An Israeli flag and flowers are laid outside Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach as people gather to mourn in the wake of a mass shooting on December 15, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Audrey Richardson/Getty Images)
(SYDNEY) — The 24-year-old man who allegedly opened fire alongside his father on a Jewish gathering at Australia’s Bondi Beach has been charged with committing a terrorist act, 15 counts of murder and dozens of other offenses, the New South Wales Police said on Wednesday.
Naveed Akram has been charged with 59 offenses, including 40 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, police said in a statement.
Akram, who remains under police guard in a hospital, was expected to appear in court on Wednesday via a video link, police said.
He allegedly opened fire alongside his father, Sajid Akram, 50, at an event at the beach on Sunday, killing fifteen people and injuring another 41, according to officials. The alleged assailant’s father, who was also alleged to have fired on the group, was shot and killed by police, law enforcement said.
The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team is leading an investigation into the shooting, after Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon declared it to be terror-related.
“Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,” the investigators said in announcing the charges. “Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia.”
Akram has been charged with committing a terrorist act, 15 counts of murder, 40 courts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm to person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist organization’s symbol and placing an explosion in or near a building with intent to cause harm, according to police.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters Tuesday that the father and son traveled to the Philippines in the weeks leading up to the attack and may have been inspired by the ISIS terrorist organization.
“It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS,” Albanese told reporters at a Tuesday press conference.
Twenty of those who were injured in the attack were still being treated at hospitals across Sydney, officials said on Wednesday. Two of the injured were police officers. A constable was listed on Wednesday in critical but stable condition, while a probationary constable was listed in stable condition, police said.
“Doctors. Nurses. Surgeons. Radiologists. Pathologists. And so many more. We’ve seen humanity at its very best, as you’ve worked tirelessly to save lives,” Albanese said on Wednesday on social media. “We can’t thank you enough.”
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visits Ahmed al Ahmed, who was identified as the bystander who seized a rifle from one of the gunmen during the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday, at a hospital in Sydney, Dec. 15, 2025. (@ChrisMinnsMP/X)
(SYDNEY) — A Sydney man is being praised as a hero for disarming one of the alleged shooters in the Hanukkah attack that left 15 dead and 42 injured at Australia’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, as seen in video obtained by ABC News
The video shows a man, identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed, 43, running towards one of the alleged shooters. He’s then seen disarming the alleged gunman before pointing his weapon back at him, prompting him to walk away.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited al-Ahmed in the hospital and told him “your courage is inspiring,” according to video of the visit posted to social media.
“Ahmed, you are an Australian hero. You put yourself at risk to save others, running towards danger on Bondi Beach and disarming a terrorist. In the worst of times, we see the best of Australians. And that’s exactly what we saw on Sunday night. On behalf of every Australian, I say thank you,” Albanese said on X.
The fruit seller was having lunch in the area with a friend when the shooting unfolded and he intervened, according to his brother, Huthaifa.
“I’m really proud about my brother,” he told ABC News.
“He’s a good man. He’s brave,” he said.
The father of two was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for bullet wounds. His brother said he is recovering in the hospital, but is not 100% yet.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called him a “real-life hero.”
“Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk,” Minns posted on Instagram while sharing a photo with al-Ahmed in the hospital.
“It was an honour to spend time with him just now and to pass on the thanks of people across NSW. There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed’s selfless courage,” he added.
At Sunday night’s National Menorah Lighting in Washington, D.C., Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the director of advocacy group American Friends of Lubavitch, praised al-Ahmed’s heroism and asked for prayers for his recovery.
“I ask all those across the community and beyond — here, and around the world — to please pray for the recovery of Ahmed al-Ahmed, someone who is not a member of the Jewish community, but gave up his safety and wellbeing to stop one of the gunmen and thus prevent even further loss of life. May he recover speedy and fully,” Shemtov said.
A GoFundMe page for al-Ahmed has raised almost $1.5 million with thousands of donations.
“We’re seeing an outpouring of love for Ahmed al Ahmed following his heroic actions at Bondi Beach,” the site posted on X.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman also shared the fundraiser on his X account Sunday, donating $99,999.
Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed told reporters that his son is “a hero.”
“He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people,” he said.
The victims of Sunday’s mass shooting ranged in ages 10 to 87, and the alleged gunmen are father and son, aged 50 and 24, officials said. Their names have not been released, but authorities said the father is dead and the son was hospitalized.
