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Reiner Family Announces Deaths of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer; Police to Release Man Detained in Brown University Shooting; At Least 15 Killed in Attack on Australia's Jewish Community; Jimmy Lai Found Guilty of National Security Offenses. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired December 15, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALAN HAMILTON, LAPD DEPUTY CHIEF: Soon, and then that will be part of the investigation.
[00:00:02]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cause of death?
HAMILTON: The part that is publicly releasable, we will release. The cause of death will be released by the L.A. County coroner.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you looking into them being stabbed?
HAMILTON: We're looking into getting the information from the L.A. County coroner when it's available.
Somebody over here had a question. Yes, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were in the home? They were found?
HAMILTON: We didn't say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were any weapons found at the scene?
HAMILTON: We didn't say anything about weapons either.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HAMILTON: OK. Thanks, everybody. We'll -- we'll release --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're calling this a double homicide, correct?
HAMILTON: So, we're calling it a death investigation at this point. So, just to be --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is the homicide unit involved, sir? Are you able to explain that?
HAMILTON: Well, it's a homicide. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what's the robbery aspect to it?
HAMILTON: Oh, so I'm sorry. I didn't -- I didn't mean to be flippant. Let me be specific.
There was recently a change within the department. Robbery-Homicide Division handles all homicides now in the city of Los Angeles. So, I apologize. I didn't know if you knew that or not.
All homicides occurring in the city of Los Angeles are now handled by Robbery-Homicide Division, as of the end of October. So, we handle them all. OK?
All right. Thanks, everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.
HAMILTON: The next update will be after tomorrow morning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you have a Spanish --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to be here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do not have a Spanish interpreter out here tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is he going to be here tomorrow morning? Is there going to be a presser?
HAMILTON: Our media relations will inform you where it's going to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. If not, we'll give you out a state -- we'll put a statement out once it comes from Robbery-Homicide Division.
HAMILTON: Thanks, everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, everybody. Have a safe night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike, are you guys done for the night?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're done for the night.
HAMILTON: Thank you. Yes, we have -- we're done for the night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have to be done for the night?
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: So, we've just been listening -- we have just been listening to an update from the LAPD's deputy chief there, Alan Hamilton, about the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
And it's important to note that the LAPD is not confirming their deaths, but their family, in a statement has; has confirmed that Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were -- are, in fact -- are now dead.
Here's what we do know from the LAPD. They were asked specifically who made the call. Was it a family member? All that they would say was there was a person at the location; that this is being investigated as a death. This is a death investigation; that any further information in terms of cause of death would come from the coroner's office in Los Angeles. They have not yet been there.
They were asked if anyone had been detained. The LAPD saying no one has been detained. No one is being interviewed at this time as a suspect.
They would not offer any information on injuries, nor on whether any weapons were found. And also important to note, they say that the scene is exactly as they found it when officers first arrived, that they are waiting on a search warrant, which, once it is executed, they can then do an full investigation and process the scene, both interior, exterior and within the neighborhood.
They were also asked a number of times whether people in the neighborhood should feel safe. Here's what I can tell you. The deputy chief said there that "We are not looking for anyone in the area," said they have been speaking to neighbors. They have been canvassing, speaking to residents. They haven't heard any reports from neighbors about hearing anything.
But again, they were pointing out no one has been detained and saying they are not specifically seeking a suspect until they have a reason to do so.
I'm Erica Hill. Thanks so much for joining us for our breaking news coverage. It continues right now. I want to hand things over to my colleague, Polo Sandoval, who picks things up from here -- Polo.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Erica, some devastating news is being shared there by the family of Rob Reiner and his wife, as well. Thank you so much for your coverage.
As we continue our breaking news coverage here on CNN of the developing situation out West, we do want to go live now to Julia Vargas Jones, who has been covering the story here recently to get the very latest.
Julia, you were listening just now to investigators. They're making it very clear here they are not, at this point in time, confirming the identities of those two people who were found inside that home. However, the family of Rob Reiner is. What are they saying?
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is an important distinction to make there, Polo. They are saying that they found two people dead, that this is a -- a death investigation. That the -- the deputy chief there made all of that clear.
But all of this just speaks to how early we are in this investigation at this point. Not that long ago, the public information officer said they hadn't yet processed the scene. And that tracks with what we heard from the deputy chief there, that the house was in the same state as it was when they arrived here almost six hours ago.
