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11 Killed in Attack Targeting Australian's Jewish Community; Officials: Person Detained After Two Killed in Brown University Shooting. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired December 14, 2025 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CASEY JORDAN, BEHAVIORAL ANALYST: I mean, in terms of having a beef with the university that's not even real or legitimate. We will find out a lot more, but there doesn't seem to be an indication, as -- as he points out, this person was not living in Brown housing. They were staying in a hotel if they're from the Midwest. I mean, what is that connection? Never forget that the Unabomber just had a problem with technology and targeted universities because he felt like they were promoting technology.

So, there might be something that is very unique to the psychology of this shooter where it was Brown on purpose for him, but there is nothing very specific or direct. It would link that person to the university --

(CROSSTALK)

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Casey, forgive me for interrupting. We're going to go to the White House and listen to the president.

DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: 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.

And likewise, in Australia, as you know, that was a terrible attack, 11 dead, 29 badly wounded. And that was an antisemitic attack, obviously.

And I just want to pay my respects to everybody. I must say in Syria also, we had an attack in Syria and we had three great patriots terminated by bad people and not the Syrian government. It was ISIS. Syrian government fought by our side. The new president fought by our side. But I just want to pay my respects to the families.

We also had three injured, but two of them are already out of the hospital and one's going to be OK. But we lost three. So, it was a rough -- it was a rough day.

But to Australian -- the prime minister, to everybody that we know so well, we get along with so well. We have a great relationship. That's a terrible situation going on over there. Think of that.

And Brown University, great school -- great, great -- really one of the greatest schools anywhere in the world. Things can happen. So, to the nine injured get well fast and to the families of those two that are no longer with us. I pay my deepest regards and respects from the United States of America.

Thank you very much. It's a very important thing to say. And we mean it.

I can tell you in Syria there will be a lot of damage done to the people that did it. They got the person, the individual person, but there'll be big damage done. And the other supposedly they call him a person of interest. So, I'll keep it along those lines so we don't get ourselves in any trouble. But they have a person of interest at Brown.

And in Australia, you probably read, it's been -- it's been a very, very brave person, actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters and saved a lot of lives. So, very brave person is right now in the hospital, pretty seriously wounded.

So, I great respect to that man that did that. But we're here for a different reason. We're here to celebrate Christmas and to celebrate. And I think today we can first say loudly we celebrate Hanukkah because that was such a horrible attack. That was a purely antisemitic attack.

And to really celebrate the new year, we have an amazing couple of achievements. We've taken in more investment money than any country has ever taken in by four times. There's never been anything like it.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: And I'd like to say that was because of the November 5th election. But and it was to an extent because without the November 5th election, you would have had a president that didn't have the courage to use tariffs the way they should be used. And because of the tariffs, we've taken in more than 18 -- think of this $18 trillion has never been anything like it. As an example, the previous administration, sleepy Joe Biden, took in less than 1 trillion in four years. We took in more than 18 trillion in 10 months. I'd say that's pretty good, right? I'd say that's very good.

And if you go back -- if you go back into history, there's never been a country that's taken in more than $3 trillion. And we have over 18. That's again, because they don't want to pay tariffs. So, in order not to pay tariffs, they come in and they build their plant in the United States. It's pretty simple.

And it's been pretty amazing. Actually, we have some very special people here. And because I believe in family so strongly, I think I should introduce we have Don. We have his children. We have Vanessa, her children, Kai, Tristan, Spencer, Chloe.

[13:05:12]

Where is -- you know, Kai? Great golfer. Has anyone ever? Oh, there she is. Hi, Kai. Put your hand up, Kai. Can you beat? Can you beat your grandpa in golf? (CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Can Kai beat her grandpa? I don't know. But she's great. Chloe is going to be amazing.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. You're watching now a holiday celebration there at the White House with the president making reference to tragedies that have swept this country and even abroad.

