TV Reporter Lauren Tomasi Shot While Live On Air Covering L.A. ICE Protests

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Baila Eve ZismanJune 11, 2025, 1:00 amNews >

Over the weekend, Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was shot by a rubber bullet on live TV while covering the ICE raid protests in Los Angeles.

9 News Australia posted the footage to X on June 8, with the caption, “U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles.”

In the footage, Tomasi tells the camera, “After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated.” Around her, officers started to fire rubber bullets at protesters. One officer is seen turning to point his weapon at Tomasi and firing. Tomasi cries out in pain, clutching her lower leg before the camera pans away to move. An onlooker can be heard shouting, “F—, you shot the reporter!” Tomasi can be heard telling her crew, “Yeah, I’m good, I’m good.”

Last week in L.A., federal immigration agents arrested at least 118 people whom they claimed to have violated immigration laws. On Friday, massive peaceful protesters against the ICE raids gathered, and demonstrations grew over the weekend.

On Sunday, Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard Soldiers to the area to curb the protests. Since Trump federalized the military, solidarity protests have sparked across the country.

This is the first time since 1965 that the National Guard has been used without the permission of the state’s governor.

On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-California) condemned Trump’s decision, writing on Facebook, “Trump is trying to manufacture a crisis in L.A. County — deploying troops not for order, but to create chaos.” He added, “Never use violence or harm law enforcement.”

On Tuesday, following his own conversation with Tomasi, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told journalists, “She is going OK. She is pretty resilient, I have got to say, but that footage was horrific.”

Albanese went on to say that he and his government “don’t find it acceptable that it occurred,” and shared that he has personally questioned the Trump administration about the incident.