Australian authorities are investigating an antisemitic terror attack after a father and son opened fire on crowds gathered for a Jewish festival at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people, including a child.
The shooting unfolded on Sunday evening during Hanukkah celebrations, drawing more than 1,000 people to the iconic beach. A 10-year-old girl was among the victims in what has been described as Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades. At least 42 others were injured and rushed to hospitals with gunshot wounds and other injuries.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack in the strongest terms, describing it as “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, and an act of terrorism on our shores.” He was speaking after laying flowers at the Bondi Pavilion on Monday.
Police say the attackers fired from a footbridge overlooking the beach, shooting into the crowd for about 10 minutes before officers intervened. The 50-year-old father was shot dead at the scene, while his 24-year-old son was arrested and remains under police guard in hospital with serious injuries.
Authorities later discovered a homemade bomb inside a vehicle parked near the beach, believed to have been planted by the suspects.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said authorities are focused on establishing the full circumstances behind the attack. “We want to get to the bottom of this and understand the motives behind it,” he said, adding that police are cautious about speculation amid the spread of online misinformation.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as people fled the beach. Some members of the public and off-duty lifeguards ran towards the danger to rescue children and assist the wounded. One man was filmed disarming a gunman, while others used surfboards as makeshift stretchers to carry injured victims to safety.
Rabbi Mendel Kastel confirmed that his brother-in-law was among those killed. “This is not the Australia that we know or want,” he said.
In the aftermath, police reported incidents of possible retaliatory hate crimes, including pigs’ heads being left at a Muslim cemetery in southwestern Sydney.
Australia has lowered flags to half-mast as the nation mourns the victims. World leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, condemned the attack, describing it as a targeted act of antisemitic violence.
Mass shootings have been rare in Australia since sweeping gun law reforms were introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Prime Minister Albanese said the government would review whether further gun control measures are necessary following the attack.