So, it sounds like they are waiting on that warrant to be able to process that scene. He's also saying that that person that was at the location who made
the call is the person that made the call. So, the person who made the initial call for authorities to come here was at this location. But there's no further details on who that is.
No one is being questioned. No one is being detained at this time. Again, just goes to show how early we are in the process of this investigation.
Now, what we do know from CNN's reporting is that the LAPD had been investigating what it was called an apparent homicide, when they discovered those two people dead here about six hours ago.
[00:05:06]
And then from sources, CNN's -- does have the -- the knowledge that it was a family member of Reiners who went to the house and found those two people dead.
So, we can start putting these pieces together here as we wait for more information from those authorities, as -- as we're learning now, will come in the early hours of tomorrow morning from here in Los Angeles.
I do want to just give you a sense, Polo, of what it's been like here in Brentwood. It is a -- very much a residential neighborhood, a city in its own. And we have seen a lot of activity here from police, police trucks going in and out of -- this is the cordoned-off area. Up this way is the house in question, Rob Reiner's house.
We have seen, also, neighbors coming here or people who live in the area walking, getting their cars out. We know how these things go. It becomes full of -- of media and investigators. There is a lot of police presence here, and we have seen some people walking out and grieving, crying.
Now we can't -- I can't tell you any more details on that, but it just goes to show how much of a beloved figure Rob Reiner was.
We also have a statement that came out from the family. They said that, "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by the sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time."
Again, Polo just goes to show how beloved Rob Reiner was. Mayor of Los Angeles -- which was brought up in the presser. A question to the deputy chief there was, why aren't you identifying the two people who were -- who are dead if the mayor is. But the mayor said, actually was a statement on the passing of Rob and Michele Reiner.
She said, "Personally, I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of Rob and his wife, Michele. I knew Rob and have tremendous respect for him. Among his numerous contributions, Rob helped create the first five California landmark initiative, funded by a tobacco tax, to support early childhood development programs." It goes to -- to speak to his political engagement, as well: "He and Michele fought for early childhood development and marriage equality, working to overturn Proposition 8. They were true champions of LGBTQ+ rights."
And she went on to thank all the first responders who were called to this tragic event and reinforced again that this is an ongoing investigation here in Los Angeles -- Polo.
SANDOVAL: An absolute flurry of questions still that remain there where you are right now, Julia. But thank you so much for -- for giving us the lay of the land and, of course, the latest on the investigation there.
Certainly, an iconic figure, as you point out; an actor, director, and also a civil activist, as well. Julia, we'll check back on you.
For now, let's go ahead and go to CNN's John Miller right now, who's also been following the story very closely since it first broke.
John, it's great to have you and your expertise. You just listened to the LAPD deputy chief right now. I'm wondering if you could just help us break down some of what you just heard and also what stands out, including how they said that, at this point in time, they are not looking into the possibility of any suspects. But as we've learned in the past, that could change at any time.
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, that's right. So, a lot was said; a lot wasn't said. And there's a lot between the lines. Let's -- let's try and get through it.
No. 1, they said, you know, the scene is just as it was when it was found. So, we know at 3:40, police were called. An ambulance responded. At that point, the -- the qualified medical personnel from the fire department would pronounce them dead at the scene. That's why everything is as it was. There's no reason to remove those bodies if they're pronounced dead at the scene. It also preserves the integrity of your crime scene, sad as that sounds.
The search warrant. He said we haven't gone through the scene, because wer'e awaiting a search warrant. That's going to strike a lot of people as odd; that you have a -- you know, what is potentially a double murder scene where you're waiting for a search warrant to process it.
In California, that is a practice, which is there is no exception for crime scenes for the Fourth Amendment guarantee against unreasonable search and seizure.
So, when you have a residence where someone other than the decedents may have access to the house or standing in the house, the idea is get that search warrant.
Alan Hamilton, the chief of detectives, said that's happening in real time. That means they're telephonically getting court authorization from a judge from L.A. County to go in there and conduct a full search of that crime scene.
That way, if they do find evidence that ties to an individual suspect or person, even if that person is someone who had access to the house, there isn't the issue of whether it was an unauthorized search. So, that's a step.
[00:10:12]
He also talked a lot about the coroner. The coroner will -- will tell us whether this is a homicide, the cause and manner of death, the identity of the victims.
In the county of Los Angeles and the state of California, the coroner has very distinct responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is to establish the identity of the victim, of the decedent. That is within the coroner's bailiwick in terms of responsibilities under the law. So, the coroner will be the one who will release those names.
