Bondi Beach Attack, Brown University Latest, Reiner Investigation

0:01At least 15 people were shot and killed at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. The country's prime minister condemned the attack. What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of anti-Semitism. I mean, Martinez, that is Steve Inskeep, and this is a first from NPR News. Authorities say they will release a person of interest detained after the Brown University shooting. This is what these investigations look like. I've been around long enough to know that sometimes you head in one direction, and then you have to regroup and go in another. And that's exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours or so.

0:38So where does the release leave the investigation? And police are investigating the reported deaths of actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle. Stay with us. We've got all the news you need to start your day.

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1:37That's mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for a three-month 5-gigabyte plan required, equivalent to$15 a month. New customer offer for first three months only, then full-price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. This message comes from Kachava. Indulge in holiday cravings with the nutrition you need from Cachava's All-in-One Whole Body Shake. It packs 25 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, greens, and more. High-quality ingredients with no fillers or nonsense. Try the newest flavor, limited edition chocolate mint. Go to cachava.com and use code NPR for 15 % off.

2:18That's cachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A dot com, code NPR. This message comes from Mint Mobile. Starting at$15 a month, make the switch at mintmobile.com slash switch. $45 upfront payment for three months. Five gigabyte plan equivalent to$15 a month. Taxes and fees extra. First three months only. See terms. On a warm Sunday evening in Sydney, Australia, people were celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah on a beach. That is when two gunmen opened fire. Today, police say they have some information about the suspects accused of killing at least 15 people. They're described as a father and son shown making a sustained assault that lasted until police shot them.

3:03Journalist Christina Kuklia is following events from Melbourne. Christina, what's it been like there since the attack took place? Good morning. It's a difficult time for Australia's Jewish community and the country as a whole. We've seen grief expressed for those killed and hurt and public expressions of support for those affected. New South Wales police released some more information about the father and son who allegedly carried out the attack. The father was 50 years old and was killed by police officers at the scene. His 24-year-old son is in hospital recovering from critical injuries. Police say he will likely face criminal charges.

3:40Police quickly designated the incident a terror attack and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has come out again to condemn the violence. What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of anti-Semitism, an act of terrorism on our shores. And that declaration of an act of terrorism means additional powers have now been given to police to investigate. OK, now what is known so far about the victims? Still very little at this stage. It's only been about 24 hours since the shooting and information is emerging very slowly. Police say those who were killed are yet to be formally identified. They believe their ages rage between 10 and 87 years.

4:23That includes a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor. They say dozens more were hospitalized, some of whom are in critical condition, and two police officers who sustained gunshot wounds are also in hospital. The New South Wales government has warned the death toll could still rise. Our stories are also emerging of passers-by who helped shelter people fleeing the beach when the attack broke out. Prime Minister Albanese acknowledged the bravery of one civilian in particular. He was seen in a video widely shared on social media wrestling a weapon off one of the alleged shooters. Albanese identified the man as Ahmed Al-Ahmed and said his actions came at great risk to him.

5:03He confirmed that he suffered serious injuries and is undergoing surgery in hospital. Any motives for the shooters that we know of? The police haven't said specifically so. They've only said that the investigation is ongoing. Police say the father held a valid weapons permit for several years. They added that the son had come to the attention of Australia's domestic intelligence agency in 2019, but they assessed that he didn't represent a threat to commit violence at that time. Now, mass shootings tend to eventually spark conversations around gun laws. Is that happening in Australia right now?

5:38Yes, it very much is. Today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a meeting with leaders of Australia's states and territories, and they were briefed on the Bondi investigation. Australia already has some of the world's strictest gun laws after a mass shooting in Tasmania in the 1990s. But ahead of today's meeting, the Prime Minister said there's a need for even tougher laws after the Bondi attack. Some of what he mentioned briefly was looking at limiting the number of guns people can be licensed for and a possible review of how long licenses can be held. Now, the leaders have issued a joint statement agreeing to work on strengthening Australia's gun laws.

6:14As reporter Christina Kuglia in Melbourne, thank you very much. Thank you.

6:27A person of interest who had been detained following a shooting at Brown University is to be released. Authorities determined there is no basis to hold this person, which leaves them looking for whoever opened fire. Two students were killed and nine others injured. Reporter Paul C. Kelly Campos of Ocean State Media has been covering the story. He joins us now from Providence. Paul, what is known about the person of interest and what changed with that person? Well, he had been detained Sunday morning at a hotel in the town of Coventry, Rhode Island, which is about 17 miles outside of Providence.

6:59But late last night, Mayor Brett Smiley said that they had the wrong person and he is due to be released. Rhode Island's Attorney General Peter Nirona also explained last night that following a detailed analysis of the evidence, there was no basis to consider him a person of interest. This is what these investigations look like. I've been around long enough to know that sometimes you head in one direction and then you have to regroup and go in another. And that's exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours or so. Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez is asking residents to share any potential leads or security cam footage that could help find the suspect at large.

