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Early Start with Rahel Solomon
Manhunt For Brown Shooting Suspect; Police: Rob Reiner's Son Responsible For Killings; Australian Police: Early Indications Shooting Inspired By Islamic State. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired December 16, 2025 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:23]
BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and all around the world. I'm Brian Abel. Thank you so much for being with us.
It is Tuesday, December 16th, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington, D.C.
And straight ahead on EARLY START.
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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brand new photos and videos of the person of interest identified in the Brown University shooting have been released.
PETER NERONHA, RHODE ISLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL: The sooner we can identify that person, the sooner we can, I think, blow this case open.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: A significant update in the investigation of the death of Hollywood actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were able to take into custody Nick Reiner a suspect in this case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What should have been a joyous evening for Australia's Jewish community ended with pain and suffering.
KRISSY BARRETT, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE COMMISSIONER: Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, allegedly committed by a father and son.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ABEL: This hour, we are tracking key developments across three major tragedies.
In Los Angeles, prosecutors are preparing to file a murder case against Nick Reiner. He was arrested late Sunday after his parents, director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home. Plus, authorities say they are following new leads in the search for the brown university shooting suspect. They've released new surveillance footage of someone they are hoping to identify, and are asking the public for help.
And new details are emerging from the deadly antisemitic terror attack at Australia's Bondi Beach. The shooting at a Hanukkah celebration has left at least 15 people dead and dozens more injured.
We'll start, though, first in Providence, Rhode Island, where authorities say they are making steady progress in their search for the gunman who killed two students and injured nine others in a targeted attack at Brown University. The students who lost their lives have been identified as Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook. Ella was a 19-year-old sophomore from Alabama and a politically engaged student, the vice president of Brown's College Republicans, those close to her say she was beloved at her local church in Birmingham.
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REVEREND R. CRAIG SMALLEY, DEAN AND RECTOR OF CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE ADVENT: Tragically, one of our parishioners, Ella Cook, was, one of those who was killed. She was an incredible grounded, faithful bright light. We hear in the words of John's gospel, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot -- and the darkness will not overcome it
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Mukhammad was just 18 years old, a freshman from Virginia. His family said he dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon after struggling with his own neurological condition as a child. As their communities and loved ones grieve, they're also facing the fact that investigators still don't know who carried out the attack.
CNN's Leigh Waldman has more from Providence.
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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brand new photos and videos of the person of interest identified in the Brown University shooting have been released from the Providence Police Department. These three video clips show a person dressed in dark clothing with a black mask covering part of their face, have been released. These are two hours before the shooting, coming in around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Before that 4:00 p.m. shooting happened on this university campus.
Police are saying this is the first time were seeing a very, very clear image of the person behind this shooting. They're also releasing several images of this person, the FBI, describing him as roughly five eight with a stocky build. Also noting that he is considered armed and dangerous.
We're also learning new details from law enforcement themselves, saying that they believe a nine-millimeter gun was used in this attack and that this was a targeted attack against Brown University. We asked the attorney general what this means for this investigation, getting these clearer images of this person.
Here's what he had to say.
PETER NERONHA, RHODE ISLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL: You know, the prosecutors today have been working with the law enforcement agents and police officers to advance this this investigation. And I would describe today's work as making steady progress to identifying the person that we saw in the video that was released yesterday.
[05:05:00]
And the sooner we can identify that person, the sooner we can, I think, blow this case open. But that's work that has to happen in the next 24 to 36 hours.
ABEL: A $50,000 reward has also been put up by the FBI. In this case, we've seen multiple members of law enforcement from the police department, the FBI, U.S. Marshals, even K-9 units assisting in the ground search that's still underway as they're knocking on doors of homes and businesses, asking the public to contribute to the surveillance video that they're combing through here. In this case, all of it moving the needle closer so we can find the person behind this deadly attack.
Leigh Waldman, CNN, Providence, Rhode Island.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ABEL: The double homicide case surrounding slain director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, set to be presented to the Los Angeles County D.A. later today. The L.A. police allege the couples son, Nick Reiner, is responsible for the death of his parents. It's how they characterized it. The 32-year-old is being held without bail following his arrest on Sunday night.
CNN's Nick Watt has more on the tragic loss of the beloved Hollywood couple.
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NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rob and Michele Reiner met on the set of "When Harry Met Sally." They were married more than 35 years. They died together Sunday. Their daughter, Romy found them. Around 3:40 P.M. the LAPD and Fire Department responded to the Reiner home in upscale Brentwood.
Homicide detectives soon on the scene, 9:15 p.m., a suspect arrested, the couple's son, Nick Reiner, age 32.
LAPD POLICE: He was subsequently booked for murder and is being held on a four-million bail.
WATT (voice-over): The D.A. is yet to file charges.
Nick Reiner, seen here with his parents at "The Spinal Tap II" premiere in September, has been open about his struggles with heroin addiction and homelessness. He co-wrote a movie, "Being Charlie," based on those experiences, his dad directed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me see those. Are those Oxys?