You heard the president there offering condolences and comfort to the victims at Brown University after a shooting there yesterday on campus during a period of finals for many of the students, a Hanukkah separately, a Hanukkah celebration that also was disrupted by gunfire and a death there in Sydney, Australia. And then the president also making reference to two U.S. troops killed along with a translator during a counterterrorism joint operation, which was intersected with what's believed to be an ISIS gunman who fired upon them there in Syria.

Thank you so much for joining us there. We're going to leave the White House right now, but I'm also joined by my colleague John Berman in Providence, Rhode Island. We're going to zero in on what took place at Brown University yesterday.

There is a person of interest, John, but we're following this breaking news on these big stories this hour. Major developments in a pair of tragic mass shootings here in the U.S. and in Australia. Moments ago, authorities in Providence, Rhode Island announcing new details on that deadly shooting at Brown University that killed two students and injured nine others on Saturday.

And this is the scene near Providence where police say they took a person of interest into custody at a hotel this morning. A law enforcement official tells CNN that the individual had two firearms in their possession when they were detained. Authorities say they continue to build their case and obtained new evidence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF COL. OSCAR L. PEREZ JR. PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND POLICE: The investigation continues to progress extremely fast. We're in the process of collecting evidence and seizing items that we need to see, search locations that we need to search. I want to commend the response, the quick response of ATF, FBI.

As the items get seized and collected, obviously they will provide the resources and the equipment that we need to ensure that we have the right legal requirements and facts in order to be able to provide that so that we can move along.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And then to Australia, at least 11 people dead and more than 29 more are injured after gunmen opened fire at a Jewish event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah on Bondi Beach. Officials are calling it a targeted terrorist attack on Australia's Jewish community. There were at least two suspects.

And stunning new video showing a hero bystander right there tackling one of the gunmen, wrestling the weapon from him, as you see right there, turning it on him. We now know that one of the suspects was killed. Another is in custody.

All right, let's get started with our coverage with the latest on the shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. CNN's John Berman is there. John, you know, the investigation is really still in its infancy.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It absolutely is, Fred. What -- what an amazing, stunning, sad 24 hours all around the world, including right where I'm standing. This is Hope Street. It was on this street about a block and a half away where we saw that brief, you know, 10-second video of the person that authorities say is a person of interest in this case. A person of interest is now in custody.

But this is where the shooting took place in the engineering building. An economics class filled with about 60 students, two students killed, nine still injured. A news conference was held just a short time ago. While they didn't release much information there, our team has been able to piece together some new facts.

So, I want to get right to CNN's Brian Todd with the very latest on what you are learning, where you are standing, first of all, and what this new information is about this person of interest.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, John, we'll get right to it. We do understand that there is a search warrant being executed in the hotel behind me. This is the hotel where the person of interest was taken into custody.

I got confirmation a little while ago that the person taken into custody here at this hotel is the same person of interest that is in custody now in Providence with the authorities there. Law enforcement officials have been going in and out of this entrance to the hotel.

[13:10:08]

Now, we do have some important new information from our colleague, CNN Senior Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller, learning from a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation that of the two weapons, of the two firearms recovered from the room in this hotel behind me, one of them was equipped with what's called a laser sight.

That is one detail that our John Miller has been able to learn from a law enforcement source, so some important information there. Officials on the ground here have been kind of cagey with us as to whether any weapons have been recovered. We have since learned that two firearms have been recovered from this hotel room that the person of interest had in their possession when they were detained.

The police chief, Oscar Perez, did say that the person of interest is someone in his 20s. That had been the subject of some back and forth. And again, we can tell you that a member of our team was here and witnessed law enforcement converging on the room in the 3 o'clock a.m. hour this morning and heard them coming upon the room and yelling to open up and saying that they had a warrant for this person's apartment and saying, we're going to take you out back in the cruiser. That's what a member of our team heard and was here when law enforcement banged on the door and said, open up.

And it was a very dramatic scene here at about roughly 3:30 a.m. this morning. We did, of course, since confirm that that person detained then is the same person who is a person of interest.

