Trump Praises Man Who Disarmed Sydney Mass Shooter Targeting Jewish Crowd

‘That was an anti-Semitic attack obviously, and I just want to pay my respects to everybody,’ Trump said.

Girls react as they leave the site of a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Dec. 14, 2025. Towels, bags and baby strollers littered Sydney's Bondi Beach. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken about the mass terror shooting that targeted a Jewish Hanukkah event on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach.

The death toll from the Dec. 15 attack stands at 16, including one gunman, with 40 hospitalised, six of whom remain in critical condition.

Two police officers are among the wounded.

“In Australia as you know there was a terrible attack ... and that was an anti-Semitic attack obviously, and I just want to pay my respects to everybody,” Trump said during a press conference in Washington D.C.

“To Australia, the prime minister, to everybody we get along with so well, we know so well, we have a great relationship—that’s a terrible situation going on.”

Trump also praised the actions of fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed—who in a video that has gone viral—snuck up from the side of one shooter, and then wrested his weapon from him. al Ahmed was later shot twice in the arm.

“In Australia, it’s a very very brave person actually who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters and saved a lot of lives,” Trump said.

“[He is a] very brave person who’s right now in the hospital pretty seriously wounded, so I have great respect to that man who did that.”

One of the gunmen, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot on scene by police and declared dead.

His 24-year-old son Naveed Akram was shot but survived and is in police custody.

Both live in Sydney’s far western multicultural suburb of Bonnyrigg, and rented an Airbnb property in the suburb of Campsie before embarking on the attack.

Detectives Locate 6th Firearm

Trump’s comments come as New South Wales (NSW) Police revealed further details in their investigation, including the discovery of more weapons.

The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) had begun their investigation into the attack, which saw the seizure of three firearms and two improvised explosive devices.

Speaking in a Dec. 15 media conference, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said all improved explosive devices had been handled by the bomb squad.

“They were taken by our rescue and bomb disposal unit,” he said.

“They were found to be active devices, so they were taken back and rendered safe by our police, who do a professional job.”

The devices are believed to have included a wick, which would have been lit in order to detonate them.

“I am very glad that those devices were not activated,” Commissioner Lanyon said.

“But really, our thoughts and prayers at the moment are with everyone who has lost someone.”