Rob Reiner Murder Investigation Latest; Twin Mass Shootings in the U.S. and Australia
Plus: Son Of Iconic Hollywood Director & Wife Suspected Of Murdering Parents
🚨 ONE INVESTIGATION WE ARE TRACKING
Manhunt Continues After Deadly Brown University Mass Shooting
A manhunt for the suspect in Saturday’s Brown University shooting, who killed two students and injured nine others, is continuing into a third day.
False Start: A 24-year-old man from Wisconsin, who was detained early Sunday in connection to the attack, was let go later that day. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said evidence now “points in a different direction.”
FBI Director Kash Patel posted shortly after the now-released man was brought into police custody, touting the FBI’s cell phone tracking in helping locate the person of interest. Critics are drawing connections to Patel’s post after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s murder, when he said “the subject” was in custody — but that person was also later let go.
The investigation appears to be back at square one. Officials released a second video of the possible suspect on Monday, after releasing a first on Saturday night. They are also asking local residents to review and share doorbell and security camera footage showing “anything that looks suspicious.”
INSIDE THE ATTACK
Mayor Brett Smiley said that there have been no additional credible threats to the Providence community since Saturday, but added that there is no way of knowing if the killer is still in the city.
MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, from Virginia and Ella Cook, 19, from Alabama were killed in the shooting.
The masked shooter burst into a Brown classroom carrying a rifle, as about 60 students were finishing a final exam review for an economics course. Witnesses said he shouted something unintelligible before opening fire and then fleeing.
Students barricaded themselves inside classrooms and other university buildings for hours.
For some Brown University students, Saturday’s school shooting wasn’t the first they’ve experienced firsthand.
Brown junior Mia Tretta, 21, survived a 2019 shooting at her California high school when she was 15, when she was shot in the stomach. Two students and the shooter were killed in the attack, including Tretta’s best friend.
Zoe Weissman, 20, was a middle school student in Parkland, Florida, when a gunman killed 17 people at nearby Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
“Mentally, I feel like I’m 12 again. This just feels exactly like how I felt in 2018,” Weissman said. “I’m really angry that this is happening to me all over again.“
🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING
Deadly Antisemitic Massacre at Hanukkah Celebration in Australia Kills 16 People
The Australian government said it will move to tighten its national firearms laws a day after a deadly attack on a Jewish celebration in Sydney, which killed at least 16 people and left more than 40 injured. It is the worst mass shooting in the country in three decades.
Leaders are moving to fast-track a national gun registry and commit $66 million (USD) to the effort. They have also proposed limiting how many firearms one person can own and further restricting gun ownership for Australian citizens.
Australia passed some of the world’s strictest gun laws, including a ban on assault rifles, in the aftermath of a 1996 massacre that killed 35 people.
Police say the attackers were a father and son, ages 50 and 24, of Pakistani origin. The father, who had a firearms license and six registered weapons, was shot and killed by police at the scene. The son remains hospitalized with critical injuries.
Two ISIS flags were discovered in the gunmen’s car, and authorities believe both attackers pledged allegiance to the terror group, according to Australian press. Australian leaders dodged questions as to how the father was able to own six guns, despite his son reportedly having been investigated over ties to ISIS in the past.
A Targeted Attack On Jews: Authorities have declared the shooting a terrorist attack, after the gunmen opened fire on a Jewish community gathering to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach in Sydney — underscoring the rise of antisemitism in Australia and around the world.
WHAT WE KNOW
Police say the two men used a nearby bridge to fire into the crowd with multiple long guns, before one of them moved toward the gathering while shooting.
In a remarkable act of bravery, a bystander named Ahmed El Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner from Syria, wrestled a rifle away from one of the gunmen. He was shot twice but is expected to survive. A GoFundMe for him has raised nearly $2 million.
THE VICTIMS
The victims range in age from 10 to 87 years old and include a Holocaust survivor, Alex Kleytman, who was killed while shielding his wife. Also killed were Rabbi Eli Schlanger and a 10-year-old girl.
One of the injured was Arsen Ostrovsky, a prominent advocate against antisemitism who recently moved to Australia to lead the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), which has warned for years that “antisemitic vitriol on our streets would evolve into antisemitic violence if left unchecked.”