At a news conference a short time ago, the mayor of Providence, Brett Smiley, talked about his conversations with some of the survivors and other victims. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRETT SMILEY, PROVIDENCE MAYOR: The resilience that these survivors showed and shared with me is frankly pretty overwhelming. It pales in comparison what they've gone through for the rest of us here. We're all saddened and scared and tired. But what they've been through is something entirely different. And yet they showed courage and hope and gratitude for how this community has stood up for them and how the health care providers cared for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: And again, to recap what we learned at that news conference, which frankly was not very much, what the police chief did say is that the investigation is progressing, he said, extremely fast. They are seizing items they need to seize, searching places that they need to search. But otherwise, other than telling us that the person of interest is in his 20s, not a lot of information there, John, as I know you heard as well.

BERMAN: No, but we are getting new information. Thanks to you, Brian Todd and our John Miller. Brian, we'll let you get back to reporting what is a very much a crime scene right now behind you, not where the crime took place, but an area that is being searched and investigated right now.

In the meantime, I want to bring in CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem. And Juliette, let's pick up on those new pieces of information from Brian. First, the weapons. Two weapons recovered there, including a gun with a laser sight.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yeah, this is, I mean, we've been speculating or just based on the information about who could this person be. A camera doesn't pick up his face. We don't see anything or we don't have any background names are circulating, but we certainly can't confirm them.

And now sort of a sophisticated attack, the two weapons with the laser as if they're targeting someone. That's why you would use it. And also that just sort of, you know, interesting thing about this is it was a Saturday and yet he finds a full room and enters a building that is not well displayed or anything.

And so the questions, the obvious questions will be, if not a student, what was the relationship or was there any specific relationship with anyone in that room? Because it's just not common for, you know, there to be that many kids around on a Saturday in December.

BERMAN: No, I mean, when I went to college, they didn't teach classes or have classes on Saturday afternoons there. So, was this a target of opportunity or did this person of interest go in there knowing that that's where he wanted to be? That's one of the questions obviously we need more information on.

And Brian Todd is reporting from Coventry, Rhode Island. We keep saying it's near the airport. It's actually past the airport.

KAYYEM: Yeah.

BERMAN: All right. It's about a 25 five-minute drive from here. What does it tell you that this person got out of Providence proper, but stopped there?

KAYYEM: Yeah. Why not go further south to New York --

(CROSSTALK)

KAYYEM: Like another state? Right. I mean, I had the same thought. I spent a lot of time in Rhode Island. My daughter is an alumni here at Brown. So, I know this university. So, I-95 is right here. I-95 can take you to a lot of places.

BERMAN: Miami.

KAYYEM: I could take you to Miami. Everything in Rhode Island is about 25 five minutes away.

BERMAN: Right.

KAYYEM: Everyone sort of jokes about that. Everything is 25 five minutes away. He passes the airport. It's a -- it's a big ish airport. It's not -- it's not a massive airport. And -- and then he stops. So, it makes one believe he has strong ties to the community, strong ties to Rhode Island, or maybe did not have an exit strategy, didn't think he would survive. But that's actually that is not an exit strategy. He's still with the guns. He's in a hotel and they're able to find him.

[13:15:14]

How they identified that -- that very short picture to the person in the hotel room, we'll find out more. But -- but nothing -- I mean, from my perspective, he -- he basically took a sort of long drive, how he got there. We don't know. And he was close -- he was close by.

BERMAN: Look, still so many open questions to be sure. Why is it, do you think that we're 20 hours or so past the incident itself? They have a person of interest in custody. Why is it that they are releasing so few details at this point?

KAYYEM: At this stage, I think I just want to make a tight case. You have him. You have him alive. You have him with weapons. And now they just want to get motive. So, any speculation on their end at this side could only harm them and could help a potential defense, whatever that might be.

I know we don't like it from our perspective. I'm certainly curious about the motive and his relationship, if any, to Brown. But at this stage, they have everything they need. Now, they just want to make the case. And so they're going to protect the information. That last press conference, I suspect, was a way of shutting down whatever rumors they're seeing on social media.

BERMAN: Juliette Kayyem, obviously, we'll talk much more with you throughout the day, because I do expect we'll learn more information, either through our reporting or a public news conference. Thank you so much.

