15 Killed In Bondi Beach Shooting Targeting Jewish Community

Fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl, were killed after two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Ten others were injured.

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that lasts for eight days and nights, usually falling in late November to December.

Police have confirmed that the attackers were a father and son, named by local media as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram.

Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while his son remains in critical condition in the hospital.

Mass shootings are extremely rare in Australia. The Bondi attack is the deadliest incident since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, when 35 people were killed by a lone gunman.

Police have declared the Bondi Beach incident a terror attack.

The shooting began at around 6:47 PM local time, when New South Wales Police received reports of gunfire at Archer Park near Bondi Beach. Authorities quickly urged those at the scene to take shelter and warned others to avoid the area.

Verified footage shows hundreds of people fleeing the beach, screaming as a volley of gunshots rang out.

Other videos show the gunmen firing from a small bridge connecting the Campbell Parade car park to the beach.

In one clip, a bystander, later identified as fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed, tackled one of the attackers, took his gun, and turned it back on him.

The gunman then retreated toward the bridge, where the second attacker continued firing.

Ahmed al Ahmed, a father of two, remains in the hospital after surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described him as a “genuine hero.”

Among those killed were two rabbis and a Holocaust survivor. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 years old.

Two police officers were also shot and are reported to be in “serious, verging on critical” condition.

Authorities said Sajid Akram held a licensed firearms permit for recreational hunting and was linked to six guns believed to have been used in the attack.

Sajid arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, which was later transferred to a partner visa and then a resident return visa. His son, Naveed, is an Australian-born citizen.

In response to the tragedy, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to strengthen the country’s gun laws.

More: BBC News