Australia is in mourning after police confirmed that the two alleged gunmen responsible for a deadly shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach were a father and son, in what authorities have described as a targeted antisemitic terrorist attack.
Fifteen people were killed during the attack on Sunday evening, with the death toll rising to 16 after the 50-year-old father was shot dead at the scene by police. His 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in hospital. Local media identified the pair as Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, though police have not officially released their names.
New South Wales Police said the attack unfolded over about 10 minutes at a small park near the popular beachfront, where around 1,000 people had gathered for the Hanukkah event. The beach was crowded on the hot evening, and witnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire sent hundreds of people fleeing across the sand and into surrounding streets.
Forty people remain hospitalised, including two police officers who are in a serious but stable condition. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
Video footage from the scene showed a bystander tackling and disarming one of the attackers, an act police say saved lives. The man, identified by local media as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner, was shot twice and later underwent surgery. A fundraising campaign set up in his support had raised more than A$350,000 by Monday afternoon.
Police said the deceased father had held a firearms licence since 2015 and legally owned six weapons. While authorities have not disclosed full details of the firearms used, footage from the scene suggested the attackers were armed with a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealed that the father arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, while the son was born in Australia and is an Australian citizen. Investigators are still examining the background and motivations of both men, though police have said they are confident only two attackers were involved.
At the family’s home in Bonnyrigg, about 36 kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD, a heavy police presence remained on Monday as investigations continued.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Bondi Beach to lay flowers near the scene, condemning the violence in strong terms.“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location,” he said. He urged Australians to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and called on the nation to light candles in support, echoing the symbolism of Hanukkah.
A makeshift memorial of flowers, along with Israeli and Australian flags, has been established at the Bondi Pavilion, while an online condolence book has been opened. Police and private Jewish security guards were visible around the area as mourners gathered in silence.
Sunday’s shooting is Australia’s worst mass gun attack since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre and comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents across the country since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023. Major cities worldwide, including London, Berlin and New York, increased security around Hanukkah events following the Bondi attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had warned Albanese that Australia’s support for Palestinian statehood would fuel antisemitism.
Rabbi Mendel Kastel, whose brother-in-law was among those killed, called for unity in the face of tragedy, saying the focus must remain on community and mutual support.
Australia’s Jewish population numbers about 150,000, with roughly a third living in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, including Bondi. As investigations continue, the nation grapples with a rare and deeply shocking act of violence that has shaken one of its most iconic public spaces.
Melissa Enoch
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