The Megyn Kelly Show - New Phase of Brown U. Shooter Manhunt, Reiner Son Charged, Aussie Attack ISIS Link: AM Update 12/17

Episode Date: December 17, 2025

More than three days after the attack, the suspect in the Brown University mass shooting remains at large as investigators release limited new video and urge the public for help - Retired FBI Agent James Fitzgerald weighs in on this next phase. Los Angeles prosecutors formally charge Nick Reiner with two counts of first-degree murder, accusing him of fatally stabbing his parents, legendary director Rob Reiner and wife Michele. Australian officials now say the deadly Bondi Beach shooting that targeted a Hanukkah celebration was inspired by ISIS, with investigators uncovering explosives, flags, and possible overseas training. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth brief lawmakers behind closed doors on U.S. strikes targeting drug-smuggling vessels, as Democrats demand greater transparency. Herald Group: Learn more at https://GuardYourCard.com All Family Pharmacy: Order now at https://allfamilypharmacy.com/MEGYN and save 10% with code MEGYN10 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Wednesday, December 17th, 2025, and this is your AM update. We all know the first 24 to 48 hours are the most important in homicide investigation. More than 72 hours after the attack, the Brown University mass shooter remains on the loose. These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. or the death penalty. Prosecutors filing charges against 32-year-old Nick Reiner, accusing him of slaying his parents, famed movie director Rob Reiner and wife Michelle with a knife.

Australian authorities officially saying the Bondi Beach shooting is connected to ISIS. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, plus Secretary of War Pete Hegeseth, brief lawmakers on the drugboat strike campaign. I get married the love of my life, and I feel just like the luckiest girl in the world. And a Trump is getting married.

We'll tell you who. All that and more in just a moment on your AM update. As President Trump is settling into his new administration, one of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Senator Dick Durbin. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durbin has a new scheme, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit cards, but they say Senator Durbin's plan will result in less competition and less security, and that means more risk for your credit

and identity. Learn more at guard your card.com and consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durbin's government takeover of your credit card before it's too late. The Brown University shooter still on the loose. Providence Rhode Island authorities yesterday giving an update but providing little new information. Police releasing enhanced video of what they're still calling a person of interest hours prior to the shooting, the same husky mail seen in the videos released yesterday. Authorities again asking the public to search doorbell cameras and other devices for more footage that may have captured the subject. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Nerona saying the video released so far contains the clearest images

they have of this person of interest. On Tuesday afternoon, online sleuths, noting Brown University, apparently removing pages associated with a student touting left-wing ideology. Many speculating that student might be the suspect, A.G. Norona weighing in on those reports. I think this is an area where caution is really necessary. There are lots of reasons why a page might be taken down, particularly if there's chatter out there about words that were spoken. It's easy to jump from someone saying words that were spoken, to what those words are, to a particular name that reflects a motive targeting a particular person. That's a really dangerous road to go down. Really dangerous. If that name meant anything

to this investigation, we would be out looking for that person. We would let you know we were looking for that person. Again, I think it's just a really dangerous road to go down. Some wondering if the target of the attack was vice president of the Republican club at Brown, Ella Cook, one of the deceased victims and a prominent conservative voice on campus. Providence police chief Oscar Perez saying authorities, do not believe she was the intended target at this point. Three days removed from the attack, many growing weary and impatient. We spoke to retired FBI agent James Fitzgerald, known for his role in capturing the Unabomber about what to expect. Fitzgerald says these video releases, even short clips, are encouraging

steps that can further the investigation. Good for them. They found some of this person, much like the J5 bomber, that he could kind of put him walking through some neighborhoods. They're sort of doing the same with this guy. And it does give a better picture of in terms of height and weight. He looks like a white male, at least from a little bit of his face, that we can see. None of this we knew before. I'm not sure the age 20s, the early 30s, perhaps. kind of an unusual gait, and that can be analyzed with various software programs. So it's always a good thing to get these types of pictures, videos.

Let's hope there's some video of him somewhere getting into a car or getting into a public transportation, going into a business, and at that point, perhaps they can further narrow down the search and perhaps even identify the individual involved. FBI agents and other law enforcement officers seen canvassing throughout the streets and kicking through the snow in recent days. Fitzgerald describing the tedious searching that lies ahead for investigators and the major breakthroughs it could lead to. With the Charlie Kirk investigation in September,

they did the same thing, and they actually found the rifle, buried under some leaves or debris or something, so that type of a search paid off. A ground search of the immediate area is, you know, investigation 101. You have to do that. They're going to go through some sewer systems, and there's ways of looking for weapons.