We're going to have much more from Rhode Island coming up, including a conversation I honestly never expected to have or certainly never hoped to have. Turns out my son, who does not go to Brown, was visiting a friend of his here last night. And my son ended up sheltering in place in the library here. And we're going to talk about what that was like for both of us.

We're also following another breaking story, a terror attack on Australia's Jewish community. Eleven people killed on the first night of Hanukkah. Stay with CNN. This is our special live coverage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:21:27]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. It's been a day of terror in Australia as well. At least 11 people killed at an event where hundreds of people gathered at the Bondi Beach in Sydney to celebrate the first day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. This video shows people scrambling off the beach there as gunfire erupts. Witnesses describe a bloody scene and then there's dramatic video showing one of the gunmen being tackled right there and having his gun taken from him before he runs away.

Police say they also removed an explosive device from a car nearby. Two suspects can be seen shooting from a bridge. One of the suspects is dead while the other is in life-threatening condition. Authorities are labeling it a terrorist incident and calling for people to remain peaceful.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAL LANYON, NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE COMMISSIONER: Could I ask but this is a time of calm. This is a time where I want to make sure that there is no retribution. The police are investigating thoroughly. We have acted promptly. We have taken decisive action. Could I just ask for calm in the community. Allow the police to do our job. We will work closely with community and I'll continue to provide updates about the investigation as they go on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack an act of evil. CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson is joining me live from London right now with more on this Nic. I mean we're seeing harrowing moments on social media from the attack that one man tackling a gunman. What more do we know about him and the circumstances of everything that transpired.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, it began about five o'clock in the afternoon on that grassy area open grassy area next to Bondi Beach. It was a planned event to celebrate the first evening of Hanukkah about 6:30 just as the first candle was being lit on the menorah. That's when the gunman started shooting and that's when the panic set in.

All those people running away you see took away from the scene because of the gunshots and that incredible moment where the man you see in that white shirt hiding behind a vehicle then runs up and grabs the gun from one of the gunmen. He's been identified by one of his relatives as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old storekeeper. He has two children. No experience in weapons whatsoever.

Then one of the gunmen actually turns the weapon on Ahmed and shoots at him injures him in the shoulder and in the arm. He's in hospital getting treatment at the moment. But there have been a number of deaths as you say 11 deaths. One of them we know was a 12-year-old girl. One of them was the rabbi hosting that event.

This happens here on this open piece of ground every year at least over recent years according to the organizers. The prime minister as you said has called it an act of evil has said it's specifically targeting Jewish Australians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah which should be a day of joy a celebration of faith an act of evil antisemitism terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Now, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized Australian politicians for recognizing the state of Palestine back in September before the ceasefire and has said that in essence this has sort of caused the rise in antisemitism that is being reaped today on the streets of Australia.

[13:25:17]

It was interesting as well however that the Israeli prime minister also commented on that heroic brave person who went in to tackle the gunman noting that he was a Muslim and thanking him for his selfless act there. WHITFIELD: I mean it was an incredible moment indeed. All right Nic Robertson thank you so much.

And of course, we'll have more of our breaking news coverage on this terror incident in Australia and we'll also following breaking news out of Rhode Island where a person of interest is in custody in connection with the deadly shooting at Brown University. Details on how the FBI located this person of interest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:30:19]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF COLONEL OSCAR PEREZ JR., PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND POLICE: I'll tell you that right now the investigation continues to progress extremely fast. We're in the process of collecting evidence and seizing items that we need to see, search locations that we need to search.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, I'm John Berman in Providence, Rhode Island on the scene of this deadly shooting at Brown University which took place at a building half a block away from where I am right now.

You just heard from a news conference where last hour officials said it took an all-hands-on deck situation to detain a person of interest within 12 hours of the shooting. They didn't say much else at that news conference, frankly, other than this person of interest is in custody.

