Release date
US President Donald Trump condemned the “purely anti-Semitic attack” in the strongest terms after the shooting that killed 16 people at a Jewish celebration shocked Australia.
President Trump joined world leaders in condemning the attack on iconic Bondi Beach that injured dozens of people. Australian authorities are treating the attack as terrorism, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaking of “vicious anti-Semitism”.
Speaking at the White House during a Christmas event, President Trump called the attack “horrible” and “purely anti-Semitic.” The US president added: “Today we can say out loud that we celebrate Hanukkah.”
President Trump also addressed another mass shooting at Brown University that left two people dead and nine injured. “My respects go out to the family,” he said.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the country’s foreign policy chief, said that “anti-Semitism is spreading around the world” and that “the United States strongly condemns it.” The Trump administration called the shooting a terrorist attack.
The attack killed 11 people and injured 29 more, making it the deadliest since 1996 in a country with strict gun control laws. Australian Prime Minister Albanese has vowed to “eradicate” hate crimes in the country.
“Hateful violence and terrorism have no place in our country. Let me be clear: We will eradicate it,” he said at a news conference after Sunday’s shooting. One of the two suspected gunmen is dead and the other is in critical condition.
Kicker: Attack during “Hanukkah by the Sea”
NSW Police issued a warning at 7pm local time on Sunday after reports of an active shooter incident, asking people to evacuate or avoid Bondi Beach. Witnesses described chaos as people panicked and evacuated from the armed group.
Unusual footage showed two men with assault rifles firing rapid-fire into a panicked crowd and firing at people. The man was also filmed struggling with one of the gunmen, who grabbed his rifle and tried to stop the shooting.
Police paid tribute to his courageous actions. Australian media identified the suspect as Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43.
The celebration of Hanukkah, one of the most important events in the Jewish calendar, was held on the famous beach and was attended by around 1,000 people.
investigation continues