Deadly Antisemitic Attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach: Father-Son Gunmen Kill 15 at Jewish Hanukkah Celebration

Police confirmed on Monday that two gunmen responsible for killing at least 15 people at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach were a father and son duo. This marks Australia's deadliest shooting incident in nearly three decades, occurring despite the country's strict gun control legislation.

The father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was fatally shot by police during the incident. His 24-year-old son Naveed Akram sustained wounds and was receiving treatment at a hospital, according to New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon.

According to US intelligence officials briefed on the investigation and reported by CBS News, the attackers were likely of Pakistani origin. Social media has been circulating an image of Akram's New South Wales driver's license, where he appears wearing what resembles a Pakistani cricket team jersey.

Australian Home Minister Tony Burke revealed that while the son was Australian-born, the father arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, which was later converted to a partner visa and subsequently resident return visas in 2001.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the attackers deliberately targeted the Jewish community during the first day of Hanukkah celebrations.

An Indian Intelligence Bureau official told news agency IANS that Naveed had previously been investigated by Australian Intelligence approximately six years ago for potential links to Islamic State. The official suggested that Naveed may have intentionally maintained a low profile to avoid detection until finding an opportune moment for the attack.

Investigators discovered that Sajid Akram owned a fruit shop, while his son had been unemployed for about two months after losing his bricklaying job when his employer became insolvent. Police noted that Sajid had maintained a gun license for approximately a decade.

The violence erupted at the conclusion of a summer day when thousands had gathered at Bondi Beach, including hundreds celebrating the Chanukah by the Sea event marking the beginning of Hanukkah.

Witnesses reported that the attack continued for about 10 minutes, causing hundreds of people to flee across the beach and into nearby streets. According to police, approximately 1,000 people had attended the targeted Hanukkah event in a small park adjacent to the beach.

Emergency services received calls around 6:45 p.m. reporting gunfire. Eyewitness videos showed beachgoers running from the water as shots rang out. Other footage captured two men in black shirts firing long guns from a footbridge leading to the beach.

While police have not officially identified the weapons used in the attack, video evidence suggests the assailants were using what appeared to be a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun.

One remarkable video broadcast on Australian television showed a civilian, identified by relatives as fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed, tackling and disarming one of the gunmen before pointing the weapon at him and then placing it on the ground. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns praised Ahmed as a "genuine hero." A fundraising page for Ahmed had already collected over A$200,000 ($133,000) by Monday morning.

Police confirmed that one gunman was previously known to security services, though authorities had no prior indication of a planned attack, according to Commissioner Lanyon.

Law enforcement conducted raids at the alleged attackers' home in Bonnyrigg, approximately 36 km west of Sydney's Central Business District, with a significant police presence and cordons around neighboring properties on Monday.

The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 years old, Premier Minns told reporters. At least 42 injured individuals were receiving hospital treatment on Monday morning, with several in critical condition.

Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish outreach organization that sponsors events during major Jewish holidays, identified Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and an event organizer, among the deceased.

Mass shootings remain extremely rare in Australia, which is considered one of the world's safest countries. Sunday's attack represents the worst such incident since 1996, when a gunman killed 35 people at Tasmania's Port Arthur tourist site.

Trent Tur, an 18-year-old lifesaver, told Reuters: "We were in the water and next second we see people laying on the floor, a kid was shot, it was probably the worst thing I've ever seen. Honestly, it's terrible. As a community we can move forward from this, it will be hard but the spirit, the Australian spirit in Bondi is very high and we can move forward."

Rabbi Mendel Kastel, whose brother-in-law Eli Schlanger was killed in the attack, shared with Reuters: "You can very easily become very angry and try to blame people, turn on people but that's not what this is about. It's about a community."

Authorities expressed confidence that only two attackers were involved in the incident, after initially investigating whether a third person might have participated.

Prime Minister Albanese visited Bondi Beach Monday morning to lay flowers near the attack site, while mourners wearing kippah placed candles, flowers, and Israeli and Australian flags in tribute.

Albanese described the incident as a "dark moment for our nation" and promised thorough investigation into the motives behind the attack. "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 stated. "The Jewish community are hurting today. Today, all Australians wrap our arms around them and say, we stand with you. We will do whatever is necessary to stamp out antisemitism. It is a scourge, and we will eradicate it together."

Albanese acknowledged that several world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, had reached out in solidarity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attack.

During a White House Christmas reception on Sunday, President Trump remarked: "In Australia, there was a terrible attack... and that was an antisemitic attack, obviously," while expressing condolences for victims of both the Bondi attack and another shooting at Rhode Island's Brown University.

Sunday's shootings represent the most severe in a series of antisemitic attacks targeting synagogues, buildings, and cars in Australia since the beginning of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he had previously cautioned Albanese that Australia's support for Palestinian statehood would intensify antisemitic sentiment.