Mayor Eric Adams: Afternoon, everyone. [In] the last 24 hours, we've witnessed a tragedy that has swept our entire globe. We went to sleep with the horrific report of a mass shooting at Brown University. We woke up in the middle of the night to the news of a local one, [where] six individuals, teenagers, young people were shot in Brooklyn. We woke up this morning to hear about a devastating terrorist attack in [Australia].
The shock, the pain, the grief, no words can adequately describe those feelings. The police commissioner will go over what we know about the shooting in Brooklyn and an update on the Brown University shooting and what's playing out in [Australia].
When you think about it, six babies were shot in Brooklyn overnight while attending a sweet 16. And it just tells us how our continuous effort to remove illegal guns off our streets has a crucial role in the city. And the 25, close to 25,000 that we have removed saved lives. And we're going to continue to pursue making this city the safest big city in America. Our [thoughts]go out to the victims and their families.
And our city stands with the communities of Brown University, Brooklyn, and [Australia]. We clearly believe that families should never have to endure this level of violence. And we have talked about it over and over again. The violence that plays out on our college campuses, the violence that plays out on our streets and the terrorism that has engulfed our city and country, I should say globe, particularly antisemitism.
And we need to acknowledge and call it for what it is. This was just not a random act of violence that took place. It was antisemitic and targeted Jewish people. And today, I'm here to provide an update on the security measures around synagogues and menorah lighters across the city, particularly in the wake of the antisemitic terror attack in Sydney that killed over a dozen people and injured approximately 40 more.
We are surging counter-terrorism officers in critical response commands, and the police commissioner will go [into] details on what we're doing. And we did this periodically after the attacks on October 7th. But let me be clear, we are doing this out of an overabundance of caution. In Sydney, the police had, what appears to be, a slower response. I'm sure the investigation will determine what happened.
But I do know this, specialized units play a primary role and function to go and respond to terrorist attacks of this nature. It is ill-advised to talk about the dismantling of the SRG team, the same team that went into 345 Park Avenue, when we had now a lone gunman that took the lives of innocent New Yorkers.
It took the courage of a civilian to take down one of the shooters. The country was lucky that the civilian was there. Public safety can't be luck. Specialized units like SRG are trained for these encounters. And this illustrates the necessity of the strategic response groups who are ready to respond to terror attacks on a mass scale.
But this attack did not come out of nowhere. It came out as the consequences of Islamic extremists. And we have to be clear on that. It's not an attack on our Muslim brothers and sisters, who carry out their faith every day, but [it] is the hijacking of their religion by Islamic extremists.
Words have meaning. Words have impact, and words have power. Everyone needs to understand what words mean before they repeat them, before they shout them, before they defend them. That attack in Sydney is exactly what it means to “Globalize [the] intifada.” We saw the actual application of the globalization of intifada in Sydney because the attacker knew who he was targeting and he knew why.
It is the first night of Hanukkah, the festival of lights where Jews are obligated to publicize the celebration of their faith. And among the murdered victims of the attack [was] a rabbi who had ties to Crown Heights, as well as a Holocaust survivor. Let me say that again. A rabbi and a Holocaust survivor killed for being Jewish.
Antisemitism has no place in our city, in our society, and in our world. And I will continue to fight for this community and all communities of this city and for fellow brothers and sisters from the Jewish community. For the past four years, this administration has stood by the Jewish community, not just as the mayor, but as an ally, as a father, and as a human being.
As human beings, we cannot just turn down the temperature of hate. That is not enough. We must shut it off completely. Here in New York City, we must call out hate without fear and without apology, because we will not be silent in the face of bigotry, of hatred to any group.
We're going to be defiant. We're going to be resilient. All New Yorkers deserve to feel proud about their heritage. They deserve to feel safe in the displays of their pride.
Tonight, as Jewish New Yorkers celebrate Hanukkah, we honor another family of fighters, the Maccabees, who fought for the freedom of Jewish people, and they won. It was a victory of the weak over the strong, of spirit and belief over military might, but the Maccabees did not waver in the face of struggle. They did not lose hope. They did not lose faith. And so, they did not lose, and we will not lose.
This evening, we will celebrate the first night of the miracle of Hanukkah. No matter the tragedies we have experienced as a city, as a country, and as a globe in the last 24 hours. May we never forget that even in moments of darkness, moments that seem like they might last forever, there will always be a light.
I'm going to turn it over to the police commissioner of the City of New York.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Thank you, sir. Good afternoon. Before I address developments overseas connected to the first night of Hanukkah, I want to begin by providing an update on two incidents that occurred, one here in New York City, and one in Rhode Island.