Now, we already know from the family who those names are. That's been acknowledged by the mayor. But the police are going by the book here, which is, we'll get those names from the coroner, because that's the way it goes.
About are we searching for a suspect? Are we questioning family members? They said we're going to question a lot of family members. And we're not searching for a suspect, because we don't have the evidence at this stage of the investigation to point to an individual suspect.
So, a lot there.
Pete Demetriou, the legendary L.A. radio reporter, asked that -- that -- one of the first questions: who found the body? Chief Hamilton wouldn't get into that.
But we've been told by people who are briefed on the case that it was a member of the family who went there and was the person who called for the ambulance and police.
SANDOVAL: And, John, based on your investigative experience, is it telling that investigators are proactively holding back, as you just pointed out, as we just heard, holding back on moving further into the home until they have that court authorization? Or is that pretty much standard procedure with these death investigations?
So, do they, just based on what you heard, is it possible that they suspect that there could be something there to investigate?
MILLER: Well, sure. And, you know, this has two stages. One is the stage that's covered by exigent circumstances, Polo, which is ambulances are called to the scene. It's an emergency. Two people are down. That -- you know, the -- the police, the fire department responds.
But at the point that they determine, OK, these two people have passed away, A, and B, this is under suspicious circumstances, at that point, the exigent circumstance kind of fades away. They're not in hot pursuit of a suspect. They have an investigation to start, and that's why they're applying for that search warrant.
And that's why Chief Hamilton explained a couple of important things. No. 1, all homicides are investigated by the Robbery-Homicide Division. In the past, it was the local division detectives would start it. Robbery-Homicide might take it over later, if it was a major case. But he said that's now the norm. Robbery-Homicide starts out.
So, they're there. He described it as a homicide investigation. He also called it a death investigation, because it's the coroner who's going to determine whether or not it was a homicide.
But there's obviously the indicators that made them call RHD. That's the -- the first part.
And -- and the second part is, you know, the coroner will determine the cause and manner of death, and officially declare it homicide if that's the finding, which seems pretty likely.
SANDOVAL: We will watch and wait for investigators to secure that warrant to go in to, hopefully, learn more about these --- these deaths, again, confirmed by the family as Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
MILLER: One more thing, Polo. It's important.
SANDOVAL: Yes, please. Of course.
MILLER: I mean, remember where we are. And, you know, Julia, who's on the scene, knows this.
We're in Brentwood. This is one of the most upscale neighborhoods, on the level with Beverly Hills in West L.A. These are -- this street is one block away from Rockingham, the street we know from all of the testimony of the O.J. Simpson case.
These are wealthy people. Many of them are famous people. This is considered, literally, one of the safest neighborhoods in the entire city of Los Angeles, with police patrols, private patrols, cameras, alarms.
So, people there are going to be listening very closely to determine, is there a threat to that neighborhood? I think Chief Hamilton went to some degree to say -- to indicate that they don't see that at this stage.
SANDOVAL: Yes, without doubt, this will certainly send -- is sending shock waves beyond just Brentwood and the entire entertainment industry.
As we said, we'll wait to see how soon these investigators can get in there and start to, hopefully, answer some of these questions, and we learn more.
John Miller, as always, really appreciate your analysis and all your reporting.
MILLER: Thanks.
SANDOVAL: We're going to continue to follow the situation out there after, again, the families of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, have confirmed their deaths, as the LAPD really holding back on confirming the identities of those two people who were found in that home on Sunday afternoon.
We're going to continue to follow that investigation and bring you any developments as soon as they become available.
And there's another significant story that we continue to follow, and that's certainly the aftermath of the shooting at Brown University this weekend.
We now know that the person of interest who was detained in connection with that incident will be released. And that's according to the Providence, Rhode Island, mayor Brett Smiley, who spoke just a few moments ago.
In that press conference, city law enforcement officials said that the evidence was leading them in a different direction, as they put it, and that they are still investigating and will continue to follow leads as they come in.
Authorities are now calling upon the community to call in any possible tips or sightings that may have been captured on video in the surrounding neighborhoods.
And this comes after authorities on Sunday released a short clip of an individual. And as we heard from investigators a few moments ago, they believe that the person in that clip that captures the individual walking away from the scene is their suspect.
Let's dive deeper into that. And our reporter, CNN's Lynn [SIC] Waldman, our correspondent in Providence, Rhode Island, who's been following this investigation since he arrived just after the shooting.
