SYDNEY: Australian police on Monday said the two alleged gunmen behind a deadly shooting at a Jewish celebration near Sydney’s Bondi Beach were a father and son, as the death toll rose to 16 in the country’s worst gun violence in nearly 30 years.
Police said the 50-year-old father was killed at the scene, while his 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in hospital. Authorities described Sunday’s attack as a targeted antisemitic act. Forty people are still hospitalised, including two police officers in serious but stable condition. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
The shooting unfolded over about 10 minutes at a Hanukkah event attended by around 1,000 people in a small park off the popular beach, triggering panic as crowds fled along the sand and into nearby streets. A bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the attackers was hailed as a hero by police.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the site on Monday, laying flowers and calling the attack a “dark moment for our nation.” He said the government would do everything necessary to stamp out antisemitism, adding that police and security agencies were thoroughly investigating the motive.
Police confirmed they were confident only two attackers were involved and said patrols had been increased around Jewish communities nationwide. Hundreds of officers remained deployed at Bondi Beach, which was declared a crime scene.
World leaders condemned the attack, with messages of solidarity coming from multiple capitals. US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron were among those who contacted Australian authorities.
The shooting comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents across Australia since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023. Australia’s Jewish community numbers about 150,000 people, with a significant proportion living in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, including Bondi.