That way they may drag some lakes or rivers or creeks, whatever, or sending drones underwater. You're going to do all kinds of searches. They're also going to go door to door and neighbor to neighbor. That's what you do, a neighborhood canvas, they call it. And I'm probably within a half mile of the campus. And certainly any streets, this guy walked along. Investigators are going to be knocking on every door.

We asked Fitzgerald about the typical timeline, in a manhunt like this and how we are already past the most crucial window. There is no normal timeline. We all know the first 24 to 48 hours are the most important in homicide investigation. Nowadays with social media and again, surveillance footage, as we're discussing here, sometimes it takes extra hours, extra days. When I've been in these investigations, I know how difficult they are. And to the Olympic bombings, and other bombings after that in the late, mid to late 90s, we knew the guy was Eric Rudolph.

We knew he drove his truck to Western North Carolina. It still took his five years to find him, and we knew his name. So you don't know. This guy may decide to be perfectly quiet about it, deep, deep cover, sort of his own Manchurian candidate, and didn't say a word to anybody, and just went out on Saturday, shut up to school, and that may be it.

But I'm giving these investigations. is the benefit of the doubt, certainly now with the FBI involved, my former agency, and I have a feeling the sky's days are numbered. Nick Reiner officially charged in connection with the murder of his parents, legendary director Rob Reiner and wife Michelle. Nick's arraignment originally set for Tuesday delayed pending medical clearance for transportation from the jail to the courthouse. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hockman,

yesterday evening outlining the charges. These charges will be two counts of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of multiple murders. He also fesses a special allegation that he personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, that being a knife. These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole

or the death penalty. No decision at this point has been made, with respect to the death penalty. We have requested, and currently, Nick Reiner is being held without bail. Hockman elaborating on what the special circumstances elevation means. Special circumstances is a situation where one of the enumerated factors that lead to elevating in some ways a first-degree murder case to a special circumstance, first-degree murder case occurs.

One of those special circumstances is called multiple murders. Here we have two, and it qualifies under the definition of multiple murders to allege the special circumstance in this particular case. High-profile criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson now representing Reiner, Jackson previously serving as legal counsel for Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Karen Reed, who was acquitted over the summer after being charged with murdering her Massachusetts cop boyfriend. New reporting bringing the timeline of the murders into sharper focus. Nick tagging along with his parents on Saturday night to a holiday party hosted by Conan O'Brien. Rob and Nick Reiner reportedly getting into a loud argument at the party, one of the attendees telling the New York Times. Another guest, reporting that people were worried about Nick's behavior, saying he looked, quote, anxious and uncomfortable in a way that deeply unsettled them. Around 4 a.m. early Sunday morning, TMZ reporting Nick checked into the Peerside Santa Monica

Hotel about 15 minutes from the Reiner's Brentwood Mansion. According to eyewitnesses, Nick seemed, quote, tweaked out, but there was no indication of a violent altercation. Hotel staff later reportedly discovering the shower in Nick's room full of blood, with more bloodstains on the bed and sheets covering his windows. The Daily Mail reporting Rob and Michelle were found in their bed, with their throats slit, in addition to other stab wounds, possibly asleep when they were murdered. The L.A. County DA's office announcing yesterday evening, Nick's arraignment will be set for a later date. Coming up, Australian officials linking the Bondi Beach shooters with ISIS. Was it the multiple ISIS flags all over their car? Top Trump cabinet officials

brief members of Congress on those boat strikes. And love is in the the air for a man named Trump will explain. The holidays are here, which means family time, great food, lots of travel, and of course a few too many germs. That is why I love All Family Pharmacy. They make it simple to stay healthy and prepared. Just go to AllFamily Pharmacy.com slash Megan, place your order online, and then a licensed physician will review it, provide a prescription if necessary, and once it is approved, your medication ships right to your door, fast and secure. Whether you are looking for Ivermectin, antibiotics, or your everyday maintenance medications, they've got you covered. And right now you can

save 10% with code Megan 10 at checkout. So while you focus on family, good food, and everything that makes this season special, let all family pharmacy handle the rest. Visit allfamilyfarmacy.com slash Megan today. And remember to use code Megan 10 to stay healthy, happy, and ready for the holidays. family pharmacy.com slash megan today. Code Megan 10 for 10% off at checkout. Australian officials, including the prime minister, confirming the Bondi beat shooters were inspired by ISIS. 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, and 24-year-old son Navid Akram, opening fire on a Jewish celebration on the first night of Hanukkah, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more. The elder killed by police in the shootout.

