At least 12 people, including children, have lost their lives and more than two dozen others were injured after two gunmen opened fire during a Jewish gathering at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australian authorities have confirmed. The incident has been declared a terrorist attack.
Police said one of the attackers was shot dead at the scene, while the second suspect was arrested and is in critical condition. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed that at least 29 people were wounded, including two police officers.
According to state Premier Chris Minns, the attack was deliberately aimed at Sydney’s Jewish community. Authorities said the nature of the target and the weapons used led to the incident being classified as terrorism.
The shooting occurred during an event known as Chanukah by the Sea, held to mark the beginning of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, which had drawn hundreds of attendees to Bondi Beach.
Chabad later confirmed that one of those killed was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and a key organiser of the event, who had served the local community for more than 18 years.
Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish movement, is widely known for its global outreach and for organising large public celebrations during major Jewish holidays.
Commissioner Lanyon said the death toll could still change, noting that injured victims were continuing to arrive at hospitals.
Eyewitness Lachlan Moran, 32, from Melbourne, told the Associated Press that he heard several gunshots while waiting nearby for his family and immediately ran for safety.
“People dropped everything and started running. There was panic and crying everywhere — it was terrifying,” he said.
Police said their operation remains ongoing, with specialist officers examining several suspicious items found nearby, including an improvised explosive device discovered in one of the suspects’ vehicles.
Emergency services were alerted around 6:45 p.m. to reports of gunfire along Campbell Parade.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as devastating, calling it a hateful and violent act carried out on the first day of Hanukkah.
“This was a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on a day that should represent joy and faith,” Albanese said. “There is no place for antisemitism, violence or terrorism in our country.”
He added that authorities are working to identify all those involved and stressed that Australia would respond with unity and resolve in the face of the tragedy.
0 Comments