A CNN anchor whose son was locked inside Brown University during last night's deadly mass shooting left viewers emotional as he hugged him live on air.
John Berman embraced his son Joe after the teenager recounted the harrowing experience in an interview with his journalist father.
Joe said that he had just arrived at the library to meet a friend when he found out about the shooting a short distance away.
He was signing an entrance form because he is not a Brown student and was visiting the campus.
Joe said: 'Right in front of us, talking to a different library clerk, was a woman who was very sad on the phone. Her friend had just seen someone lying on the ground and said they had to call 911.
'And what happened immediately after was, the librarian said they gotta lock the doors, everyone should go inside, get away from windows and just follow those people trying to get to safer spaces. We were up on the third floor, so that’s what happened.'
Joe's father then said that he was thankful his son called him from the library around 4.30pm and that the call was how he first found out about the shooting.
Joe explained that he was in the library for seven hours before he and the others inside were bused to a different building, which he said was 'one of the oddest, scariest experiences of the whole endeavor.'
The son of CNN anchor John Berman was on Brown's campus during the shooting that left two students dead and nine more injured on Saturday
Joe Berman embraced his father, John, live on the air Sunday afternoon and recounted his harrowing experience as his dad interviewed him
Joe said that getting bused to a different building was 'one of the oddest, scariest experiences of the whole endeavor.' In this photo, evacuated students arrive at a temporary family reunification site
The anchor's son said that all of the Brown students were taken to one building, while he and other friends who were visiting were taken to another building.
'It's like a natural disaster,' Joe said. 'You have to check in. Everyone asks how you are. Everyone's very sweet, but some students had to spend the night in this giant athletics center.'
John pointed out that his son grew up with school shootings constantly in the news and saw his father go out to cover them before asking: 'Was there a moment you were like, "this is all happening right around me?"'
'I think it really hit once we left,' Joe replied.
'We were lucky enough to find a place to stay off-campus for the night. And it's just you see all these cop cars, all these different law enforcement vehicles everywhere, and then once you get out of this protected zone, it's just silence, and I think that's really when it hit me.'
John thanked his son again for calling and pointed out that Joe sounded very calm on the phone.
'Were you trying to make us not worry?' he asked.
'I think it's any son's job to make their parents not worry, but in this situation I felt very safe. The Brown Police Department responded very fast. The librarians were very helpful,' Joe replied.
Students seen sheltering in place as the Providence, Rhode Island college was sent into lockdown for hours on Saturday evening following the shooting
Police S.W.A.T. team members gather inside Brown University's Sciences Library after the shooting Saturday
'There was security in the building, and then after three hours, there were cops protecting us. So I felt safe. I didn't want to spread any fear onto you guys, and I was with my friend, so that's what I cared about most.'
'Well we appreciated it. I'm really glad you're okay,' John said before hugging his son.
'That was Joe Berman. Good guy, known him for a long time,' John emotionally quipped at the end of the interview.
On social media, people shared their sympathies and respect for John and said they were glad his son is alright.
'What a pro John is. Had to be hard to do that interview where he provided his audience valuable information. Glad his son emerged safe and we're thinking of those that did not,' one user wrote on X.
'I'm so sorry to hear about your son & what he went through yesterday. The interviews you have done with the kids are so touching. You & your family have been through the nightmare every parent pleads not to experience. Take care of yourself & each other, John,' wrote another.
'Happy Joe is safe,' a third said.
The man arrested in connection to the deadly shooting at Brown University has been identified as Benjamin Erickson, a 24-year-old from Wisconsin, according to law enforcement sources.
FBI agents walking towards the engineering building where the shooting took place
Police have not publicly named Erickson as a suspect or charged him in connection to the deadly attack.
Law enforcement told CNN that the suspect drove 17 hours from Wisconsin to Rhode Island to commit the horrific attack.
The shooter fired more than 40 9mm rounds, and two firearms - a small Glock handgun and a revolver - were found in the hotel room the arrested suspect was staying in, police said.
They added that one of the guns had a laser sight, which is commonly used to show where a bullet will land once it is discharged from a firearm.
The first 911 call reporting shots fired at Brown's prestigious engineering building was made at 4.05pm on Saturday.
Terrified students at the Ivy League school were made to shelter in place overnight. That order was lifted as of 7am Sunday morning.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley gave an update on the conditions of the injured on Sunday. He said seven are in stable condition, one is in critical but stable condition and one has been discharged from the hospital.
All eight of those still in the hospital are Brown students, the mayor confirmed.
Police have yet to name the suspected shooter, and his motive is unclear.
