SYDNEY — A father and son opened fire on crowds attending a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens in what Australian authorities described as a targeted antisemitic terrorist attack.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the attackers were a 50-year-old man, who was fatally shot at the scene, and his 24-year-old son, who was taken into custody in critical condition. Police recovered six firearms from the scene, and the older suspect held valid licenses for them. Two rudimentary explosive devices were found but did not detonate.
The shooting began around 6:47 p.m. local time near the Bondi Pavilion during the “Chanukah by the Sea” festival organized by the Chabad Jewish community, which drew more than 1,000 people on the first night of Hanukkah.
Witnesses described chaos as gunshots rang out, with people fleeing across the beach. One bystander was hailed as a hero for tackling and disarming one of the gunmen, an act that New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said likely saved lives.
About 40 people remained hospitalized, some in serious condition.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack “devastating” and a “targeted attack on Jewish Australians,” declaring it a “dark day” for the nation. Flags will fly at half-staff Monday.
International leaders condemned the violence, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who described it as a “purely anti-Semitic attack,” and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called it “heinous.”
Police declared the incident a terrorist act and said no further suspects are being sought. The beach and surrounding areas remain closed for investigation.
Australia has strict gun laws following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, making mass shootings rare.