First, at approximately 1:16 a.m., a shooting occurred outside the venue Burbuja Events, located at 2929 Atlantic Avenue in the Cypress Hills neighborhood of Brooklyn, which was hosting a sweet sixteen party at the time. Six teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 were tragically struck by gunfire. At this time, none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
Based on security camera footage provided by the venue, two unidentified males were observed walking southbound on Ashford Street toward Atlantic Avenue. Upon reaching the intersection, both individuals displayed firearms and discharged multiple rounds toward a crowd gathered outside of the venue. The suspects fired westbound on Atlantic Avenue before fleeing northbound on foot toward Ashford Avenue, to parts unknown.
The exact motive is currently unknown but appears to be gang related. This remains an active and ongoing investigation. NYPD detectives are following all leads and will provide updates as more information becomes available.
I also want to address the active shooter incident that occurred at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island yesterday, where two people were tragically killed and nine were injured. While that incident remains under investigation and there is no known nexus to New York City, we have deployed additional resources to college and university campuses throughout the city as a precaution.
I now want to turn to events overseas that are informing our security posture here in New York today. Last night in Sydney, Australia, two gunmen carried out a terrorist attack targeting a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. Authorities have confirmed that over a dozen people were killed, with dozens more injured and hospitalized.
I want to be clear, this was a deliberate act of violence against Jews celebrating their faith. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, Chabad, and Jewish communities here and around the world. Since the attack occurred, the NYPD has been in continuous contact with our law enforcement partners in Australia and we are receiving updates directly from our NYPD liaison officer stationed in Sydney. We are closely monitoring developments as more verified information becomes available. This too remains an active investigation.
Based on preliminary information at this time, authorities report that two assailants opened fire from an elevated position overlooking Bondi Beach where hundreds of people had gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah. Australian authorities have also confirmed that a vehicle containing undetonated explosive devices was located at the scene and is believed to be linked to the suspects.
At this time, one of the attackers is confirmed dead and the second was injured. He is in custody and was transported to a local hospital. Two Australian police officers were also critically injured in the attack. At this point, there is no known nexus to New York City, and we are not tracking any specific credible threats related to Hanukkah events here.
Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD has significantly increased security around Hanukkah related events, menorah lightings, and Jewish houses of worship across all five boroughs. You will see an enhanced uniform presence, specialized patrols, heavy weapons teams, community affairs officers, counterterrorism resources, and bomb squad deployments where appropriate. As always, we will follow up on any tips, leads, and intelligence and we are marshalling all available resources to ensure the safety of New Yorkers.
I'm going to be blunt. This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a wider assault on Jewish life, an environment in which hatred far exceeds rhetoric and erupts into horrifying acts of violence. Jewish communities are being forced to confront a threat that is persistent, adaptive, and is evidenced yet again today, global in scope. That's why the NYPD is acutely focused on prevention. We calibrate our presence to meet the threat, no matter where it lurks or whom it targets.
Tonight, marks the first night of Hanukkah here in New York City. There's a core idea in Jewish tradition that when you light the Hanukkah candles, you are engaging in “Pirsumei Nisa,” publicizing the miracle of Hanukkah. That is why candles are lit publicly in windows, in front yards, in open and visible spaces. It's a declaration of faith, resilience, and continuity. That is what the Jewish community in New York City does every year, and this year will be no different.
I want Jewish New Yorkers to know the NYPD will always be there to protect Jewish communities' right to worship freely, to gather openly, and to celebrate without fear. We ask New Yorkers to remain aware and alert. As always, if you see something suspicious, tell a uniformed police officer or call 911. Thank you very much.
Mayor Adams: And I just want to correct myself. I was saying Austria, I meant Australia. Sydney, Australia.
Question: [Inaudible.]
Police Commissioner Tisch: Yeah, it's really game-changing for us. We've expanded our international liaison program. The NYPD is truly global now. But immediately when the attack occurred, our international liaison was on the phone with myself, with our intelligence and counterterrorism teams, giving us real-time information.
So that in the middle of the night, while most New Yorkers were sleeping, the NYPD was already preparing our updated deployments of officers to houses of worship. We got an early start on planning for the public menorah lightings later this evening. We had already planned a robust deployment for those events, and we ticked it up even further following the attacks in Australia.
So, I really cannot say enough about how useful that international liaison program has been and how useful it was today in terms of getting us here, in New York, real-time information from around the globe.
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