What else did you hear from investigators? And I mean, essentially, do you get a sense from what -- based on what you heard, Leigh, that investigators are back to square one in their search for another person of interest or maybe even a suspect?
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Polo, I don't want to say they're back to square one. When we heard from the attorney general when he spoke, he said, Look, I've been doing this for decades now. This happens. You follow a lead; you follow the evidence. Sometimes that doesn't pan out. Then you reverse course and follow other leads, other pieces of evidence.
He assured the community here, We don't have this person yet, but we will solve this case. We will find the person who is responsible for this shooting that took the lives of two students, hurt nine others.
The mayor tonight was also speaking directly to his community. You know, we saw that lockdown lifted this morning. We spoke to students who were released from their dorm rooms.
Twenty-four hours ago, you and I, Polo, were talking about a manhunt underway. We know there's still a manhunt underway, but the mayor is telling people that they're safe. He understands people are going to go to bed tonight with a little more anxiety than they would have earlier in the day, when we had a person of interest who had been detained in connection with the shooting.
He let people know, when you wake up tomorrow, you look around your neighborhood. If you live near Brown University, you're going to see more law enforcement presence as they're continuing on with this investigation here.
But he said that people shouldn't feel unsafe, that -- something that did strike us, though, in this press conference was when we asked the mayor, how do we know if this person is still here or if they're out of this community? And he said, at this point, we have no way of knowing.
They're examining all of the video that they have from Brown University, but they're also putting out that ask to members of the community: anyone who has a doorbell camera, surveillance camera, businesses who have cameras in place. Look over that footage, turn in that footage to the FBI tip line. Share that footage with law enforcement so they can find the person responsible.
The attorney general speaking frankly here, when pressed by reporters asking, you know, do we have anything that might show this guy's face?
And he said, Look, if we had a video that showed his face, we would bring it to you. So, it's clear at this point, they don't have a clear image of who this is. We just have that ten-second clip. That's all that they can release to the public right now, giving us our best vantage point of the person who was responsible for this shooting.
We know from hearing from the police chief that they followed the evidence that they had against that person of interest that they detained. They didn't have enough to charge him, is what they had said. So, that's why this person is going to be released.
We -- we know that they're going to continue working throughout the night, continue into tomorrow, trying to stir up other leads, trying to dig into other pieces of evidence that they've uncovered.
The A.G. mentioning that they have uncovered evidence at that scene. Not going into specifics here, but saying they have evidence. They're going to follow all of those different leads. And they are going to bring this person to justice, because they know this community, the Brown University community, the students, staff who were traumatized by this, they desperately want those answers -- Polo.
SANDOVAL: Yes. Not knowing if that suspect is even in the region, that has to be frustrating for investigators and for residents who heard authorities say that.
As you point out, that has to be concerning as they get ready to -- as they go to bed tonight.
Finally, before we let you go, Leigh, I'm wondering in your time there, have you received an update, perhaps, on the -- on the injuries, on the people who were in the hospital when you and I spoke?
[00:20:03]
WALDMAN: Not a lot to update there. We know that most of those people who suffered those gunshot wounds, they're in stable condition, some in stable but critical condition.
We -- we spoke to a young woman who's a student at Brown today, and her words really struck our team. She was -- she's a student here at Brown. She was under a lockdown.
But six years ago, she was in high school, and she was shot in the stomach when an active shooter was at her high school. She lost her best friend in that shooting. She says she hopes people in the Brown community can -- can lean on her.
But she says there's no handbook for this. Gun violence does not care if you've already been the victim of gun violence. It's not discriminatory. So, she says there's no handbook; there's no straight line on a path to healing.
But she says this has set her back. But she's hoping to support others in this community as they work down their own path of healing.
There was a vigil tonight. Hundreds of people in this community showing up. Mia Tretta, she also showed up. She missed her own vigil, because she was dealing with a gunshot wound, but she wanted to make sure that she showed up for this community.
SANDOVAL: That is absolutely, incredibly sobering. Really. No handbook just the support from one another. And hopefully, they're feeling that the rest of the country are thinking about them tonight.
Leigh Waldman, thank you so much, as always, for -- for that reporting.
We're going to continue to follow this breaking news and other stories. For now, though, we're going to take a quick break. We'll join you on the other side of that break.
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SANDOVAL: We're closely following the latest developments out of Sydney, Australia, this hour, where at least 15 people are now dead and dozens injured after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration at the popular Bondi Beach there in Australia.
