Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach became the scene of a horrific tragedy on Sunday. Two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration, leaving at least 16 dead and 40 wounded.
On December 14, hundreds were gathered in Bondi for the Chanukah by the Sea event, celebrating the first day of the Jewish holiday. As the Associated Press reports, two men armed with long-barreled guns opened fire on the gathering from a footbridge leading to the beach.
Among the victims were a Holocaust survivor, a 10-year-old, and a rabbi. Before the shooters could be subdued, 14 people died at the scene, including one of the gunmen. Two more died in the hospital.
During the chaos, a bystander, 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, snuck up to one of the shooters and disarmed him.
“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday.
Local media have identified the gunmen as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram. Sajid was killed while exchanging fire with police at the scene, while Naveed is in the hospital with critical injuries. Prime Minister Albanese confirmed that the son had been looked into by authorities prior, saying that, “He was examined on the basis of being associated with others and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence.”
According to the BBC, investigators from Australia’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) think the gunmen were linked to the Islamic State group (IS), and senior officials anonymously told ABC that two IS flags were found in the shooters’ car. According to the New York Times, Sajid owned six legally registered firearms.
The tragedy is the deadliest shooting in Australia since 1996, when a lone gunman killed 35 people in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur. That event led to a tightening of Australian gun laws, and authorities have vowed to do the same in response to the Hanukkah massacre.
“The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,” said Albanese.
