Rob Reiner's Neighbor Recounts 'Scary' Unfolding Of The Murders, Including An 'Active Shooter' Rumor
By Favour Adegoke on December 16, 2025 at 12:15 PM EST

The news of the killings of beloved actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, sent a shock across Hollywood, prompting a flood of tributes from friends and fans.
However, moments before proper reports of the grim incident had been made public, the late couple's neighbors were left in fear due to uncertainty about what had actually happened.
According to a source who spoke exclusively with The Blast, there were initially concerns about an "active shooter" and helicopters buzzing in the area, which kept many worried for hours.
Rob Reiner's Neighbor Received A Notification That There Was An 'Active Shooter'

As investigations continue into the grisly murders of Hollywood couple, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer, people close to the situation are opening up about the mystery that surrounded the gruesome event and left many in fear for hours.
One of the couple's Brentwood neighbors talked to The Blast about the "scary" moment she received a notification on her phone on Sunday from an "emergency" group chat at about 5:50 pm, alerting her of a possible "active shooter" in the area.
The neighbor, who lives one mile away from the Reiners, also noted that helicopters were buzzing in the area, further heightening fears of a dangerous situation, as rumors circulated that "two people" had been found dead in the couple's house.
"They didn't say who, they didn't say what, you know. We were like, well, is it, you know, a burglary gone wrong or something?" the neighbor recalled. "Did they get murdered?"
"And now there's somebody on the loose... and it was kind of scary, and all we can hear is helicopters for a while," she added.
After a period of uncertainty, the police finally released information about a "man and a woman murdered," who were in the same age groups as Reiner and his wife, Michele.
However, this didn't calm the situation over at Brentwood, and only worsened fears of a possible active shooter in the area, which has since been confirmed to not have been the case, as the couple was reportedly stabbed to death.
The Actor's Neighbor Feels The Situation Was Handled Poorly By The Police

Speaking further about the frightening incident, the neighbor, who has requested for anonymity, questioned the way the police handled the situation.
She noted that even after the L.A. fire department was confirmed to have arrived at the murder scene at 3:30 am, many were still unsure of what was happening, as information was sparse, and there were still rumors circulating in the neighborhood group chats of an "active shooter."
"Why not release it? What are they hiding?" the neighbor added about the lack of information from the police.
She said that about "an hour later," a person finally clarified on their group chat that it was Reiner and his wife who had been killed, which left them all "heartbroken."
This all happened before the news of their deaths was made public, and neighbors still weren't sure at the time if it was an "intruder" and if the couple had been "shot" or "stabbed."
"It was just very scary because we didn't know what was going on and then the police was releasing so little information," the neighbor continued, stating that they were kept in the dark for a long period, not knowing if someone was going to "attack the whole neighborhood."
"It was just not handled very well from the police sadly, and we can't figure out why," she added.
Rob Reiner's Neighbor Highlights The 'Problematic Nature' Of His Son, Who Is The Current Suspect

Reiner's son, Nick, has since been arrested as a suspect in the murders of his parents.
The neighbor who spoke with The Blast revealed that before reports of his arrest, a person in their emergency group chat had already hinted that it was likely their son who killed them.
According to the source, people who knew the couple were well "aware" of the "problematic nature" of their son.
The 32-year-old is currently in police custody with regard to the death of his parent and is being held without bail on a felony charge.
He was initially held on a $4 million bail, which was quickly rescinded. Nick is also on suicide watch as he stays in administrative segregation at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
The Late Actor And His Son Had A Heated Argument

A day before Reiner and Michele's deaths were reported, it was revealed that the couple had attended a Christmas party at Conan O'Brien's house along with Nick, during which the father and son had a "huge argument."
While the pair did not get physical with each other, a close friend of Reiner and Michele claimed that their son had always shown a propensity for violence.
"This is not the first time their son has been violent," the source told the New York Post. "I know of another incident a few years back with Nick, but I won't say more than that."
"I just never thought it would ever get to this point," the source added.
Rob Reiner Was Allegedly Worried About His Son's 'Deteriorating' Mental Health

Another source who spoke with NYP claimed that Reiner and his wife had fears that their son was still on drugs and that his mental health was quickly deteriorating due to his addiction.
"Rob had been telling people that they're scared for Nick and scared that his mental state was deteriorating," the insider told the news outlet. "These poor people did everything to help this kid."
Reiner and his wife reportedly tried every means necessary, sparing no expense, to get Nick help, including sending him to rehabilitation facilities, hoping that the troubled man would beat his drug habit.