Police say that the suspects were a father and son. The father was shot and killed by police at the scene, while his son, well, he's now in critical but stable condition. Witnesses have described the chaos as this attack played out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We thought it was fireworks at the start, and then next second, we see people lying on the floor. Saw a kid get shot. It was probably the worst thing I've ever seen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All hell broke loose. There's just people everywhere, kids everywhere, kids screaming. There was people screaming. And yes, just everyone everywhere. Just -- yes, it was horrible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Let's get some live reporting now from CNN's Angus Watson; joins us live from Sydney.
There seems to be a growing memorial behind you there, Angus. What else is the community saying, and what are investigators having to say about what took place over the weekend?
ANGUS WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Polo, let me show you a little bit of what we're seeing behind us.
This is an impromptu community event. People reacting to the horror of what happened on Sunday afternoon here in Bondi.
[00:25:02]
People coming here to this focal point of the community -- the Bondi Pavilion, it's called -- to lay their floral tributes, to take a moment to talk to people about what's happened, and to just reflect on the absolute horror that this community underwent on Sunday afternoon, when two antisemitic gunmen, later described as terrorists by authorities, opened fire on a Hanukkah event here at Bondi.
Now, there were families, children all celebrating that first night of Hanukkah at this event called Hanukkah -- Hanukkah by the Sea.
We're starting to hear a little bit more information about the victims of this horrific tragedy. We know that the youngest person to be killed was just ten years old. A ten-year-old girl who died of her wounds in hospital overnight.
The oldest person to be killed, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, a man who moved from Ukraine to Australia after the horrors of the Second World War to live a better life. He died last night in this horrific terror attack, perpetrated by two men against the Jewish community here in Bondi.
A vibrant community, a proud community, a historic community here in Sydney, Australia, and one that you can see behind me, united in grief at the just sheer senselessness and horror of this antisemitic attack against them.
Now, police, of course, are combing the area just a little further behind me, which is the crime scene now, to try to get some more evidence, some more information about how this unfolded. We know that there were two suspects. One died of gunshot wounds at
the scene. Another is in hospital with those gunshot wounds in police custody in a critical but stable condition.
Two other police officers are in that same critical but stable condition, as well as dozens of other people injured in this horrific attack Sunday afternoon -- Polo.
SANDOVAL: Yes, just awful. When you lay out those age ranges, as you describe, as young as ten, and then a Holocaust survivor.
Thank you so much, Angus Watson, for your reporting, live out of Sydney.
For more now on the shooting there in Australia, I'm joined by Levi West. He's a research fellow at Australian National University and also an expert in the fields of terrorism and counterterrorism.
Levi, it's good to see you. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances. Thank you for joining us.
LEVI WEST, RESEARCH FELLOW, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY: Yes. Pleasure. Thanks.
SANDOVAL: So, we heard from officials there speak about the rise in antisemitic incidents since October 7th in Australia. My colleague Dana Bash interviewing a rabbi, saying that he saw this coming.
For the intelligence community in Australia, for example, that keeps their finger on the pulse of potential threats, especially for the Jewish community, I mean, what do you think that they're poring over right now in terms of potential flags that may or may not have been there leading up to the shooting?
WEST: Yes, I mean, I think it's important to keep in mind that there's a sort of significant difference for an intelligence agency between people who have been radicalized, to use the language that we would usually use to refer to people who've adopted extremist positions, and people who are actually going to follow through and undertake something like what happened yesterday.
There's a lot more people who adopt extreme views than there are people who actually commit violence. And so, the challenge for any intelligence service is always trying to sift between those who might, you know, present with having attached themselves to Islamic state ideology or al Qaeda ideology or neo-Nazi ideology, and those who actually appear as if they're going to go and do something.
The younger of these two shooters, the son, the 24-year-old, he was investigated in 2019 for having proximity to an Islamic state cell. There's every possibility the assessment that was made then, that he wasn't an imminent risk of violence, was entirely accurate at the time.
Counter-terrorism resources are a finite pie, and decisions have to be made about what to prioritize. So -- SANDOVAL: In terms of the extremist threat, particularly in Australia, Levi, how has that changed in recent years, based on your research?
WEST: Yes. So, I guess this sort -- of the most significant change, post-October seven, has been, in part, the increase in antisemitic incidents in the broadest of senses.
