Australian police said on Monday that the two alleged gunmen behind the deadly shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach were a father and son, in what authorities have described as a targeted antisemitic attack.
The attack, which took place on Sunday evening, killed 15 people. The 50-year-old father was shot dead at the scene, bringing the total death toll to 16, while his 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in hospital. Forty others are still being treated, including two police officers who are in serious but stable condition. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
Witnesses said the shooting lasted around 10 minutes at the normally crowded beach, sending hundreds of people fleeing across the sand and into nearby streets. About 1,000 people were attending the Hanukkah event in a small park near the beach at the time.
A bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the attackers during the incident has been praised as a hero. Local media identified him as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner who was shot twice and later underwent surgery. A fundraising campaign for him had raised more than A$200,000 by Monday morning.
Police have not confirmed the exact weapons used, but video footage from the scene appeared to show a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun. Authorities said they are confident only two attackers were involved, after earlier investigating the possibility of a third suspect. Police also raided the alleged attackers’ home in Bonnyrigg, west of Sydney’s central business district, late on Sunday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Bondi Beach on Monday morning, laying flowers at a growing memorial as mourners placed candles, flowers, and Israeli and Australian flags. He described the shooting as “a dark moment for our nation,” calling it an act of antisemitism and terrorism.
“The Jewish community are hurting today,” Albanese said. “All Australians stand with you, and we will do whatever is necessary to stamp out antisemitism.”
World leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their condolences and solidarity. Trump paid tribute to the victims during a White House event on Sunday.
The Bondi Beach shooting was Australia’s worst mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were killed. While mass shootings are rare in Australia, the incident comes amid a rise in antisemitic attacks nationwide since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023.
Hundreds of police officers remained deployed around Bondi Beach on Monday as the community mourned. Flags were flown at half-mast, and residents described a normally vibrant area now filled with grief and silence.
Jewish community leaders and residents called for unity and resilience, urging Australians to come together in the face of hatred and violence.