But CNN has got brand new reporting. I want to get right to CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller. John, give us the very latest you're hearing.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, we know that they -- at 4:00 o'clock in the morning, hit this hotel room in Coventry and took this man into custody. What we're told from law enforcement sources now is that they seized two firearms from this 24-year-old suspect. One of those firearms, we are told, was equipped with a laser sight device.

This has significance because, number one, that's a fairly sophisticated device for a handgun where when you aim it, a red dot goes where you want to target, and if you fire at that point, the bullet goes where the dot is. It's the kind of things used mostly by professionals, tactical people, military people.

The -- the other aspect of it, though, is it indicates that this was no random shooting. What we know is this individual traveled from the Midwest, apparently obtained this hotel room, likely had to obtain a rented car to go from there, the 20-minute drive to the target location. Authorities have told us that he is not a student at Brown University. But that doesn't specifically mean he never was a student or an employee or had some association there.

Clearly, this is a shooting not driven by randomness. Apparently, he traveled to Rhode Island to do this terrible act, but driven by grievance. What that grievance is, we don't know at this point.

But we know that it appears the suspect would be aware that even on a Saturday, there would be people in that building, that there would be access to that building. And he chose one of the amphitheater-style classrooms on the first floor, apparently shooting randomly at targets. But I don't think his presence could be considered random.

What went into this last night? We look at this video. We see an individual walking briskly away. They expanded that video canvas out to commercial locations, residences, trying to pick up other small pieces of video of him passing by. They also brought in the FBI's CAST team. It's the Cellular Analysis Support Team. They've been critical in cases like this where they can isolate what phones were in the area at the time. They use license plate readers.

But a combination of all of these things and information from the Providence Police brought them in the wee hours of the morning to this hotel in Coventry and to that room. So, what those elements are, how they came together, we'll find out as the investigation progresses. But big steps forward very quickly in the dark of night.

BERMAN: John, you just gave us a lot of new information that was new to me and I imagine new to our audience as well, including the person of interest traveled from the Midwest. There was a rental car. I was not aware of either of those things. And also giving us the information that there was extra --

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: Just to be clear on that, we know that he is not a resident of Rhode Island. He's living in another state, far away, that he ended up in this hotel. So, we're assuming he traveled to get there. And it's 20 minutes away from the school, so it suggests that he had a vehicle.

BERMAN: Again -- again, all new information to us, especially that he was not a resident here. In his 20s, not a current student, as you said, doesn't mean he never was. That also very important. And then the extra little bit of information, because the only video that authorities released was a very brief, few frames that took place actually in the street where I'm standing right now, where there was very little to distinguish. But there's other video besides that that they haven't released from local businesses and or consumers that may have helped in this investigation as well. Is that what you're learning?

[13:35:06]

MILLER: There is. And we don't know whether that video is better than the video that they did release. But we also know it's a bit of a moot point in that they believe, at this point, they have the suspect they are looking for. They have referred to him as a person. The video that they did release. But we also know it's a bit of a moot

point in that they believe, at this point, they have the suspect they are looking for. They have referred to him as a person of interest. It means he is not yet charged, but he is clearly under arrest because he has been held for some time and he is not free to go.

I think, at minimum, if he is an out-of-state resident, the possession of two firearms in Rhode Island by an out-of-state resident will be enough to make an arrest separate from the shooting, which would be a holding charge.

BERMAN: All right, John Miller, as always, a lot of brand-new reporting. We're just getting in. We'll continue to work through this. We'll let you work your sources as well. Come back to us when you get more. Thank you very much.

We're going to have much more on the investigation into the deadly shooting at Brown University shortly. Students were locked down for hours, all night in some cases. Among them, with them, my son, who happened to be visiting Brown University last night. We're going to talk about it in just a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:53]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIA TRETTA, BROWN UNIVERSITY STUDENT: I was in my dorm studying with a friend, and we got our first text saying there was a shooter alarm going off. At first, you know, I didn't really think it was real, you know, those types of alarms. Oh, someone set it off or something happened. But never in my mind would it occur that there was actually a shooting until hundreds of texts started rolling in from everyone. When I was shot at my school, they knew exactly where the shooter was within the hour. I didn't have to deal with this fear for hours on end of where this person is. Could they be doing it again?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, you just heard from Mia Tretta, a student at Brown University. Survived a shooting at her high school, only to now have to deal with the same fear and panic again. Those emotions are reverberating throughout campus today after students and nearby residents spent hours sheltering in place.