But then probably the most significant and consequential thing that's changed -- and I think this highlights the complexity of some of that antisemitism -- is earlier this year, the prime minister and the director general of our domestic intelligence service, publicly announced that we would be removing the Iranian ambassador, due to a number of antisemitic incidents being sponsored, allegedly supported, and facilitated by the Iran -- by the IRGC and the Iranian regime.
And that's probably the most significant change that's happened in the last couple of years.
We continue to have a conventional Salafi jihadist dynamic within Australia. And that would appear to be the most likely sort of ideological motivation for these two.
[00:30:10]
And then, of course, there's been an unfortunate and significant rise in right-wing extremism within Australia, as well.
SANDOVAL: Levi West, joining us live. Thank you so much for that analysis. It helps us try to at least better understand this awful incident. Levi, thank you.
And we're going to be right back with much more of the breaking news coverage out of Australia, Brown University, and also out of California. Stay with us.
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[00:35:15]
SANDOVAL: And welcome back to CNN. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York. Let's give you a quick look at today's top stories.
Police in Rhode Island, they are releasing a man detained in connection with Saturday's deadly shooting at Brown University. Officials say that they did not have enough evidence to prosecute the person of interest that they detained.
Law enforcement are currently asking the public for any information that might help investigators find the person responsible for killing at least two people on Saturday and injuring nine others on campus.
Australia's prime minister vowing to put tougher gun laws on the cabinet's agenda in the coming hours. And this comes just a day after a mass shooting killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's popular Bondi Beach. Authorities are saying that the suspected gunmen were a father and
son. The father was killed during the incident. The son currently in the hospital.
And the family of director Rob Reiner has announced his death and that of his wife, Michele. And this comes after two people were found dead at a Los Angeles address, at a home that's associated with the Hollywood director.
However, the LAPD has not officially released the identities of those two people who were found in the home. They say they are currently seeking a search warrant to conduct what they describe as a full crime scene investigation inside the home.
Let's stay on that story right now and take you out -- out West to my colleague Elex Michaelson with the very latest.
Elex, this is, you know, not only devastating, certainly, for the entire entertainment world, but also just begging so many questions right now, because even after we heard from L.A. detectives, there's still a lot that we don't know.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was a sort of strange press conference that we did not get more information from them.
I did speak to a spokesperson for the family who confirmed that Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were killed earlier today. And we've heard that also from the mayor of Los Angeles, from the governor of California.
And yet, the LAPD not going forward and saying that. They're waiting for the coroner to release that information.
There are questions about what exactly happened and who is responsible for this. Nobody is going officially on the record in terms of that.
But you know, this community is devastated. Rob Reiner is a legend, not only for his contributions to the entertainment world, but also his contributions to the political world. One of the biggest activists in politics in this area for many decades.
But you think of his career and, wow, what a legacy. You know, starting with "All in the Family," one of the great TV shows in history. He won two Emmys for his performances on that.
And then you get into the directing world and just the -- the breadth of what he did. "Stand by Me," "A Few Good Men," "The American President," "Misery," "Sleepless in Seattle," "First Wives Club."
Among them, "When Harry Met Sally," which is where not only he featured his mom for that very famous line, one of the most famous lines in movie history, "I'll have what she's having.: But then he also met his wife, Michele, while shooting "When Harry Met Sally."
And we know he was so close with folks like Billy Crystal, who was part of that movie, obviously; folks like Larry David was a good friend of his. And so many politicians, as well, that he has lifted up over the years and fundraised for.
When there would be you know, presidential fundraisers in Southern California, often they would either be at Rob Reiner's house or he would be one of the main funders of that.
So, not only the political world, but the entertainment world is reeling.
And this story really came out of nowhere, Polo, because he's working now. He has this sequel for "Spinal Tap," which is supposed to come out soon. That looks so funny. And he was, you know, actively working on that.
SANDOVAL: My first sitcom experience, on the viewer's side, was watching his character, Meathead, on the receiving end of the ire of Archie Bunker. I'll never forget that. And certainly, "Misery." I mean, his direction there.
I'm curious, in your conversation with your sources and speaking with members of the family -- and bearing in mind that this investigation is still in its infancy stages. I mean, investigators haven't even fully gone inside the home yet. Did they perhaps share with you any -- any broad concerns of any sort of foul play? I mean, what questions do they have about what led to their deaths?
MICHAELSON: Well, I think there's a lot of rumors going out there in terms of what happened here. This does not seem to be a situation where there is sort of a stranger outstanding. So, as we sort of officially confirm some of that, we'll get more information.