the Sun still in the hospital. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyan yesterday with new information on the rampage. There has been reports in the news about our two offenders traveling to the Philippines last month. I can confirm that they did travel to the Philippines. The reasons why they went to the Philippines and the purpose of that

and where they went when they were there is under investigation of the moment. I also confirm that the vehicle which is registered to the Yashire younger male, contained IEDs, but I also confirmed that it contained two homemade ISIS flags. The New York Times reporting the shooters entering the Philippines on November 1st, then departing on the 28th. Hearts of the Philippines are known hotbeds for ISIS training. Authorities declining to share more details on their activity in the country, but ABC Australia

reporting officials do believe the pair received military-style training while on the trip. investigators for Azeo, an Australian intel agency, reportedly investigating the Sun in 2019 for links to Islamic extremism, determining then he did not pose a threat. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegesath yesterday, providing lawmakers with a closed-door briefing on the campaign to take out drugboats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Democrats railing against the strikes since they began, their criticism. intensifying following reports that one strike left two survivors who were then taken out in a second strike. Unsurprisingly, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer saying he is not satisfied

with the briefing, a sentiment echoed by other Democrats throughout the day yesterday. My demand of Secretary Hexeth in front of all hundred senators that he allow every senator to see the unedited version, the unedited video. of what happened on September 2nd. He refused. The administration came to this briefing empty-handed. That's the major question that we face. And if they can't be transparent on this,

how can you trust their transparency on all the other issues swirling about in the Caribbean? Secretary Hegeseth telling reporters the full video remains classified and will not be released to the public. But later today, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees will be able to view the video as those members hold higher-level security clearances.

Last night, President Trump increasing pressure on Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro posting to Truth Social, quote, Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before until such time as they return to the United States of America,

all of the oil, land, and other assets that they previously stole from us? Huh? The full scope of that demand is not immediately clear, though in 2007, Venezuela's government seized oil assets owned by foreign companies,

including U.S. companies like ExxonMobil, after they refused to give Venezuela's state-run oil company majority control of their operations. Over on the House side, Speaker Mike Johnson describing the White House's legal reasoning post the briefing. Pursuant to this constitutional authority

and the law of armed conflict. The president determined that the United States is in non-international armed conflict. That's NIAC, as the acronym is known. And that is with designated terrorist organizations and their affiliates who have evolved into complex structures with financial means and parliamentary capabilities needed to operate with impunity, engage in violence and terrorism. That presents a clear and present danger to the security of America and threatened other nations in our hemisphere. I want to make this point, clear. Over the last four years alone, America has lost more lives to drug overdoses and other

drug-related deaths than we did to the enemy actions in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq combined. This is a serious problem that a serious administration is addressing. It'll soon be wedding bells for Donald Trump Jr., announcing his engagement to Bettina Anderson from the White House on Monday. a holiday season, and Merry Christmas, a very happy new year. And to thank Petita for that one word, yes. It's always, you know when you go down there, it's like, you're going to go and you're trying to ask, and you're not sure what the answer is going to be. It's almost a little bit rough, but she said yes. It's really been the most unforgettable weekend of my life, and I get to marry the love of my

life, and I feel just like the luckiest girl in the world. Yes, one of America's most eligible bachelor's in love and now engaged to Palm Beach Socialite Anderson, the pair and item for about a year and a half now, following Don Jr's breakup with former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle and a previous marriage to ex-wife and mother of his five children, Vanessa Trump. Having spent time with both of them after our tour stop in Sugarland, Texas, your humble correspondent can report, they make the perfect couple. Best wishes. And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly.

Join me back here for the MK Show. Live on SiriusXMs, the Megan Kelly channel, 11 at noon east, on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly, and on all podcast platforms.