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President Donald Trump said that Jewish Americans celebrating Hanukkah should not be worried about their safety in the U.S. following the deadly shooting in Australia.
“Celebrate proudly—be proud of who you are,” the president told Fox News on Sunday.
Two gunmen targeted Jewish civilians at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing at least 15 people. The shooters were both father and son: a 50-year-old male who was killed by police, and his 24-year-old son, who is being treated in a hospital, the Associated Press reported.
The shooters were named as Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, per ABC News Australia.
The outlet reported that an ISIS flag was found in their car at Bondi Beach. The Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) also reportedly took an interest in Naveed Akram six years ago after police foiled plans for an ISIS attack.
A 10-year-old girl was among those killed, according to The Guardian. Other confirmed victims so far include 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alexander Kleytman, 41-year-old Rabbi Eli Schlanger, French citizen Dan Elkayam, Chabad community member Reuven Morrison, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan and an unnamed Israeli citizen.
At least 42 others were being treated in hospitals, with several of them in critical condition.
The Associated Press reported that police were called in response to shots being fired around 6:45 P.M. at the beach. Video footage shows attendees running from the water and the event once gunshots were heard.
Two men with long guns were seen firing on civilians from a footbridge leading to the beach.
Another clip showed a man seemingly tackling and disarming one of the gunman before turning the shooter’s weapon on him, later setting the gun on the ground.