WATT (voice-over): They talked about it on AOL back in 2016.
ROB REINER, ACTOR AND FILMMAKER: It is loosely based on, you know, things that Nick went through and his relationship to me and his mother and you can talk a little bit more about it, Nick, if you want.
NICK REINER, SON OF ROB REINER: I wasn't really that shy about including some of the bad stuff I did, because a lot of people do things that are pretty unsavory.
ROB REINER AS MICHAEL STIVIC, FICTIONAL CHARACTER, "ALL IN THE FAMILY": I like to take care of one foot at a time.
WATT (voice-over): Rob Reiner's big break was as a T.V. actor, playing Meathead on "All in the Family" back in the 70s; later, as a movie director, he was prolific and versatile. "Princess Bride," "A Few Good Men," "Stand By Me," "Spinal Tap," "Misery," "When Harry Met Sally".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a seismic shock because Rob Reiner is such an outsized presence in the entertainment community. I mean, he's almost the mayor of Hollywood. He's such an affable, genial person.
WATT (voice-over): Tributes laid today at his Walk of Fame Star for this actor, writer, director, producer, political activist and much loved avuncular industry figure.
Harry Shearer, one of the stars of "Spinal Tap," said this is unspeakable. The stuff of Greek tragedy.
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WATT (on camera): Now investigators will be presenting the case against Nick Reiner to the day Tuesday. We assume that charges will follow.
A grim death to end a great life. Rob Reiner was lauded filmmaker, but also, in this town more famous for sharp elbows and big egos, Rob Reiner was universally liked by pretty much everybody he came in contact with.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
ABEL: Several Australian media outlets are reporting the alleged gunman in the Bondi beach massacre is out of a coma. Naveed Akram has been hospitalized since Sunday from critical injuries during the attack that killed 15 people. The second suspect, his father, was shot dead by police on the scene. Police say a vehicle belonging to one of them contained improvised explosive devices, IEDs and two homemade ISIS flags.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KRISSY BARRETT, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE COMMISSIONER: Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State, allegedly committed by a father and son. There is no evidence to suggest other individuals were involved in this attack. However, we caution that this could change given it is early in our investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: Meanwhile, authorities confirm the father and son had traveled to the Philippines last month, visiting an island that's long been a hotbed of extremism and insurgent groups. Officials believe the pair underwent military style training while on Mindanao, according to Australia's public broadcaster.
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CNN's Angus Watson is covering this live from Sydney, where police are piecing this investigation together and still calling Bondi beach a crime scene -- Angus.
ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: That's right. And if this father and son pair did indeed go to Mindanao to link up with ISIS connections, they're in a place where ISIS groups are very much still active, that will become a focus for investigators here, because what it will mean is that there were at least connections that this father and son terror duo were keeping before their attack.
This -- the police believe that they were the only two perpetrators, but they're not ruling out other people having been involved. Their connection to ISIS is clear though. The ISIS flags in their car. The authorities there, the authorities here in Australia have also linked him back, the son Naveed to ISIS investigations, some in 2019. So, the authorities have said that they were aware of this man, but they didn't believe him to be an imminent threat. And they're going to have to go back and look at just why they got that wrong.
For a moment, I'd just like to show you the outcome, the consequence of their horrific crimes. This is a memorial that I'm here at Bondi, where the Jewish community is coming together in grief.
ABEL: And, Angus, we can hear them behind you. Angus Watson for us in Sydney, thank you. Moving scene.
The U.S. government is stepping up its deadly assault on alleged narco traffickers, launching a series of new attacks on boats it says were carrying drugs bound for the states. Details ahead.
Plus, Volodymyr Zelensky heads to the Hague after wrapping peace talks in Berlin. More on the reported progress made just ahead.
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ABEL: The U.S. military says eight people are dead following a strike on three alleged drug trafficking boats in the Eastern Pacific on Monday. U.S. Southern Command says the attacks were ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against three vessels being operated by designated terrorist organizations in international waters. At least 95 people have been killed since September as part of the Trump administrations campaign against narcotics trafficking.
And President Trump has signed an executive order to classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. As the next step of that campaign. The order also covers the chemicals used to make the powerful painkiller. The order cast the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl as a threat to national security. Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, continue to be involved in most overdose deaths in the United States. Data shows last year, drug overdose deaths in the U.S. made an unprecedented drop to the lowest in five years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the Hague this hour, where he's been speaking to the Dutch parliament. His trip to the Netherlands, coming a day after he wrapped two days of peace talks in Berlin alongside European leaders and a delegation from the U.S.
Zelenskyy cited progress and said negotiators from Ukraine and the U.S. could meet as soon as this weekend. While the issue of territory remains unresolved, there was headway on security guarantees.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Before we leave the battlefield, we have to be absolutely sure what these security guarantees are. Monitoring the ceasefire is really the basis for security guarantees, because the question is, who will carry out the monitoring, what sanctions will be applied if the monitoring missions are disrupted.?