[00:40:08]
But, you know, you're thinking about his family tonight, including you know, we know that one of his sons had struggled with addiction, with mental illness, with homelessness. And, you know, that seems to be part of -- of this story.
But -- but we will see what happens in the hours ahead in terms of any official word on that front.
But in the meantime, I think it's also worth celebrating the life of -- of Rob Reiner and all that he did, including, you know, in here in California. He established something called First Five California, which was focused on early childhood education. That has been a real emphasis for many, many years, something that he lifted up here.
There was a time where he was rumored to potentially run for governor against Arnold Schwarzenegger. He ultimately chose not to do that.
But he, you know, was deeply involved with everybody who has run for governor, everybody who has run for president. Was very frustrated publicly, with President Biden for staying in the race and let those views be known. But he was, you know, somebody who was active in -- in pretty much
every political campaign in a major way for the last three or four decades.
SANDOVAL: Yes. He was outspoken on the set and certainly on the political scene, as well. CNN anchor of -- of THE STORY IS, Elex Michaelson. Thank you so much for your time and for your reporting. Appreciate you.
MICHAELSON: Thanks, Polo.
SANDOVAL: We're going to continue to follow this developing situation, again, in Los Angeles, with the family of Rob Reiner confirming the deaths of both him and also his -- his wife.
We're also following this other developing story as officials in Providence, Rhode Island, have gathered the community for a vigil following this weekend's deadly shooting at Brown University.
A rabbi who spoke at the event urged the community to band together and also to share the light. In fact, there's a makeshift memorial that has been slowly growing outside of the building where that shooting took place on Saturday.
Students have been leaving flowers and candles in front of the student-designated sculpture named Infinite Possibility. You see them there, braving the weather for the sake of memorializing those lost and honoring those that are still recovering.
A high school student who attended Sunday night's vigil spoke about her own experience. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSSELYN WOLF, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: I can't remember a time when I've grown up where I haven't seen gun violence, and this is an epidemic that's flooding our country. And to have it come so close to home is really, really hard to see. And particularly with young people like myself, whose futures were just starting.
And so, I'm here to grieve them and honor them and try to take next steps in demanding change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Let's get some law enforcement analysis from CNN law enforcement contributor Steve Moore.
Steve, it's good to see you again. You and I were talking 24 hours later [SIC] as this investigation was really just getting started.
Now that you've heard from investigators and they've announced here recently that they have released this person of interest that had been detained for -- for close to 19 hours, according to our colleague, John Miller.
What questions are you left with now when it comes to the search for a suspect?
STEVE MILLER, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Well, first of all, why did they -- you know, what brought them to him? Apparently, they had some information worth, you know, going -- going towards him.
I'm just astounded that -- that they kept him so long without realizing, you know, what had -- what had happened.
SANDOVAL: I'm trying to also sort of read between the lines as I was listening to the Providence police chief, where he said that they ended up locating this individual, the person of interest that they had detained yesterday. They did a thorough investigation. And that the evidence was examined, and they did not have enough to prosecute anybody. And so, the person was released.
So, I'm just curious if you could help us sort of analyze that, that -- that coming from the chief and also the Rhode Island attorney general.
Is it simply that this was not somebody who they believe was involved, or they just don't have enough evidence to further detain him?
MILLER: Well, they're -- they're playing it kind of cagey right now. It could be either way.
One thing you don't want to do is go right into a trial, go right into a legal -- legal setup, if you don't have all your ducks in a row.
And so, it is much better to let somebody walk than to ruin your whole case by going forward too quickly.
That said, it's going to take a little bit more information from them before we know whether that's the case or whether they just had the wrong person.
[00:45:03]
I kind of suspect that they have some evidence that led to him. So, they're playing it -- either way, they're playing it very carefully.
SANDOVAL: They also said that they are emphasizing that the person that's seen in those few seconds of video that was released yesterday, that they believe that that person was not the person of interest that was released, but in fact, that they suspect that's the actual individual that likely carried out this shooting, which was certainly noteworthy.
What do you think will come next in terms of perhaps canvasing the neighborhood from the FBI perspective? Maybe I could tap into your expertise there. What are FBI agents trying to do? Especially since authorities said they don't even know if he's -- if the suspect is in the region anymore.
MILLER: Yes, I mean, that's -- that's the issue. This person, after 24 hours, they could be anywhere. So, what you do at this point is you start over. You go back to the
evidence you have, determine what led you in that direction, and reevaluate what you have.
I suspect that they had some cell phone captures of people in that building. And it kind of made them think that they had that person.
