On Sunday, December 14, 2025, Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced enhanced security measures across New York City ahead of Hanukkah celebrations. The announcement followed a series of violent incidents globally, including a deadly antisemitic terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia.
Adams addressed multiple recent killings during his Sunday afternoon remarks, noting the past 24 hours had seen tragedies ranging from a mass shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island to a Brooklyn incident that wounded six teenagers attending a Sweet 16 party and the Sydney attack targeting Jewish worshippers marking Hanukkah.
“The last 24 hours, we’ve witnessed a tragedy that has swept our entire globe,” Adams told reporters. “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: Six individuals, teenagers, young people were shot in Brooklyn. We woke up this morning to hear about a devastating terrorist attack in Australia.”
Adams emphasized that his city is deploying increased counterterrorism and specialized NYPD units near synagogues, menorah lightings, and Jewish institutions to ensure public safety amid rising global antisemitism. He underscored the critical role of specialized police units in responding to terror threats and warned against minimizing extremist violence. “But this attack did not come out of nowhere. It came out as the consequences of Islamic extremists,” Adams said. “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 is the hijacking of their religion by Islamic extremists.”
Adams also took a veiled shot at his successor, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whose refusal to condemn “globalize the intifada” talk has drawn criticism. “That attack in Sydney is exactly what it means to globalize intifada,” Adams stated. “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,” Adams added. “Let me say that again. A rabbi and a Holocaust survivor killed for being Jewish.”
Antisemitism has no place in New York City, according to Adams, who pledged continued support for the Jewish community. “I will continue to fight for this community and all communities of this city and for fellow brothers and sisters from the Jewish community,” he said. “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.”
Adams also criticized Mayor-elect Mamdani’s proposed agenda to dismantle aggressive policing units, stating that specialized teams play a critical role in responding to terrorist attacks. “It is ill-advised to talk about the dismantling of the SRG team,” Adams said. “The same team that went into 345 Park Avenue when we had a lone gunman that took the lives of innocent New Yorkers.”
Commissioner Tisch provided details on the Brooklyn shooting, which occurred early Sunday morning outside a Cypress Hills event venue. Two unidentified suspects opened fire on a crowd, striking six teenagers ages 15–17. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening, and investigators indicated the incident appears gang-related.
Tisch expressed solidarity with victims and their families, stating: “Our hearts are with the victims, their families, Chabad, and Jewish communities here and around the world.” She noted that NYPD has been in continuous contact with Australian law enforcement partners and is receiving updates directly from a liaison officer stationed in Sydney. Tisch also confirmed two people were killed and nine injured at Brown University, with no known connection to New York City.
Officials stated there is no known nexus between the incidents and New York City, nor specific credible threats tied to local Hanukkah events. However, the NYPD has significantly expanded its security posture, deploying enhanced uniform patrols, counterterrorism officers, heavy weapons teams, bomb squads, and community affairs officers across all five boroughs. Tisch credited the NYPD’s international liaison program for providing real-time intelligence from Australia, enabling adjustments to security plans overnight.
Both Adams and Tisch reaffirmed New York City’s commitment to protecting Jewish residents and ensuring they can celebrate Hanukkah openly and safely. They urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
