Fifteen people were killed in a horrific mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, marking Australia’s deadliest attack of its kind in nearly three decades. The violence erupted during a Hanukkah celebration, with a crowd of over 1,000 people gathered for an event called ‘Chanukah by the Sea’.

Emergency services responded rapidly to reports of gunfire at approximately 6:47 PM local time, with distressing videos circulating on social media showing panic and people fleeing the popular tourist spot. Police engaged the attackers, with one gunman, aged 50, fatally shot at the scene. A second assailant, 24, was taken to hospital in critical condition. Authorities have identified the gunmen as father and son.

The victims, ranging in age from 10 to 87, include a 10-year-old girl and a 40-year-old man who succumbed to their injuries in hospital. In total, 14 people died at the scene, with the additional fatality occurring later. At least 40 individuals were transported to hospitals across Sydney, with four of them being children.

Five people remain in critical condition, while others are stable. Among the injured were two police officers, a constable and a probationary constable, who sustained gunshot wounds and are in serious but stable condition. British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, has been named as one of the deceased, a father of five whose passing has been met with profound grief.

The attack is being treated as a terrorist incident, specifically targeting the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the “evil” unleashed, pledging full government support and resources to ensure the safety of Australia’s Jewish population. He assured the community that every necessary measure would be taken to protect them.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described the scene as “deeply distressing” and acknowledged that the attack struck at the heart of the community’s fears. He praised the swift response of police and highlighted the bravery of bystanders, including Ahmed al Ahmed, a father of two who reportedly tackled one of the gunmen and disarmed him, sustaining bullet wounds in the process.

This tragedy eclipses the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, where 35 people were killed, making it the most significant mass shooting in Australia since that devastating event. The nation is grappling with the scale of the loss and the deliberate targeting of a community during a religious observance.

International leaders have voiced their condemnation of the attack, with US President Donald Trump commending the intervention of bystanders. The focus now shifts to the ongoing investigation by authorities to understand the full scope of the incident and the motivations behind this act of violence.

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