Main Points
- Terrorist gun attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney leaves 15 dead and 27 in hospital
- The shootings targeted Jewish people attending a Hanukkah event in a local park
- The alleged gunmen are a father and son named in local media as Sajid Akram (50) and Naveed Akram (24)
- Sajid Akram was shot dead by police, Naveed Akram is in hospital with serious injuries but is expected to survive
- Sajid Akram has held ‘a firearms licence since 2015,’ with six weapons registered to him, police said
- Naveed Akram was known to New South Wales police and security agencies
- New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said there has been nothing to indicate the men were planning the attack
- Prime minister Anthony Albanese says he will push for tougher gun laws
Key Reads
- ‘Everyone was screaming’: Irish eyewitness describes shooting
- Holocaust survivor, 10-year-old girl, rabbi among victims
- Gardaí to increase presence at Jewish events
- Bystander who tackled armed man at hailed as hero
In the past 12 months, 10 other antisemitic incidents were reported in Australia.
On December 6th 2024, a suspected arson attack took place on a synagogue.
On December 11th 2024, a Jewish neighbourhood was attacked, a car was set on fire and multiple homes and buildings were vandalised with antisemitic and anti‑Israel graffiti.
On January 7th 2025, threatening gestures were made towards worshippers near a synagogue in Sydney.
On January 10th 2025, a different synagogue in Sydney was vandalised with swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti.
On January 11th 2025, another synagogue in Sydney was vandalised with red swastikas and other Nazi‑linked graffiti.
On January 17th 2025, two cars were set on fire, and four vehicles in total were damaged. A house was also vandalised in an antisemitic attack.
On January 21st 2025, a childcare centre in Sydney was set on fire and vandalised with antisemitic graffiti.
On January 29th 2025, NSW police confirmed that a caravan found in Sydney, containing a significant number of explosives and antisemitic‑linked material was under investigation as a potential terror threat.
On February 12th 2025, threats were made to Jewish patients at a Sydney hospital.
On July 4th 2025, 20 worshippers at a Shabbat dinner congregation in Melbourne had to evacuate when the front door was set alight.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, has rejected the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that recognizing the Palestinian state fueled antisemitism following the mass shooting on Bondi Beach, which targeted a gathering to celebrate the start of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
Albanese told public broadcaster, ABC, he did not see a link between the two events.
Previously, Netanyahu accused Albanese of pouring “fuel on the antisemitism fire” by recognising Palestine as a state in September alongside Britain, Canada and France.
Netanyahu also said “antisemitism is a cancer” and that it “spreads when leaders stay silent”.
One of the two police officers who were injured during the Bondi Beach mass shooting has been named as Constable Scott Dyson.
He had been attached to the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command for 18 months, said the NSW Police.
No further details have been released about the second injured officer.
Both officers are in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
The Brussels Times has confirmed that a Dutch national is among the injured following a mass shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday.
On Monday, around 40,000 people made appointments to donate blood across Australia to help those who may need blood donations following a mass shooting where over 40 people were injured.
More than 1,000 people attended the vigil held at the Bondi Pavilion to pay their respects to those who died in the fatal mass shooting.
A Menorah was brought to the vigil by members of the local Jewish community, who gathered around the site to see it lit.
Rabbi Yossi Shuchat attended and told the story of Hanukkah and lit candles to mark the second night of the Jewish festival.
Jewish community members sang traditional songs in Hebrew and English. The Australian national anthem was also sung
To mark the second day of Hanukkah, the sails of the Sydney Opera House were lit up with the candles on the menorah.
Pope Leo XIV said, “today I particularly wish to entrust to the Lord the victims of the terrorist massacre carried out yesterday in #Sydney against the Jewish community.
“Enough with this antisemitic violence,” he said in a statement on X.
One of those killed in the Bondi Beach shooting, has been named as Marika Pogány, a Slovak citizen, according to the Slovak Jewish Association.
The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, told public broadcaster ABC, that police made the assessment that the suspected gunmen acted alone based on searching two premises connected to them, since they have not been able to interview the surviving suspect who remains in hospital.
He said the pair were known to security services.
The 24-year old son was investigated for six months by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in 2019 “because of his connections with two people who subsequently … went to jail,” but that investigation concluded there was “no evidence” he had been radicalised, he said.
The father was also interviewed as part of that investigation, but also showed “no indication of any radicalisation.” Albanese said he did not know if authorities questioned whether the father possessed weapons at the time.