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ABEL: For the latest on this development, we go now to CNN's Melissa Bell live for us in Paris.
So what guarantees are actually on the table, Melissa? Do we know?
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know a bit more about them. Nothing in great detail, simply that these are Article Five style guarantees that would enable Ukraine to feel secure in the idea that everything had been done to prevent any further Russian aggression should a peace deal be signed. Also, the mechanics of that peace deal deconfliction how that would work.
These are the sorts of details that are included in this plan, but there is a great deal of optimism. Brian, after these couple of days meeting in Berlin expressed by the Ukrainian president, expressed by European leaders as well, and also by President Trump, that this is probably the closest we've been to any kind of agreement. One American official put it that at 90 percent of the thorniest issues had now been resolved. Of course, remains the question of territory.
And for the time being, all we've heard from Russia, it will be for the United States to take the plans now to the Russians over the next couple of days in the hope, as you heard there, that President Zelenskyy thinks Ukrainians and Americans can then meet next weekend. The idea will be to test their willingness now to negotiate for the time being.
Weve only heard from Dmitry Peskov this morning, speaking to the possibility of a Christmas truce and pointing out that Moscow was not going to be willing to pause anything that might allow the Ukrainians to regroup. So, no sign, no hint that they're in negotiating mood so far. But it will, as one senior Elysee source put it to me, take now the power and the skill of the United States over the next couple of days to see just how far the Russians are willing to play ball -- Brian.
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ABEL: And so far, they have been unwilling to play ball for the most part. We will see if that changes.
Melissa Bell for us in Paris -- Melissa, thank you.
Donald Trump is under fire for his reaction to the shocking death of Rob Reiner and his wife. The president's comments that even Republicans are criticizing just ahead. And more on the investigation and manhunt for the shooter who killed two students and injured nine others at Brown University.
Stay with us.
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ABEL: Even Republicans are speaking out against Donald Trump's reaction to the death of Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his wife. The president posted on Truth Social, "Reiner died due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as Trump derangement syndrome."
Later Monday, he doubled down.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wasn't a fan of his at all. He became like a deranged person. Trump derangement syndrome. So, I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all in any way, shape or form. I thought he was very bad for our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: A number of Republicans in the House and Senate pushed back on the president's comments.
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REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-NY): I don't think it was a proper thing to say at this time, and it is a tragedy, and I think we should bring politics into it. And that was unfortunate.
REP. DON BACON (R-NE): It's just classless. It's not -- it's not appropriate. It's not presidential. And I think a lot of folks -- I mean, I saw a lot of the MAGA guys today just shaking their head. It's not called for.
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): A wise man once said nothing. Why? Because he's a wise man. I think President Trump should have said nothing.
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ABEL: Former First Lady Michelle Obama is also speaking out against Donald Trump's comments on Reiner. She told late night host Jimmy Kimmel that she and former President Barack Obama had planned to see the Reiners on the night they were killed.
Here's more of what she had to say.
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MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY: Let me just say this, unlike some people Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know. They are not -- they are not deranged or crazed. What they -- what they have always been are passionate people. In a time when there are not, there's not a lot of courage going on. They were the kind of people who were ready to put their actions behind what they cared about, and they cared about their family, and they cared about this country, and they cared about fairness and equity.
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ABEL: Meanwhile, authorities have released new details about the Brown University shooting suspect. New surveillance footage on your screen right now shows a man in dark clothes and a face mask walking in an area near the campus. The FBI says he has a stocky build, about five foot eight, and that he should be considered armed and dangerous.
On Monday, an FBI spokesperson said they would continue to assist local authorities in their investigation and address the growing community concerns.
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TED DOCKS, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI BOSTON FIELD OFFICE: It's painstaking work and we are asking the public to be patient as we continue to run down every lead so we can get victims, survivors and their families and all of you, the answers you deserve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: But now, more than two days after the shooting and with no arrests made, patience is running thin. President Trump was asked Monday why it's taking the FBI so long to identify the suspect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You really have to ask the school a little bit more about that, because this was a school problem. They had their own guards, they had their own police, they had their own everything. But you'd have to ask that question really to the school, not to the FBI. We came in after the fact.
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ABEL: Rhode Island's attorney general is defending the university in the wake of President Trump's comments.
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NERONHA: No one can foresee these events. I mean, we try to harden institutions around the state, around the city, my hometown, small town, but you can never harden them against all threats. So, this isn't a Brown problem. It's a national problem, a symptom that happened here in Rhode Island. So, what we're focused on here is solving this crime, not making broad statements about Brown or for whatever reason, it's not Brown's fault.
What this is, is the fault of this gunman. It's a difficult case at the start, but based on my experience in a relatively short period of time, with the tools available to us as investigators and prosecutors today, we can get these cases solved relatively quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABEL: These days, many companies are looking to hire experts on artificial intelligence and technology. But the Trump administration is hoping it can convince some of them to join the federal government. Details on the new U.S. tech force, ahead.
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