Twelve people have died – including one gunman – following a shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach which targeted the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.
According to police, 29 others were taken to hospital and two officers were shot during the incident, which has since been declared a terror attack by officials. The surviving gunman is in a critical condition.
More than 1,000 people were attending an event on the beach celebrating Hanukkah.
Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, said: “Our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community tonight.
“I can only imagine the pain that they’re feeling right now to see their loved ones killed as they celebrate this ancient holiday”.
Mass shootings in Australia are very rare, and the attack at Bondi is the deadliest incident in the country since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 when 35 people were killed by a lone gunman.
Here’s what we know so far:
Where is Bondi Beach?
Bondi Beach is located in eastern Sydney in the state of New South Wales, on Australia’s east coast.
It is one of Australia’s most popular beaches, attracting millions of visitors each year. The area is a significant attraction for tourists.
What happened at Bondi Beach?
New South Wales (NSW) police responded to reports of gunfire at around 18:47 local time (07:47 GMT), with video showing hundreds of people fleeing from the coastline.
In their initial statement posted on X, NSW Police urged people at the scene to take shelter and other members of the public to avoid the area.
Around the same time, local media began reporting people “on the ground” in the vicinity of Campbell Parade.
A video verified by the BBC appears to shows two gunmen firing from a small bridge which crosses from the car park on Campbell Parade towards the beach itself.
An event to mark the first day of the Jewish celebration Hanukkah was taking place on Bondi Beach, very close to the bridge where the men were firing from. More than 1,000 were in attendance.
Premier Minns also paid tribute to a man filmed wrestling a gun from one of the attackers.
“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” Minns said at a press conference.
In the video, the man is seen sneaking up on the attacker, before grabbing him in a bear hug.
The now-disarmed man then retreats back towards the bridge, where the other attacker is still firing from.
As the video continues, another man appears to be injured and flees the scene, as a policeman arrives behind the attackers and opens fire at them.
A separate video, also verified, shows several policemen on the same bridge. One appears to be administering CPR to a motionless man as someone shouts “he’s dead, he’s dead”.
How many people were killed and injured?
Apart from police confirming one gunman as dead, details on who has been killed and injured are sparse.
Twelve people including one of the armed men have been confirmed dead by police. Another gunman is said to be in a critical condition.
Officials say 29 other people were taken to hospital, and two officers were also shot during the incident.
One eyewitness, Barry, was attending the Hanukkah event on Bondi when with his children when he heard gunshots.
He told the BBC he saw two men on a bridge shooting towards the crowd.
He said there were bodies on the ground. He and his children were able to escape with a friend in a car, he added.
What is the latest?
Police have declared Sunday’s shooting a terror attack.
An exclusion zone has been set up around the scene as police use specialist equipment to check improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found in a car linked to the dead gunman, and police are still urging the public to avoid the area.”
“No stone will be left unturned” in the investigation, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said during a press conference.
He said police would not release any information about the gunmen at this time, and urged for calm while police carry out their duties, adding that this was “not a time for retribution”.
Mr Lanyon also said police had been “aware” of one of the alleged suspects but they had “very, very little knowledge” of him.
Police said they cannot confirm if there was a third gunman involved or if there was anyone else involved in the attack, but enquires are ongoing.
Australia’s spy chief Mike Burgess later said it was too early to give any details about whether the men were on the security services’ radars, before adding: “One of these individuals was known to us but not [from] an immediate threat perspective so obviously we need to look at what happened.”
During a televised address, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the Bondi Beach shooting “an act of evil antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation”.
“We have seen Australians today run towards dangers in order to help others. These Australians are heroes and their bravery has saved lives”, he added.
What is Hannukah?
Hanukkah, or Chanukah in Hebrew, is the Jewish festival of light.
The word Hanukkah means ‘dedication’ and celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history.
The dates of Hanukkah change every year, but it will always fall in November or December and lasts for eight days.
An event to mark the first day of the celebration was taking place on Bondi Beach at the time of the shooting.
A digital flyer for the event, named Chanuka by the Sea 2025, shows it was scheduled to take place near the beach’s children’s playground from 17:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Sunday.
Organised by Jewish centre Chabad of Bondi, the event was set to feature live entertainment and activities “for all ages”. Around 1,000 people were said to be in attendance.
By BBC News
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