Australia Mass Shooting Death Count Rises to 16, 42 Injured.
The morning light over Sydney’s Bondi Beach today revealed a stark contrast to the chaos of the previous evening: floral tributes piling up at the Bondi Pavilion, police cordons still in place, and a community in deep mourning. What began as a joyful “Chanukah by the Sea” celebration marking the first night of Hanukkah has become Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades, with the death toll rising overnight to 15 victims, plus one of the perpetrators. Dozens more remain hospitalized, as authorities confirm the attack was a meticulously planned act of antisemitic terrorism carried out by a father-and-son duo.
Updated figures from New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park and police confirm 15 civilians were killed in the onslaught at Archer Park, including children and elderly attendees ranging in age from 10 to 87. Among the victims were Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a Chabad emissary and key organizer of the event who had served the Bondi Jewish community for 18 years and international visitors, a diverse gathering of hundreds who had come to celebrate light overcoming darkness. At least 40 people were injured, with many still in critical condition across Sydney hospitals, including two police officers who confronted the gunmen.
In a press conference on Monday, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon identified the attackers as 50 year old Sajid Akram, a licensed firearms owner who was fatally shot by police at the scene, and his 24 year old son Naveed Akram, who remains in a coma under guard in hospital. One of the pair was previously known to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), though not considered an immediate threat. Bomb disposal experts safely neutralized multiple improvised explosive devices found in a vehicle linked to the suspects and at the scene.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who visited the site to lay flowers, reiterated his condemnation of the “act of pure evil antisemitism and terrorism,” vowing to deploy every resource to combat hate and promising tougher national gun laws in response to the “horrifying weapons” used. “This deliberately targeted Jewish Australians on what should have been a night of joy,” he said, announcing discussions on limiting firearm ownership and enhancing uniformity across states. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who ordered a Hanukkah menorah projection onto the Sydney Opera House sails as a symbol of solidarity, called the attackers’ actions a direct assault on the state’s Jewish community and praised the resilience shown in the face of tragedy.
Amid the grief, stories of bravery continue to emerge. Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43 year old local fruit shop owner, has been hailed as a hero by leaders including Albanese and Minns for tackling and disarming one gunman mid attack, despite being shot twice himself, he remains in critical but stable condition. His selfless intervention, captured on video, is credited with saving countless lives as panic swept through the crowd of over 1,000.
As Sydney and the nation observe a day of reflection, with flags at half mast and increased security around Jewish sites, the Bondi attack, compounding raw memories of last year’s Bondi Junction stabbing, has sparked urgent calls for action against rising antisemitism. World leaders have expressed solidarity, while Australians grapple with the profound loss of innocence at one of their most cherished landmarks, determined that light will ultimately prevail over this darkness.