CNN’s John Berman Interviews Son on Surviving Brown University Shooting: ‘I Didn’t Want to Spread Any Fear’

CNN host John Berman interviewed his son, Joe, on Sunday after the young man spent Saturday night sheltering in place at Brown University as an active shooter killed two people and wounded nine others — an attack that sent the campus into lockdown for several hours.

“Joe doesn’t go to Brown, but happened to pick last night to visit one of his best friends who does go here,” Berman began.

Joe Berman explained that he met his friend at the library and was preparing to sign in.

“And right in front of us, talking to a different library clerk was 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,” Joe Berman said. “And what happened immediately after was the librarian said they gotta lock the doors. Everyone should go inside, to get away from windows, and just follow those people trying to get to safer spaces.”

“And you, thankfully, decided to call us,” John Berman said.

“I mean, it’s it’s a scary situation,” his son continued. “It doesn’t really cross your mind when you see it on the news all the time. And I suppose I’ve become desensitized towards it. But when it happens to you, it’s — Even if you’re in a different building, like five minutes away, you know people, I have friends from my high school here, my best friend, a bunch of his friends know people. And it just it feels a lot closer to home when it happens.”

Joe said they sheltered at the library for seven hours before being bused to a different location. Eventually he and his friends found a place to stay off campus.

“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,” Joe said.

“When you called us — and again, thank you so much for calling us — You sounded so calm, like…Were you trying to make us not worry?” John Berman asked.

“I mean, I think it’s any son’s job to make their parents not worry. But in this situation, I felt very safe. I mean, the Brown Police Department responded very fast. The librarians were very helpful. The 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 friends, so that’s what I cared about most.”

Police now say they have a person of interest in custody.

The two Bermans hugged as the interview wrapped up, and the elder Berman understandably appeared to be choked up as he ended the segment.

Watch the clip above via CNN.