SYDNEY — Australia is grieving after a terror attack at Bondi Beach killed 15 people and left more than 40 injured during a Hanukkah celebration Sunday evening, marking the nation’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades.
Two gunmen opened fire on approximately 1,000 people gathered at Archer Park beside Bondi Beach for a Chabad-organized event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah. Australian authorities have identified the suspects as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, according to multiple law enforcement sources.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon declared the incident a terrorist attack on Monday, describing it as a deliberate assault on Sydney’s Jewish community.
“This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. “An act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation.”
Emergency services received the first calls at 6:47 p.m. local time Sunday. Video footage verified by news organizations shows the two gunmen positioned on a pedestrian footbridge adjacent to Campbell Parade, firing approximately 50 rounds toward the crowd below.
Sajid Akram was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police at the scene. Naveed Akram sustained critical injuries and remains hospitalized. Based on reports from U.S. law enforcement briefings, the suspects allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed Tuesday that the attack was inspired by Islamic State ideology. Authorities recovered two homemade Islamic State flags from a vehicle registered to Naveed Akram, along with improvised explosive devices. Police also seized six licensed firearms registered to Sajid Akram.
The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 years old, according to New South Wales Premier Chris Minns. Among the dead are 10-year-old Matilda Bee Britvan, 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, 27-year-old French national Dan Elkayam, 41-year-old assistant rabbi, and retired police Detective Sergeant who was working as a freelance photographer at the event.
Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia Gurman, 61, were killed while attempting to disarm one of the gunmen in the early moments of the attack. Dashcam footage shows Boris Gurman wrestling the attacker to the ground and seizing his weapon before both he and his wife were fatally shot.
Another bystander, 43-year-old fruit seller Ahmed al Ahmed, has been hailed as a hero after video showed him tackling one of the gunmen and wrestling away his weapon. Al Ahmed sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the shoulder and remains hospitalized.
As of Tuesday morning local time, 27 people remained hospitalized, with 12 in critical condition, according to New South Wales Health. At least two police officers are among those injured.
Albanese revealed that Naveed Akram had been investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in 2019 over possible ties to a Sydney-based Islamic State cell. However, authorities concluded at the time there was no evidence of radicalization or ongoing threat.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that Sajid Akram arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, later obtaining a partner visa and resident return visa. Naveed Akram was born in Australia. Philippine immigration authorities confirmed both men traveled to the Philippines on Nov. 1, with Sajid using an Indian passport and Naveed traveling on his Australian passport. Australian counterterrorism officials believe the pair may have undergone military-style training during that trip, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Sajid Akram held a gun license issued in 2023 after a previous application lapsed in 2016. He was a member of a gun club and had six firearms legally registered to him, all of which have been recovered by police.
The attack has prompted international condemnation. U.S. President Donald Trump called it a “purely antisemitic attack,” while French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to “fight relentlessly against antisemitic hatred.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered condolences to those affected by what he termed an “appalling attack.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the Australian government, claiming policies including recognition of Palestine last September had contributed to rising antisemitism in the country.
Australian officials have responded by increasing security at Jewish sites nationwide. New Zealand deployed armed police to guard Jewish locations, including the Holocaust Centre and Kadimah School.
Prime Minister Albanese announced Monday he would propose strengthening Australia’s already strict gun laws, potentially including limits on the number and types of firearms individuals can own, and whether citizenship should be required for gun ownership.
“This will be remembered as a dark day in Australia’s history,” Albanese said, encouraging Australians to light candles in their windows Monday evening to demonstrate that “light will indeed defeat darkness.”
The Sydney Opera House projected a Hanukkah menorah on its iconic sails Monday in memory of the victims.
Vigils have been held across Sydney, with mourners placing flowers at the Bondi Pavilion. The NSW government has established support services for victims and their families, including mental health counseling, financial assistance, and visa priority for international family members seeking to travel to Australia.
The Australian National Imams Council condemned the shooting, calling for unity and rejecting violence in all forms. The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network also condemned the attack, stating the perpetrators did not represent their movement or values.
Australia implemented some of the world’s strictest gun laws following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which killed 35 people. Despite restrictions on assault rifles and many semiautomatic weapons, the number of licensed gun owners in New South Wales has increased from 181,000 in 2001 to 260,000 in 2025.
The Bondi area, located in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, is known as the center of Sydney’s Jewish community, one of the two largest in Australia alongside Melbourne. The area had already experienced heightened security concerns following a stabbing incident at Bondi Junction in April 2024.
Australia’s terrorism threat level was elevated from “possible” to “probable” in August 2024 by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, citing increased risk of community tensions and political violence related to the Gaza conflict.
Members of the public with relevant mobile phone or dashcam footage are urged to submit it through the NSW Police website or anonymously via Crime Stoppers. The Public Information & Enquiry Centre can be reached at 1-800-227-228 for information relating to people impacted by the incident.
