Bondi Beach shooting: What we know

Two gunmen opened fire during an annual Hanukkah celebration in Australia’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 victims and injuring dozens of people.

The gunmen have been identified as a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son.

A motive has not been released, but police said that they had targeted Jews on the first night of Hanukkah and are considering it an act of terrorism.

It is believed that the father/son acted alone and were not part of a larger terrorist cell, The New York Times reported.

The father arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa and was an Australian resident. Officials did not say where he immigrated from. His son was born in Australia, The Associated Press reported.

While the son had been on the radar of law enforcement since 2019, there was “no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday, according to the Times.

In addition to the 15 victims killed, the older alleged gunman was also killed. Thirteen victims died at the scene, two others, including a 10-year-old girl, died at area hospitals.

Other victims killed were a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, the AP reported.

Police did not describe what type of weapons were used in the massacre, but the older man was licensed to own guns and had six legally registered firearms. He was a member of a gun club, officials said.

As for the younger alleged gunman, police said he is expected to survive his wounds and will be charged in the attack, the Times reported.

A hero

One man was being hailed a hero for tackling and disarming the older man. Ahmed al Ahmed was being credited for saving the lives of countless others.

“No doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.

Al Ahmed was shot in the shoulder by the younger gunman and is recovering, the AP reported.

Gun laws

Albanese said the government will be strengthening gun laws in Australia, The New York Times reported. Lawmakers plan to reform the country’s National Firearms Agreement. The regulations were started after the 1996 killing in Port Arthur that left 35 dead.

The changes may include limiting the number of guns that can be owned and allowing only Australian citizens to own firearms.

Minnis said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, he wants “to introduce the toughest gun legislation in the country.”

Some changes may include renewal of gun licenses instead of ones that do not expire and restricting the type of guns allowed to be owned, The New York Times reported.

Pope’s message

Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV has spoken out on X about the deadly shooting, writing on Monday morning, "Today I particularly wish to entrust to the Lord the victims of the terrorist massacre carried out yesterday in #Sydney against the Jewish community. Enough with this antisemitic violence! Let us eliminate hatred from our hearts."

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