Medical facilities across Sydney continue treating forty people injured during Sunday’s deadly shooting at Bondi Beach, where gunmen targeted a Hanukkah celebration and killed 15 attendees. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the site Monday to lay flowers and describe the attack as antisemitic terrorism, with national flags lowered in remembrance of the dead.
The wounded patients include two police officers in serious but stable condition who responded to the active shooting situation. Victims ranged dramatically in age, with the youngest patient just ten years old and the eldest 87, reflecting the multi-generational nature of the family-oriented celebration that was attacked. Among those recovering is Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, who became a local hero by physically confronting one of the shooters and disarming him despite being shot in the arm and hand.
The attack was carried out by a father and son who authorities say deliberately chose the Jewish holiday event as their target. Approximately 1,000 people had gathered in a small beachside park when the violence erupted, lasting about ten minutes and sending hundreds fleeing in terror. Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by security forces at the scene, while his son Naveed Akram, 24, was critically wounded and hospitalized, bringing the total death count to sixteen.
Witnesses have provided harrowing accounts of the hot summer evening turned tragic, describing the panic of trying to protect children and elderly family members while seeking cover. The iconic beach, normally associated with recreation and joy, became a scene of carnage as bullets struck people gathered for religious celebration. The calculated nature of targeting a specific community during a holiday observance has been condemned as terrorism by government officials.
This incident marks the most severe gun violence Australia has witnessed in almost three decades, shattering the relative peace the nation has enjoyed. As medical teams worked to save lives and treat injuries, investigators pieced together how the attack was planned and whether the perpetrators had connections to broader extremist movements. The nation united in grief while also confronting uncomfortable questions about antisemitism and the safety of religious minorities in public spaces.