Bondi Hanukkah attack: police say alleged shooters were father and son

Australian police say the two alleged gunmen behind the Hanukkah event shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach were a father and his adult son, as the country mourned victims of its worst gun violence in nearly three decades.

Police held a press conference on Monday, December 15, 2025, stating that the 50-year-old father died at the scene. His 24-year-old son was in a critical condition in the hospital. Officials have described the attack, which unfolded on Sunday evening, as a targeted antisemitic assault.

The death toll from the incident rose to 16 after the father was confirmed dead, authorities said. Forty people remained in hospital, including two police officers described as serious but in a stable condition. Victims were aged between 10 and 87.

Witnesses said the shooting lasted about 10 minutes at the beach, which was crowded on a hot evening, prompting panicked crowds to flee along the waterfront and into nearby streets. Police said about 1,000 people had attended the Hanukkah gathering, held in a small park near the beach.

A bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the armed men was praised publicly for helping to save lives. Australian broadcaster Seven identified him as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner, citing a relative. A fundraising page set up for him had raised more than A$200,000 by Monday morning, local media reported.

Police have not confirmed the weapons used, but footage from the scene appeared to show two long guns. Investigators said they were confident only two attackers were involved, after earlier checks into whether a third person played a role.

Officers raided the suspects’ home late on Sunday in Bonnyrigg, in Sydney’s west, and a heavy police presence remained in the area on Monday with cordons around nearby homes.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Bondi Beach on Monday morning, laying flowers near the scene as mourners gathered with candles, flowers, and Israeli and Australian flags. Albanese called the shooting a “dark moment” for Australia and said authorities were working to establish the motive.

He said international leaders, including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, had expressed solidarity. Trump also referred to the Bondi attack during remarks at a White House reception on Sunday.

The shootings came amid heightened concern over antisemitic incidents in Australia since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had warned Albanese that Australia’s support for Palestinian statehood would inflame antisemitism. Australia has previously accused Iran of directing antisemitic attacks and, in August, ordered Tehran’s ambassador to leave within a week.

Mass shootings are rare in Australia. The Bondi attack was the deadliest since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania. On Monday, large numbers of police were deployed around Bondi as locals and officials continued to visit a makeshift memorial, with flags flying at half-mast.

Security was also stepped up around Hanukkah events in major cities, including Berlin, London and New York, following the Bondi attack.

Reuters