Father-Son Duo Linked to Bondi Beach Shooting, Dozens Injured in Sydney

On Sunday, a mass shooting happened in Bondi Beach in Sydney, which resulted in at least 16 deaths and many more injuries, the authorities reported. The gunfire from the attack, which was apparently aimed at a celebration for the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, quickly drew a response from law enforcement and emergency services.

Detectives named the attackers as a father and son duo. The father, 50, was shot and killed at the spot, while his 24-year-old son is undergoing critical care in a hospital. The police said the younger perpetrator is a natural-born Australian citizen and that both of them had been on the radar of intelligence agencies before the incident.

New South Wales Police Force Chief Mal Lanyon remarked, “We have every reason to believe the investigation is solely focusing on these two suspects.” The inquiry is still going on with the help of anti-terrorism squads, who are now taking the lead. The authorities managed to seize six guns, which belonged to the father, who had been licensed for holding guns legally for more than ten years. Probes also turned up some homemade bombs, which, however, did not explode.

In a message sent to the nation, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese termed the event as a “catastrophic terrorist attack” and assured support to the Australian Jewish community. The Prime Minister said that the police in New South Wales are being assisted by the authorities and are in close cooperation with the families of the impacted. Moreover, he announced the intention to introduce more stringent gun laws containing limits on the number of guns a person can own as well as more thorough background checks on applicants for licenses.

The Minister of Home Affairs Tony Burke informed that the government is speeding up visas for relatives of victims and providing support to families, including burial services, especially those overseas.

Numerous global leaders and organizations have denounced the assault. The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, attacked Australia's stance, linking the violence to the uptick of antisemitism, while Turkey, Italy, Qatar, and Iran expressed their sympathy to the families of the deceased. Both the former President of the US Joe Biden and the US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick showed support to the Jewish community.

The ages of the victims varied from 10 to 87 years. Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was a main person in charge of the Hanukkah celebration; Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman; and Dan Elkayam, who held French citizenship, were among those who lost their lives. A number of the survivors, one of whom is Arsen Ostrovsky, have been injured but are getting better.

The attack was marked by heroic deeds. Ahmed el Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner, managed to break the gunman’s hold and caught a bullet in the process of saving others.

The Bondi Beach area is still being treated as a crime scene by the authorities, who have forensic teams carrying out ballistic tests and searching still related sites. The police have asked witnesses and people in the area who might have recorded anything on their mobile or dash cams to please come forward.

The incident happened at approximately 6:47 p.m. local time, close to Bondi Pavilion, during a Hanukkah event that attracted more than 1,000 people. The authorities have assured that the FBI is assisting the Australian investigators.