Obviously, today, the Brown community Providence, breathing a sigh of relief for the person of interest now in custody. Everyone who is here, I think, feels a little bit better about all this. One of those people who spent the night sheltering in place overnight happens to be my son, Joe Berman, who is here with me now.

Joe doesn't go to Brown, but happened to pick last night to visit one of his best friends who does go here. You arrived. Your friend told you meet you in the library, not this library, about five minutes away. You walked in. What happened? JOE BERMAN, SHELTERED IN PLACE DURING SHOOTING: Yeah, we walked in. My

friend was there. He let us in. We were preparing to fill out the entrance form. You have to sign in because we weren't Brown students. And right in front of us, talking to a different library clerk, was a woman who was very sad on the phone. Her friend had just seen someone lying on the ground and said they had to call 911.

And what happened immediately after was the librarian said they got to lock the doors. Everyone should go inside to get away from windows. And just what followed was people trying to get to safer spaces. We were up on the third floor, so that's what happened.

BERMAN: And you, thankfully, decided to call us. So, the first I heard of this was a little bit after 4:00.

JOE BERMAN: Yeah.

BERMAN: 4:30, the phone rings. It's you. Why do you call us?

JOE BERMAN: I mean, it's -- it's a scary situation. It doesn't really cross your mind when you see it on the news all the time. And I suppose I've become desensitized towards it. But when it happens to you, it's -- even if you're in a different building, like five minutes away, you know, people. I have friends from my high school here, my best friend, a bunch of his friends, know people. And it just it feels a lot closer to home when that happens.

BERMAN: How would you get -- how long you're in that library, like five, six hours?

JOE BERMAN: We were in that library for seven hours before we were bused to a different building.

BERMAN: And what was that like getting moved?

JOE BERMAN: That was -- I'd say, one of the oddest and scariest experiences of the whole -- whole endeavor, because you're -- you're bused out with cops and leading you on down the road. You take big detours around all these places and all the Brown students go to one building. Me and my other friends who are here visiting this friend went to the other. And it's -- it's like a natural disaster. You have to check in. Everyone asks how you are. It's very sweet. But it's some students had to spend the night in this giant athletic center.

BERMAN: Obviously, you've grown up. School shootings happen. You've seen me run out to go cover them. Was there a moment you were like, this is all happening right around me?

JOE BERMAN: I mean, I think it really hit once we left. We were lucky enough to find a place to stay off campus for the night. And it's just you see all these cop cars, all these different law enforcement vehicles everywhere. And then once you -- you get out of this protected zone, it's just silence. And I think that's really what hit me.

BERMAN: When you called us and again, thank you so much for calling us. You sounded so calm, like -- like how did you -- were you trying to make us not worry?

JOE BERMAN: I mean, I think it's anyone's job to make their parents not worry. But in this situation, I felt very safe. I mean, the Brown Police Department responded very fast. The librarians were very helpful. There was security in the building. And then after three hours, there were cops protecting us.

[13:45:09]

So, I felt safe. I didn't want to spread any fear onto you guys. And I was with my friends. So, that's what I cared about most.

BERMAN: Well, we appreciated it. I'm really glad you're OK. It was a strange night.

JOE BERMAN: Definitely.

BERMAN: And thanks for sticking around to talk to me here.

JOE BERMAN: Of course.

BERMAN: And now drive safely.

JOE BERMAN: Thank you.

BERMAN: That was Joe Berman. Good guy. Known him for a long time. This is CNN Special Live coverage. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:18]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guys, I feel horrible. I have no husband. I don't know where is his body. Nobody can give me any answer. That's it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your husband was killed in the attack?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very angry that something like this happened in Australia.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hard to believe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's disappointing. Yeah -- yeah, a Jewish event where terrorists and murderers, you know, went to kill Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah. It's just unbelievable that in Australia this is allowed to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Crushed family members. You heard the wife of a victim and the uncle of a survivor of that horrific shooting attack in Australia. At least 11 people killed and 29 more injured at an event celebrating the first day of Hanukkah at the Bondi Beach in a suburb of Sydney.