In a video posted on X, the Israeli president, Yitzhak Herzog sends his deepest condolences to the Jewish community of Australia after the “horrific terror attack” on behalf of the state of Israel.
He described it as a “dark and difficult moment.”
Tánaiste Simon Harris took to X to say “horrified by the gun attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach this morning. Our thoughts are with all those impacted and their families, with the people of Australia and the Jewish community during this time of profound pain. The spectre of hate and violence must never be tolerated.”
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee said, “I want to express my shock and horror at the incident which took place at Bondi Beach in Sydney over recent hours. All my thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones and the people of Australia” in a statement on X.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said it will increase patrols in locations representing Jewish communities following the Bondi Beach mass shooting.
Supt Yvonne McManus said there were public safety plans in place to support the Jewish community in Northern Ireland.
This includes providing a “visible and reassuring policing presence” in some areas, and increasing passing patrols at at a number of locations.
Police have also been in contact with Jewish community members.
A number of vigils have taken place across the world in memory of those who were killed in the Bondi Beach mass shooting.
Vigils were held at Bondi Beach, Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, London in England, Paris in France and Berlin in Hungary.
As of 1pm on Monday (local time), three patients were in a stable condition at Prince of Wales Hospital.
One patient is in critical condition and two patients are in stable condition at St George Hospital.
Three patients are in stable condition at Sydney Eye Hospital.
Three patients are in critical condition, and three patients are in a critical but stable condition at St Vincent’s Hospital.
Two patients are in critical condition, three patients are in critical but stable condition and one patient is stable at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Two patients are in a stable condition at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Two patients are in a stable condition at Royal North Shore Hospital.
Two more are in a stable condition at Liverpool Hospital.
The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) investigation will be led by the NSW Police Force under Operation Arques. The NSW JCTT comprises members from the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission.
The firearms that were located and seized and the three improvised explosive devices (IED) that were located and seized the scene will undergo forensic examination
A critical incident team from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad has commenced Strike Force Belen and will lead the investigation into police involvement in the incident.
The investigation will be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command and oversighted by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
The mass shooting at Bondi Beach is one of the deadliest seen in Australia since the Port Arthur Attack, nearly 30 years ago.
In 1996, 35 people were killed when a lone gunmen opened fire at a historic site in Tasmania.
After that, the government introduced some of the world’s strictest gun-control measures. There was a gun buyback scheme and increased checks on owners.
Ahmed al Ahmed has been named by relatives as the man who stopped one of the gunmen. He tackled the gunman and wrestled the gun from him.
In a video shared on social media, the gunman can be seen backing away as the hero turns the gun at him. Mr Ahmed then raises his hands and rests the gun against a tree.
The father-of-two was shot twice and is in hospital.
Dubliner Kayla Phelan (24) had planned to go to dinner at Bondi Beach with friends on Sunday evening
“I never would have assumed there’d be gunshots in Bondi, it’s such a safe area,” said Phelan. “And then I saw everyone starting to run towards me. There was a lot of fear and panic and screaming,” reports Greg Flynn.
As the terrified crowd swarmed around her, she turned and began running back to her home, 10 minutes away.
“I was sprinting as fast as I could to get clear of the gunfire but I kept thinking ‘are the shooters and their guns behind me?’”
“Everyone was screaming at each other. They were trying to get into homes and on to buses to escape,” she recalled.
Following the attack, An Garda Síochána said there would be “increased Garda patrols” at centres and events associated with the Irish Jewish community, reports Jack White.
It said liaison inspectors have been appointed to ensure the force continues its ongoing engagement with the Jewish community “to provide them with reassurance and support”.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly met the Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Yoni Wieder, on Sunday to discuss the measures.
It comes as major cities, including Berlin, London and New York, plan to increase security around Hanukkah events following the attack.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said he spoke to the Garda Commissioner on Sunday evening “about ensuring there is adequate protection for the Jewish community in Ireland”.
“In fact, I spoke to him many months ago about ensuring that such protection was in place for the Jewish community. The commissioner has assured me and the Chief Rabbi of his commitment to the safety of the Jewish community,” he said.
He added he wished to reassure the Jewish community “of our support in the aftermath of the appalling terrorist attack in Sydney”.
More than 1,000 people had gathered at Bondi Beach to celebrate the first day of the Jewish festival Hanukkah, according to police.