BIGGER PICTURE
The Israeli government has criticized Australian leadership, saying it warned that antisemitism was worsening and that intelligence suggested Iran may be encouraging such attacks abroad. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu specifically said that he warned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that “your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire.” Albanese pushed back on that assertion.
Steep rise in antisemitism: Before Oct. 7, Australia averaged about 300 antisemitic incidents a year. In the two years since, the average rose to roughly 2,000.
Just days after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, protesters gathered outside the Sydney Opera House and were heard chanting “F— the Jews” and “gas the Jews.”
This year alone has seen often-deadly antisemitic attacks at Jewish gatherings in Colorado, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home during Passover, and England on Yom Kipper.
Tired Of Data Brokers Snooping Around With Your Information? 🧐
Get your personal information off the internet with Incogni. 🛜
It’s shocking how much of your personal information can be found from a simple Google search of your name or address. That’s because data brokers collect and sell your personal info — like name, address, and income — without your consent. But Incogni is here to put an end to that!
Incogni hunts down 🔎 these unethical sites and gets your info removed.
Best of all, you can cancel any time — with a 30-day money-back guarantee. 😁
You can get 60% off an annual plan by going to incogni.com/MONEWS or using the code MONEWS at checkout.
🚨 ONE OTHER HEARTBREAKING THING
Director Rob Reiner & Wife Michele Stabbed To Death; Their Son Is The Murder Suspect
Hollywood legend Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead Sunday afternoon in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home in what authorities are investigating as an apparent double homicide.
Nick Reiner, their 32-year-old son, was taken into custody late Sunday in connection with the suspected murder, according to Los Angeles police. Officers have reported both Rob and Michele appeared to have suffered fatal stab wounds.
THE LATEST
Nick has publicly discussed past struggles with drug addiction and mental health issues. He was booked on murder charges.
Nick helped write “Being Charlie,” a 2015 film directed by his father that was loosely based on Nick’s own experiences, drawing from his time living on the streets when he refused to go to rehab.
Tributes for the Reiners poured in from politicians (Rob was a prominent donor to Democratic candidates and causes) and Hollywood celebs. However, President Trump took the opportunity to criticize Reiner and effectively blame his liberal politics for his death. The post is being widely criticized, including by Republicans.
REMEMBERING A LEGEND
Reiner was behind some of Hollywood’s most famous movies of the 1980s and 1990s. The son of famous actor and comedian Carl Reiner, Rob got his start in the industry as an actor in the 1970s sitcom “All in the Family,” receiving two Emmys for the role.
He was best known as a filmmaker, with his movies spanning genres from romantic comedies to dark thrillers, including classics like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, and This Is Spinal Tap.
⏳ THE SPEED READ
🚨NATION
FBI foils New Year’s Eve bomb plot targeting LA; charges 4 far-left extremists (MO NEWS)
Army identifies two American soldiers killed in attack in Syria (CBS)
Trump signs order classifying fentanyl as ‘weapon of mass destruction’ (USA TODAY)
Brian Walshe convicted of murdering wife after New Year’s Day disappearance (FOX)
Trump admin to hire 1,000 specialists for ‘Tech Force’ to build AI, finance projects (CNBC)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai found guilty in landmark national security trial, faces possible life sentence (CNN)
European leaders propose ‘multinational force’ and hail ‘significant progress’ on Ukraine talks (GUARDIAN)
Chile shifts sharply right as José Antonio Kast wins the presidency (NPR)
Dozens killed in Morocco flash floods (BBC)
Louvre goes on strike in fresh blow to Paris museum after jewel heist (FRANCE 24)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
Roomba maker files for bankruptcy, weighed down by debt and tariffs (NPR)
Spain fines Airbnb $75 million for unlicensed tourist rentals (AP)
Google AI summaries are ruining the livelihoods of recipe writers (GUARDIAN)
Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.1 billion just 10 days before Christmas (ABC)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
‘Zootopia 2’ roars past $500 million in China’s box office (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
Lady Gaga pauses concert mid-song after backup dancer falls off the stage (US WEEKLY)
Green Bay Packers lose Micah Parsons for season after torn ACL injury (FOX)
Merriam-Webster’s 2025 word of the year is ‘slop’ (AP)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it… A dad on social media is going viral for a peculiar holiday tradition.
Every year, he and his son select the ugliest-shaped tree in the lot to decorate, proving that even weird, lopsided bushes can be turned into something beautiful. 🥹