As gunfire you can hear there erupting. People running for safety. Some witnesses described what sounded like fireworks at first. And in the chaos a hero right there caught on video would emerge. Video showing him tackling one of the gunmen and then grabbing his gun. Police say there are two suspects.

One suspect is dead while the other is in a life-threatening condition. Two individuals can be seen shooting from a bridge in the area. Authorities are labeling it a terrorist incident that targeted the Jewish community.

Joining us right now is Jonathan Greenblatt. He is the CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.

Jonathan, great to talk to you. I want to begin with what you are hearing from the community there. How are people doing as far as you know?

JONATHAN GREENBLATT, ADL ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE, CEO & NATIONAL DIRECTOR: Well, look, this is a sad and shocking event. But unfortunately not altogether surprising, Fredricka. We have been engaged in very close contact with the Australian Jewish community for years. ADL hosts the J7, the seven largest Jewish communities in the world, including Australia.

We were literally just there last week for an annual summit. What I can tell you is that harassment, vandalism and violence has all increased dramatically in Australia since October 7th. It's up nearly 500 percent. A synagogue was firebombed, a kosher restaurant vandalized, people harassed in broad daylight. So, the community is reeling right now after having feeling traumatized for the last two years.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So, very similar feelings that many Jewish people in the U.S. have been feeling after October 7th. So, I wonder when you all had that meeting, that gathering, what were some of the things that you talked about as it pertains to shared experiences, what the potential solutions are or perhaps what measures people are taking to feel more secure and be more secure?

GREENBLATT: Look, Jewish communities and we had folks gathered from the U.K., France, Canada, Australia, Germany, America and Argentina. And in all these locales, you've got bulletproof glass, you've got armed guards, you have real security protocols. But you can never build walls that are high enough.

So, I think every Jewish community is looking, number one, for political leaders to step up and lead and to call out the incitement that seems all too common. And then secondly, for other communities to stand together with the Jewish people to say antisemitism, no matter how you couch it, is not acceptable. And then I think for all of us as Jewish people, tonight is the first night of Hanukkah.

I think the only response is what Rabbi Schlanger, blessed memory, who was a father of five, Fredricka, shot and killed last night in Australia. As he had said in response to prior attacks, the best response is be more Jewish. Celebrate, dance, worship openly and confidently as Jewish people. So, I think that's what's incumbent upon us, not to allow the terrorists to intimidate us or to make us afraid.

WHITFIELD: I mean, that echoes the sentiment that last hour, the president, president of the United States, Trump, you know, saying that people celebrating Hanukkah in the U.S. should not be worried about their safety. They should, quote, celebrate proudly. How do you best cement that? What is the message? What's the instruction, if you will, on how people can do that?

GREENBLATT: Well, look, Jews around the world tonight will light the menorah to celebrate again the festival of Hanukkah. These eight days where we celebrate the miracle of Jewish survival at a time thousands of years ago when Jewish people were attacked.

So, this year, this night, in this moment, not only do I think Jews should stand up and light that menorah proudly, I would encourage non- Jewish allies to do the same. Go to a local synagogue. Go to a public menorah lighting and stand with your Jewish neighbors and friends, your Jewish brothers and sisters, because this hate that's coming for the Jewish people, it comes for everyone.

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And now more than ever, we all need to stand together, no matter how you worship, no matter where you're from, and say not on our watch. We stand together as a community, and we're stronger when we're together.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. Beautifully said. We are all in this together.

Jonathan Greenblatt, thank you so much.

GREENBLATT: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, back to our other breaking news. A deadly mass shooting at the campus of Brown University in Rhode Island. We'll talk to a student who was in the school's engineering building where the shooting took place. And then tonight, a vigil is planned for Providence.

Stay with us. You're watching CNN.

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