What we know about Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting

Sixteen people including a child have died following a shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach, which targeted the Jewish community as more than 1,000 people attended an event to celebrate Hanukkah.

Two gunmen are believed to have carried out the attack, with police investigating whether others were involved. One of the gunmen was killed, with a second in “critical condition”, police say.

“Our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community tonight,” said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.

“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.

Police have declared the incident a terrorist attack.

Here’s what we know so far.

At around 18:47 local time (07:47 GMT), New South Wales Police received reports that a number of shots had been fired at Archer Park, Bondi Beach.

A short while later, police shared their first public statement, urging anyone at the scene to take shelter and others to avoid the area.

Verified videos captured hundreds of people fleeing the beach, screaming and running as a volley of gunshots rang out.

Footage verified by the BBC appears to show two gunmen firing from a small bridge which crosses from the car park on Campbell Parade towards Bondi Beach.

Separate video verified by the BBC shows a bystander tackling one of the gunmen, before taking his gun and turning it back on him. The gunman then retreats towards the bridge, from where another attacker is firing.

The bystander has since been identified as Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit shop owner and father of two.

His family told 7News Australia he remains in hospital where he has undergone surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand.

He was described by Minns as a “genuine hero”.

“I’ve got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” he told a news conference.

In the same footage, another man – who appears to be injured – is seen fleeing the scene, as police arrive and begin to fire in the direction of the gunmen.

A further verified video shows several police officers on the same bridge. One appears to be administering CPR to a motionless man as someone shouts “he’s dead, he’s dead”.

A child is among the sixteen people who have died since the shooting, according to New South Wales Police.

Police earlier confirmed that one gunman had died while the other was in a critical condition. It is unclear if the current death toll includes either of the gunmen

The names of victims are yet to be officially released.

The family of British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, has told the BBC that he is among the dead.

Schlanger’s cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis, said he was “vivacious, energetic, full of life and a very warm outgoing person who loved to help people”.

Israeli media – citing Israel’s foreign ministry – reported that an Israeli citizen was also killed.

French citizen Dan Elkayam has also been identified as a victim of the attack.

In a tribute shared to X, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said he mourned with Mr Elkayam’s family and loved ones, the Jewish community and bereaved Australians.

A further 40 people are in hospital, police say.

New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park told ABC News on Monday that some are “critically injured, some seriously injured”.

Park also said four children were transferred to Sydney Children’s Hospital. It is not clear if the child who died is included in this number.

Two police officers were shot and injured during the incident, according to police. They were reported on Sunday to be in a “serious, verging on critical” condition.

Commissioner Lanyon told a news conference on Sunday that police would not release any information about the gunmen at this time.

He 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 a third gunman – or anyone else – was involved in the attack, but enquiries 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”.

Police have declared Sunday’s shooting a terror attack.

Overnight on Sunday into Monday, an exclusion zone was 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.”

During a televised address, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the 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.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called the shooting a “very cruel attack on Jews”, while King Charles – who is head of state in the Commonwealth nation – said he was “appalled and saddened by the most dreadful antisemitic terrorist attack”.

Hanukkah, or Chanukah in Hebrew, is often referred to as the Jewish festival of lights.

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.