SANDOVAL: The Rhode Island attorney general emphasizing, saying, quote, "We have a murderer out there." So, that's certainly concerning for the residents there and certainly for police that are still searching.
As always, Steve Moore, grateful for your expertise and your perspective. Thank you.
MOORE: Thank you.
SANDOVAL: Want to get you to another story now, with the verdict is in in a landmark trial that's really been seen as a test of Hong Kong's freedoms under Beijing.
Media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of national security offenses.
We're going to break down this story, get you caught up to speed, and even take you live to Hong Kong for reaction to the verdict.
Stay with us. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
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[00:51:43]
SANDOVAL: Media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty in a landmark national security trial in Hong Kong. Lai was one of the highest profile critics of Beijing after a series of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
For the latest now, let's go to CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, live outside the court where that verdict came down just a short time ago.
Kristie, it's great to see you. You were there. I'm curious: what did you hear in court, and what's been the reaction?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: Polo, this has been a marathon 156-day trial, and the verdict is finally out. Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of sedition and two counts of colluding with foreign forces.
Now, collusion here in Hong Kong is a serious crime under the national security law, which was imposed by Beijing on the territory in 2020. It is punishable with up to life in prison. Sentencing will come next. Previously, Jimmy Lai had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
We have been surveying the scene outside the courtroom since the early hours. Security has been tight, as strong and heavy police presence throughout scores of people turned out, some waiting in line overnight for the opportunity to witness this moment.
Inside the courtroom, we saw Jimmy Lai. He appeared wearing glasses, a blazer, a light green sweater. His wife and one of his sons was sitting behind me, along with Cardinal Joseph Zen. At one point, Jimmy Lai looked up at them, raised his hand, and smiled.
Before the verdict was read aloud, we heard from the top judge, who said that, quote, "absolute silence" had to be maintained. And after the verdict was read out, there was silence. And Jimmy Lai, as the verdict was being delivered in English, was wearing headphones. He simply looked straight ahead. This is one of the most highest profile national security law cases we have seen since the law was imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong.
It has been roundly criticized by Western governments. Western governments have called for the release of Jimmy Lai. In fact, a few months ago, the U.S. president, Donald Trump, pressed Chinese leader Xi Jinping during talks in South Korea to free Jimmy Lai.
Now, Beijing has warned against any external interference, and Hong Kong has maintained that this trial, like other national security trials, has been conducted in a timely and fair manner. And Beijing has its back.
I want to quickly share with you this statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying, "The central government firmly supports the HKSAR, and safeguarding national security in accordance with the law and punishing crimes that endanger national security."
And Polo, sentencing will come next. Again, Lai could be facing life in prison.
Back to you.
SANDOVAL: And I'm so glad you really underscore and punctuate the significance of this case.
That's Kristie Lu Stout where it's coming up on 2 p.m. in Hong Kong, following the latest on that trial and verdict. Thank you, Kristie.
Elsewhere, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff says that progress has been made during talks with Ukrainian officials in Berlin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been meeting with Witkoff and President Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, as well as other European officials at that meeting.
On social media, Witkoff said that Sunday's meeting lasted over five hours. Well, he also said that the delegates discussed the peace plan to end the conflict in Ukraine.
One sticking point has been whether the plan includes language that prevents Ukraine from joining NATO. We know that that has been a major sticking point, especially for the Kremlin.
[00:55:03] Ukrainians said that NATO membership isn't as important as getting a similar security guarantee. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You know I support this. We need security guarantees in any case. As you can see, in the past, they signed guarantees and agreements on security guarantees. But one guarantor attacked us, and the other guarantor is supporting us only half of the time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We join or not join NATO, I think nothing will change. Because we are already defending ourselves with our own forces, even without NATO. And when NATO itself was attacked, they did nothing. So, I thank God that we are a large and strong country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: We'll go to South America now, where Chile has elected conservative Jose Antonio Kast as his as its -- as their next president. And this marks the country's sharpest shift to the right since the end of the dictatorship in 1990.
He campaigned on promises of law and order, tapping into voter concerns over rising crime and migration.
Kast won 58 percent of the vote in a runoff, defeating Jeannette Jara, who ultimately conceded this race.
He'll join a growing list of right-wing leaders that seem to be reshaping politics across Latin America, particularly in South America.
I want to thank you so much for joining us the last hour of news. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. I'll be right back with you in a few moments with -- as the news continues right here on CNN NEWSROOM.
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