Police said two alleged gunmen who opened fire at a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach were a father and son, as Australia mourned its deadliest mass shooting in nearly 30 years. Authorities and local media identified them as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Police said the father was killed at the scene; the son remained in hospital in critical condition. Officials described the attack as a targeted antisemitic incident.
About 1,000 people had gathered in a small park near the beach when the shooting began on a warm, crowded evening. Witnesses said the gunfire lasted roughly ten minutes, sending hundreds running across the sand and into nearby streets. Video from the scene showed what appeared to be a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun being fired.
Authorities confirmed 16 people dead and said 40 remained hospitalized, including two police officers in serious but stable condition. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87. A bystander shown on video tackling and disarming an armed man was hailed a hero; broadcaster 7News identified him as 43-year-old fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed, who was shot twice and underwent surgery. A fundraising page for him had raised more than A$350,000 by Monday afternoon.
Police did not formally name the shooters but said the father had held a firearms licence since 2015 and owned six licensed weapons. Home Minister Tony Burke said the father arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa; the son was Australian-born. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said investigators were still working through the pair’s backgrounds and knew “very little” at this stage. A police cordon remained around the suspects’ home in Bonnyrigg, about 36 km west of Sydney’s CBD.
Local residents described chaotic scenes as they fled. One Bondi resident said she initially thought the sounds were fireworks before people began running. A makeshift memorial of flowers and Israeli and Australian flags was placed at the Bondi pavilion and an online condolence book was created; police and private Jewish security guards patrolled the area as mourners paid respects.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Bondi to lay flowers and condemned the shooting as “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location.” He urged Australians to light a candle in solidarity with the Jewish community. World leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, offered condolences.
The attack comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents in Australia since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had warned Albanese that Australia’s support for Palestinian statehood could fuel antisemitism. In August, Australia accused Iran of directing at least two antisemitic attacks and expelled Tehran’s ambassador. Gaza health authorities say the conflict there has killed tens of thousands, a backdrop that officials say has heightened tensions and contributed to recent incidents.
Mass shootings are rare in Australia, which has strict gun laws; Sunday’s violence was the country’s worst since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania. Community and religious leaders urged unity and support for victims and families. The attack prompted heightened security for Hanukkah events in major cities worldwide, including Berlin, London and New York.
Australia’s Jewish community numbers about 150,000 in a nation of 27 million, with roughly one-third living in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, including Bondi. Investigations into motive and background were continuing, as authorities worked to piece together how and why the attack occurred.
