What we know about the Bondi Beach shooting
The shooting occurred on Sunday, Dec 14, at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah event known as “Chanukah by the Sea”, which was attended by families and community members.
NUR ADNIN MAHALIM
SHAH ALAM - A mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia on Dec 14, left at least 15 people dead and dozens injured after gunmen opened fire during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, prompting authorities to declare the incident a terrorist attack and launch a wide-ranging security and counterterrorism investigation.
Here's what we know so far about the Bondi Beach shooting attack, police response, death toll and global reactions.
Attack during Hanukkah celebration
The shooting occurred on Sunday, Dec 14, at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah event known as “Chanukah by the Sea”, which was attended by families and community members.
New South Wales police received reports of gunfire at about 6.45pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) (3.45pm in Malaysia), with emergency services rushing to the scene.
Witnesses later told Australian media that they initially mistook the sound of gunfire for fireworks before realising an attack was underway.
Investigators said two armed men opened fire on the crowd from a pedestrian bridge near Archer Park, where people had gathered for the celebration.
Video footage and witness accounts indicated the shooting continued for several minutes, with rounds of discharged.
Police response and suspect details
The alleged attackers, a father and son, fired into crowds packing the beach for the start of Hanukkah that day.
Police confirmed the 50-year-old father was licensed to hold six firearms, which they believed were used in the shootings.
Police confronted the attackers at the scene. One of the gunmen was shot dead by officers, while the second was wounded, arrested and taken to hospital under police guard.
Authorities also confirmed that a bystander intervened during the attack, tackling and disarming one of the shooters, an act police believe may have prevented further casualties.
It was later reported that the bystander was fruit shop owner Ahmed al-Ahmed, from the Sutherland area of Sydney.
The father-of-two, remained in hospital where he has undergone surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand.
The 43-year-old was seen in the footage of the incident wearing a white T-shirt crouching behind a car before pouncing on the back of the gunman then grappling with him and snatching the rifle away from him.
The gunman backs away in a car park area as al-Ahmed points the shotgun at him. Al-Ahmed is then seen raising his hand before resting the gun against a tree apparently to show to police that he was not one of the attackers.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described al-Ahmed as a "genuine hero,” and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others.
Bomb squad units were also deployed later after suspected explosive devices were discovered near the area. The devices were rendered safe and additional security measures were imposed around Bondi and surrounding suburbs.
New South Wales police subsequently declared the incident a terrorist attack, saying preliminary findings indicated the Jewish community was deliberately targeted during the Hanukkah event.
Death toll and victims
Official casualty figures evolved in the hours after the shooting. The latest confirmed toll stands at 15 deaths, including one of the attackers. Victims ranged in age from a 10 year-old child to elderly attendees.
At least 42 people were injured, among them two police officers who responded to the incident.
Those killed included members of the Jewish community attending the celebration, among them Chabad rabbis and Holocaust survivors. Authorities also confirmed that several foreign nationals were among the victims.
National and international reaction
Albanese strongly condemned the attack, with officials describing it as one of the deadliest mass shootings in modern Australian history, second only to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre and the most lethal terror incident ever recorded on Australian soil.
He also proposed tougher gun laws, including a limit on the number of firearms that can be owned by any one person.
Federal and state authorities said investigations were focusing on the attackers’ motives, the security response and ongoing threats, while police increased patrols and vigilance across Sydney, particularly in Jewish neighbourhoods.
Jewish community leaders and international figures expressed shock and solidarity with the victims’ families, as the attack intensified debate within Australia over antisemitism, extremism and public safety.
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