President Donald Trump is facing criticism after his response to a deadly mass shooting at Brown University, where two people were killed and nine others injured during finals week.
Speaking at a White House Christmas reception on Sunday (December 14), Trump addressed the attack, which occurred the day prior (December 13) inside an engineering building on the Ivy League campus in Rhode Island.
“Brown University — great school… really one of the greatest schools anywhere in the world,” Trump said before adding, “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.”
While Trump offered condolences, the phrase “things can happen” quickly drew backlash online, with critics accusing the president of minimizing the severity of the violence and showing a lack of empathy for the victims and their families.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office reacted bluntly on social media, posting simply: “No words.”
The shooting unfolded during final exams, prompting a lockdown across campus. Brown University President Christina Paxson said at least one injured person has been released from the hospital, while others remain hospitalized in critical but stable condition. A person of interest was initially detained but later released, and authorities say the search for the shooter is ongoing.
During the same remarks, Trump also addressed other deadly attacks over the weekend, including a shooting targeting a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia, where at least 16 people were killed, calling it “purely antisemitic.”
He additionally referenced an attack in Syria that killed two U.S. Army soldiers and an interpreter, vowing that “big damage” would follow.
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