7:38The suspect was able to escape after shooting multiple people in a classroom. Attorney General Nirona said that he's been in contact with FBI's Director Cash Patel about the person of interest to be released. Okay, what's known about the victims? Well, Mayor Smiley did not share the names of the victims at yesterday's press conferences. as he said that some of the families or relations of the victims have not yet been notified or been made aware of the situation because of holiday travel. Smiley said that he spoke with some of the wounded yesterday. One individual has been discharged. One individual remains in critical but stable condition and the other seven are in stable condition.

8:17The mayor said that the city will offer people mental health programs and trauma response resources. How are people in Providence, Rhode Island reacting? The community's been rattled by the shooting. A Christmas tree and menorah lighting ceremony that had already been scheduled at a nearby park in Providence yesterday evening shifted to being a memorial for the shooting victims. Angie Jo is a Providence resident whose sister goes to Brown. It's a shock and so much sadness that, you know, it really shouldn't be this way. Brown is nestled in the middle of a residential community. Yesterday, as I walked through the campus, I observed students embracing and supporting each other as I passed by.

8:58Every single person I talked to was tearful. Many were visibly distraught, shaken, and deeply frustrated. Brown University med student Ana Nguyen said he was in the middle of exams when the lockdown order came in. Unfortunately, this is like a second school shooting that I've been to. My last one was my undergrad. And I feel like something this unimaginable is happening way too often. Paul, you mentioned earlier this is happening during finals at Brown. What is going to happen with that? For the time being, Brown has canceled all final exams. And late last night, authorities said they were starting to collect and look into new leads and evidence.

9:37Mayor Smiley also stated that people in Providence should expect to see an increased police presence in the coming days. But he insisted that he does not believe residents are in danger. Okay, reporter Paul C. Kelly Campos of our member station Ocean State Media in Providence. Paul, thank you. Thank you.

10:01Millions of Americans have seen the movies of Rob Reiner. Now people in Hollywood and far beyond are absorbing the news of Reiner's death with his wife, producer and photographer Michelle Singer Reiner. Police found two bodies yesterday at the Reiner's Los Angeles home. It's hard to know where to begin in describing Rob Reiner's career. In the 1970s, he was in the sitcom All in the Family playing the liberal foil to his character's reactionary father-in-law, Archie Bunker. He went on to become an activist who championed causes his character would have liked, and he spent decades as the director of films, including When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, This is Spinal Tap, and A Few Good Men.

10:38Reporter Steve Futterman joins us from outside Reiner's home in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood. Steve, what do we know right now? Well, A, we do know some basic facts. Two bodies were found inside the home of Rob Reiner. L.A. police are not confirming the identities, but Variety and the L.A. Times have published a statement from the Reiner family announcing the death. Now, this area where I'm at right now, a few hundred feet from the home, has been cordoned off. Officers from the Homicide Division are conducting the investigation. It's been going on all night. Police did hold a sometimes confusing news conference here last evening.

11:15They confirmed that there were deaths, but not much else. This is Alan Hamilton. He's the LAPD Deputy Chief. We will not be releasing any information regarding who was found deceased in the residence because that will be done by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. Now, we are being told that the results of preliminary autopsies are expected to be released later today, and police say at that time they will be free to release many more specific details. Okay. Any suspects so far? Well, speculation is rampant, but again, police are saying very little publicly. Here again, the Deputy Chief Hamilton, when he was asked about a suspect.

11:53At this time, the Los Angeles Police Department is not seeking anyone as a suspect or as a person of interest or in any other manner. And we will not be doing that until we conduct our investigation and we move forward. Now, obviously, in any homicide investigation, if police have no idea who committed the crime, they would be seeking a suspect or a person of interest. The fact that they are not right now does suggest that they may indeed know or suspect someone of committing the crime. See, if Rob Reiner was as L.A. and as Hollywood as it gets, what's been the reaction here? Well, this has really sent shockwaves throughout the entertainment industry.

12:30Rob Reiner grew up here in Hollywood. The estate of Norman Lear released a statement. Now, Lear played a key role in Reiner's career, choosing him to appear in the landmark sitcom All in the Family. Lear's estate said, Norman often referred to Rob as a son. The world is unmistakably darker tonight. Reiner was also involved in politics, often supporting liberal causes. And former President Barack Obama issued a statement. And he said, Rob's achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. And California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was a close friend of Reiner, said Rob was the big-hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love.

13:13He said Reiner will be remembered for his extraordinary contribution to humanity. Now, again, we do expect more information to come out later today. That's reporter Steve Futterman, just 100 feet away from the Reiner home in Brentwood, California. Steve, thanks a lot. Thank you, Abe.

13:33And that's Up First for Monday, December 15th. I'm A Martinez. And I'm Steve Inskeep. Your next listen can be Consider This from NPR News. Up First gives you three big stories of the day. Consider This drills down on one. And you can listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Rebecca Rossman, Alfredo Carvajal, Mateen McCullough, Lisa Thompson, and Arzu Resvani. was produced by Ziad Butch, Nia Dumas, and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Nisha Hainas, and our technical director is Carly Strange. Join us again tomorrow.

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