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US President Donald Trump on Sunday paid tribute to victims of multiple deadly attacks in the United States and abroad, including a campus shooting at Brown University and a deadly antisemitic terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach, during remarks at a Christmas reception.
"I want just to pay my respects to the people. Unfortunately, two are no longer with us. Brown University, nine injured. And two are looking down on us right now from heaven," Trump said. Referring to the attack in Australia, he added, "Likewise, in Australia, as you know, that was a terrible attack. Eleven dead, 29 badly wounded. And that was an anti-Semitic attack, obviously. And it's -- I just want to pay my respects to everybody." The US President also mentioned violence in the Middle East, saying, "In Syria also, we had an attack, and we had three great patriots terminated by bad people... It was ISIS. The Syrian government fought by our side. The new president fought by our side. But I just want to pay my respects to the families." The shooting at Brown University unfolded on Saturday when a suspect armed with a firearm entered a campus building where students were taking examinations and opened fire. According to police, nine people were injured, seven of them critically. The incident triggered a massive manhunt involving more than 400 law enforcement personnel, including agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, while the university was placed under lockdown. Meanwhile, Australia continues to reel from the deadly terror attack at Bondi Beach, where gunmen opened fire on crowds celebrating the first night of Hanukkah on Sunday evening. At least 16 people were killed in the attack, which authorities have declared an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community. In the aftermath, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said stricter gun laws would be taken up at a National Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday afternoon, signalling a possible tightening of Australia's already strict firearms regime. Speaking to the media ahead of the meeting, Albanese said stricter gun controls, including limits on the number of firearms licensed to individuals and periodic licence reviews, would be placed on the agenda. According to the latest update from New South Wales Health, 27 people remain hospitalised across Sydney after being injured in the mass shooting. Investigators have said a father-son duo carried out the attack. Police shot and killed the father at the scene, while the 24-year-old son is undergoing treatment in the hospital. Officials said the son, who was born in Australia, had previously been assessed by the country's domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, which had found no indication at the time that he posed a threat of engaging in violence. The father, who arrived in Australia in 1998, held a recreational hunting licence and was a member of a gun club. As investigations continue in both countries, leaders on both sides of the Pacific have reiterated solidarity with the victims and their families, even as renewed debates emerge over gun violence, extremism, and public safety. (ANI)
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