Victims of the deadly attack at a Hanukkah gathering on Sydney’s Bondi Beach ranged in age from just 10 years old to 87, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has confirmed.
Addressing journalists, Minns said 42 people remain hospitalised following the shooting, including two police officers who were wounded while responding to the attack.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the violence as “an act of pure evil,” branding it antisemitic terrorism carried out on Australian soil.
“This was a deliberate assault on the Jewish community on the first night of Hanukkah,” Albanese said. “It is a dark and shameful day in our nation’s history.”
Authorities revealed that the attack was carried out by Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father, who opened fire on families gathered for the celebration at one of Australia’s most iconic beaches.
Witnesses said the pair emerged from a vehicle along Campbell Parade and, over roughly ten minutes, unleashed about 50 rounds into the crowd.
Akram, who was shot during the incident, was arrested and remains in custody. He had reportedly told his mother earlier that he was going on a fishing trip. His father was shot dead by police at the scene.
By Monday morning local time, the death toll had climbed to 16, including a 10-year-old child. The oldest known victim was 87, underscoring the indiscriminate brutality of the attack that has left Australia in mourning.
