an automatic concern that that could be the case, especially with the Hanukkah event that was going on at the beach at the time. Police have not linked those two things yet, but it is a feeling in the community, Ben, that's for sure.

WATSON: OK. Angus, stick around for us. We're going to take a quick break, but we want to come right back to you to speak to you about this. Angus Watson, thank you so much for now. We will be right back.

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[04:45:00]

HUNTE: Welcome back. Let's go straight back to our breaking news from Bondi Beach. Angus Watson is joining us on the phone from Sydney. Thank you so much again, Angus, for being with me. Tell me, for tourists who are coming to Bondi Beach now, they're seeing this news, they're heading to Australia, they're getting ready for a trip of a lifetime. What can they do?

WATSON: At this stage, Ben, there's not much that they can do other than stay away from the area and watch the news and listen for more information from the police and officials. There certainly would have been thousands of tourists down here at Bondi Beach today enjoying the sun, enjoying their holidays. Today was an absolutely perfect day weather-wise until this shocking incident happened. For tourists here, it's certainly a case of wait and see, just like it is for the residents who are absolutely shocked at this horrific news.

I can say now, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the public broadcaster here at the ABC, multiple people have been killed, multiple victims here in this shooting, and at least 16 people have been taken to hospitals by the New South Wales Ambulance Service. That's according to Australian public broadcaster ABC.

HUNTE: Oh, my goodness. Well, thank you for that update. We are still waiting to hear from the police as well. Can you just tell us, how has Australia responded to incidents like this in the past? Because they are very rare there, right?

WATSON: They are very rare. There's very, very strict gun laws here in Australia, meaning that shooting incidents are rare. Organized crime incidents involving shootings have become more common here in Sydney over the past months and years. That's something that police have been responding to relatively regularly. But gun ownership is extraordinarily low among the public. It's illegal to own a firearm unless you have a good reason and a license to do so. So, these incidents are extremely rare indeed.

HUNTE: I just want to flag for our viewers as well that I know that people will be looking on social media and trying to piece this together and see what has come out that maybe news stations and others can't report yet because we haven't had it verified. But what can you tell us about some of the misinformation that people may see if they're going online right now? Because there is an awful lot just scrolling through my feeds now. It's quite crazy.

WATSON: I'd say, first things first, that a lot of the images that are on social media right now are extremely disturbing, and people should exercise extreme caution when looking at those images which show potentially the victims of this horrendous attack.

CNN has been able to verify and show some images of the attack, but obviously CNN has very rigorous processes for confirming the veracity of those images, and videos on social media obviously don't go through that same process. So, I'd urge people on social media to take care to not look at these pictures of violence and people in distress, because it can be extremely confronting, and we don't know right now what is absolutely verified and what is not.

[04:50:00]

HUNTE: I do just want to show our viewers our statement that we've received from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. In fact, he posted on social media. He said, these scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing. Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts with every person affected. I just have spoken to the AFP Commissioner and the NSW Premier. We are working with NSW Police and will provide further updates as more information is confirmed. I urge people in the vicinity to follow information from the NSW Police.

Angus, where were you when this was breaking?

WATSON: I was at home. I was putting my kids to bed. It was early in the evening. We just had our dinner. And we live some 10 minutes' drive away from Bondi Beach. So, this is a place that my family and I know extremely well. My parents were at Bondi Beach today, enjoying the sunshine. This is a place where I've grown up, where I've spent so many joyful moments. It's a place I recognize so well and know so many people. So, right now, I don't yet have any indication of who's been injured, but that is something that worries me greatly.

HUNTE: OK. Well, we'll leave it there for now. But thank you so much for your reporting. We really appreciate it. And please do try to stay safe where you are as well. Angus Watson, appreciate it. And for our viewers, we'll be right back.

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[04:55:00]

HUNTE: An update on the breaking news we've been following. A devastating incident in Australia just in the past hour. Australian police say two people are in custody after reports of gunfire at Sydney's Bondi Beach. The statement says the operation is still underway and officers are urging people to stay away from the area. Earlier, the Sydney Morning Herald said that there were reports of multiple shots fired at the famed beach.

More on the breaking news we're following from Providence, Rhode Island too, where at least two students have been killed after a shooting at Brown University. Nine other students were injured and the university's president says one of them has been treated and released from the hospital. A manhunt is still underway for the shooter who is believed to have fled on foot.

Police have released this video of the suspect which shows him near the scene but doesn't show his face. Officials say he opened fire inside a seven-story building that houses classrooms and lab space. Police believe he may be in his 30s.

OK. That's all I've got for you for now. Thanks for joining me and the team for a very busy few hours. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. Our breaking news coverage continues with Victor Blackwell after a quick break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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