Hanukkah is a Jewish eight-day festival that is also known as the “festival of lights”.
It celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple.
On Monday, the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said his government will consider introducing stricter gun ownership regulations following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
He said he would discuss tougher gun laws at an emergency meeting with state and territory leaders scheduled for Monday afternoon. He said the federal government is prepared to take “whatever action is necessary” to prevent similar attacks happening in the future.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Taoiseach Michéal Martin said he was “shocked and appalled” by the gun attack on Bondi Beach.
“Our prayers go to the families and friends of those lost, the injured, first responders, and people of Australia at this distressing time. Such hate and violence can never be tolerated.”
Eight of the victims have been named.
The 10-year old girl has been named as Matilda. Her aunt, Lina, gave permission for Guardian Australia to publish her first name and photos approved by her mother. She was taken to Sydney children’s hospital on Sunday night, where she later died.
Peter Meagher, a long-time volunteer at Randwick rugby club, was also killed. He had been working as freelance photographer at the Chanukah By the Sea event.
He served for almost four decades in the NSW Police Force and retired as a detective sergeant.
Eli Schlanger (41), London-born rabbi, was the first victim to be named. The father of five was assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, a Jewish cultural centre.
Alexander Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor, also died in the mass shooting.
French man, Dan Elkayam, is among the dead. French president Emmanuel Macron said his thoughts were with Elkayam’s family and their loved ones and expressed to them “the fullest solidarity of the nation”.
Rueven Morrison also know as Rueben was killed. He emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Australia in the 1970s.
In a 2024 interview with the ABC, Morrison said he had experienced persecution as a Jewish person in the Soviet Union but didn’t expect it to be happening in Australia.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan also died. He was a co-ordinator of activities at the Bondi Chabad Synagogue and served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din – a rabbinical court – and worked at the BINA Center, a centre of Jewish learning.
Tibor Weitzen (78) was killed while trying to shield a loved one from the shooting. He had attended the event on Bondi Beach with his wife and grandchildren.
According to multiple reports citing the Israeli foreign ministry, an Israeli citizen was among those killed.
Arsen Ostrovsky, the head of the Sydney office of a public affairs organisation for the Australian-Jewish community, and Evan Zlatkis, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry director of media, have both been injured in the shooting.
At least 15 people were killed and more than 40 wounded when gunmen fired on a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Australia. Sixteen people in total have died, including one of the gunmen.
Australian police and officials are describing it as a terrorist attack
Among the injured is the other alleged gunman. Another injured person is a man who has been hailed a hero after he tackled the injured suspected gunman.
The mass shooting took place early on Sunday, December 14th at around 6.45pm (local time).
Prime minister Anthony Albanese described the scene as shocking and distressing and said emergency responders were on the ground working to save lives.
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News in an interview that the shooting happened at an event at the beach celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, which began at sundown.
“This is the Jewish community at its best coming together to mark a happy occasion. If we were targeted deliberately in this way, it’s something of a scale that none of us could have ever fathomed. It’s a horrific thing,” he said, adding his media adviser had been wounded in the attack.
Israeli president Yitzhak Herzog said: “Our hearts go out to them ... we pray for the recovery of the wounded, we pray for them, and we pray for those who lost their lives.”
The alleged gunmen have been named as Naveed Akram (24) and Sajid Akram (50). However, Australian police would not confirm their names.
“They have a connection for quite a period of time within Australia. The father has held a firearms license since 2015,” said New South Wales (NSW) state police commissioner Mal Lanyon.
The son was known to New South Wales police and security agencies, while his father had a firearms licence with six weapons registered to him. All six firearms have been recovered, police said.
Four of these weapons were seized at the scene in Bondi and the other two were found during a police raid at a house in Campsie, in southwest Sydney.
Mr Lanyon said there was nothing “to indicate that either of the men involved in yesterday’s attack was planning the attack.”
Among the dead are a ten-year old girl, a British-born rabbi, a French citizen and an Israeli citizen.
The deceased range from ages 10 to 87.
Two police officers have also been injured from the shooting.
The alleged gunmen behind the mass shooting are a father and son duo. The son (24) was arrested at the scene and taken to a Sydney hospital with critical injuries. The father (50) was shot dead by police.
Authorities have said the injured gunman is likely to survive his injuries.
It is believed the gunmen used legally obtained firearms to commit the shooting.
