At Least 11 Killed in Mass Shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach

At least 11 people were killed and around a dozen others wounded after two gunmen opened fire during a Jewish holiday event at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, according to Australian authorities, in an attack that has shocked the nation and drawn international condemnation.

Police in New South Wales said one suspected gunman was dead and the second was in critical condition, while 11 injured people, including two police officers, were taken to local hospitals. The shooting unfolded at one of Australia’s most famous and typically crowded beaches on a hot summer evening.

Witnesses said the attack lasted around 10 minutes, triggering panic as beachgoers fled across the sand and into nearby streets and parks.

Leaders condemn ‘shocking’ attack

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the shooting as “shocking and distressing,” saying that “emergency responders are on the ground and working to save lives”.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Jewish people who had gathered to light the first candle of Hanukkah on the beach had been attacked by “vile terrorists”. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was appalled by the shooting and urged Australia’s government to “come to its senses” after what he described as repeated warnings.

“These are the results of the antisemitic rampage in the streets of Australia over the past two years, with the antisemitic and inciting calls of ‘Globalise the Intifada’ that were realised today,” Saar said.

Australia has seen a series of antisemitic attacks on synagogues, buildings and vehicles since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, raising concerns about rising hate-fuelled violence.

Rare mass shooting in Australia

Mass shootings are rare in Australia, one of the world’s safest countries due to strict gun laws introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The death toll from Sunday’s attack makes it the country’s deadliest mass shooting since 1996, when 35 people were killed in Tasmania.

Video footage circulating on social media appeared to show people scattering amid the sound of gunfire and police sirens. One clip showed a man in a black shirt firing a large weapon before being tackled by a bystander, while another appeared to show a gunman firing from a pedestrian bridge. Reuters said it could not immediately verify the videos.

Another video showed two men pinned to the ground by police on a pedestrian bridge, with officers attempting to resuscitate one of them.

Widespread condemnation and mourning

Muslim groups across Australia condemned the attack. “These acts of violence and crimes have no place in our society. Those responsible must be held fully accountable and face the full force of the law,” said the Australian National Imams Council, the Council of Imams NSW, and the Australian Muslim community in a joint statement.

“Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and all those who witnessed or were affected by this deeply traumatic attack.”

The attack came nearly 11 years after the Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney, when a lone gunman took 18 hostages, killing two before being shot dead by police, underscoring the deep national trauma resurfaced by Sunday’s events.

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