President Donald Trump addressed the shootings at Brown University and Bondi Beach in Australia, as well as the deaths of three U.S. soldiers in Syria, during a Christmas event at the White House on Sunday (December 14).

“I want to just 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 via the New York Post. “And likewise, in Australia, that was a terrible attack. 11 dead, 29 badly wounded, and that was an anti-Semitic attack, obviously. And I just want to pay my respects to everybody.

“It was a rough day.”

Trump confirmed that Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa "fought by our side" in the response to the ISIS ambush attack within the country that resulted in the deaths of two U.S. service members and one interpreter.

“I can tell you, in Syria, there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it,” he said. “But there’ll be big damage done.”

A person of interest was taken into custody in connection with the shooting at Brown University that resulted in two deaths on Saturday (December 13), Providence Police Department spokesperson Kristy DosReis confirmed via ABC News. The person was caught by police based on a tip from the public, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

A federal source told ABC News that police were referring to the individual as a person of interest, however, were confident that they were on track with the investigation. The person in custody is reportedly not a Brown University student, according to multiple sources and the department declined from sharing details about the individual during a press conference.

At least 12 people, including a suspected gunman, were killed and 29 others wounded during the mass shooting at an Australian beach targeting Jewish victims, according to the New York Post. A large crowd was gathered for "Chanukah by the Sea 2025," celebrating the first night of the Jewish holiday, when two gunmen opened fire at around 6:45 p.m.

“This cowardly act of terrified violence is shocking and painful to see and represents some of our worst fears about terrorism in Sydney,” said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns during at a press conference Sunday night via the New York Post.

“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” he added. “What should’ve been a night of peace and joy celebrated in that community with families and supporters has been shattered by this horrifying evil attack.”

Mo Egger

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