Six firearms were collected from the scene alongside two improvised explosives, according to officials.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism” and “an act of terrorism,” in a video shared on his Instagram account.
Mourners gather to lay flowers at Bondi Beach on December 15, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. Police say at least 16 people, including one suspected gunman, were killed and more than 40 others injured when two attackers opened fire near a Hanukkah celebration at the world-famous Bondi Beach, in what authorities have declared a terrorist incident. (Izhar Khan/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — The alleged father and son gunmen who killed 15 people and wounded more than 40 in a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach traveled to the Philippines in the weeks leading up to the attack and may have been inspired by the ISIS terrorist organization, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Investigators are probing the months leading up to Sunday’s shooting, when the suspected gunmen — Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24 — fired at people attending a Hanukkah event. Australian officials have described the shooting as an anti-semitic terrorist attack.
“It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS,” Albanese told reporters at a Tuesday press conference.
Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram allegedly stood on an overpass bridge near the event and shouted “Allahu Akbar” as they carried out the massacre, according to a briefing distributed to U.S. law enforcement and reviewed by ABC News. The father was shot and killed by police and the son was critically hurt and hospitalized, officials said.
New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Mal Lanyon said a car registered to Naveed Akram contained IEDs and ISIS flags.
“We continue to work through the motive of this tragedy and will continue to do so,” Lanyon said.
Law enforcement said they are also investigating a trip taken by the alleged shooters to the Philippines in November.
“The reasons why they went to the Philippines and the purpose of that and where they went when they were there is under investigation at the moment,” Lanyon said.
Sajid Akram, who was born into a Muslim family in India, immigrated in 1998 to Australia, where he got married and had a son and a daughter, Indian authorities told ABC News. Naveed Akram is an Australian citizen, offiicals said.
Authorities noted that Sajid Akram maintained limited contact with his family in Hyderabad, Indiana, since the 1990s, visiting India on six occasions, primarily for family-related matters. Local police said there was “no adverse record” against Sajid Akram during his time in India before he moved.
Australia is now grieving the 15 victims killed, including a 10-year-old girl named Matilda and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor.
Among the injured is a bystander, Ahmad Al Ahmad, who was seen on video jumping in and wrestling a gun away from one of the attackers, according to police.
Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, is pushing back on criticism of the police response time.
Responding officers “acted with bravery and integrity. They didn’t take a backward step,” Minns said during a Tuesday press conference.
“They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns,” Minns said. “The offenders had long-range rifles and New South Wales police officers were responsible for killing one of them and shooting the other one and as a result saving many, many people’s lives.”
“Now there are two officers in critical care in New South Wales hospitals at the moment. They weren’t shot in the back as they were running away, they were shot in the front,” Minns said.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti, Somayeh Malekian, Helena Skinner and Dada Jovanovic contributed to this report.
Mourners gather to lay flowers at Bondi Beach on December 15, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. Police say at least 16 people, including one suspected gunman, were killed and more than 40 others injured when two attackers opened fire near a Hanukkah celebration at the world-famous Bondi Beach, in what authorities have declared a terrorist incident. (Izhar Khan/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — The alleged father and son gunmen who killed at least 15 people in a mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach traveled to the Philippines in the weeks leading up to the attack and may have been inspired by the ISIS terrorist organization, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Investigators are probing the months and weeks leading up to the Sunday shooting, when the suspected gunmen — Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24 — fired at people taking part in a Hanukkah event. Australian investigators and officials have described the incident as an anti-semitic terrorist attack.
“It would appear that there is evidence that this was inspired by a terrorist organization, by ISIS,” Albanese told reporters at a Tuesday press conference. “Some of the evidence which is being procured, including the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized, are a part of that.”
“Radical perversion of Islam is absolutely a problem,” the prime minister continued. “It is something that has been identified globally as a problem as well.”
One of the two alleged shooters was killed during the incident, with the second injured. Police confirmed to ABC News that the surviving alleged gunman, Sajid Akram, had woken from his coma but had not yet been questioned.
New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Mal Lanyon also took part in Tuesday’s press conference. He confirmed to journalists that the seized vehicle was registered to the younger of the two alleged gunmen and “contained IEDs” as well as ISIS flags.
“We continue to work through the motive of this tragedy and will continue to do so,” Lanyon said.
Law enforcement officials said they are also probing a trip taken by the alleged shooters to the Philippines in November. “The reasons why they went to the Philippines and the purpose of that and where they went when they were there is under investigation at the moment,” Lanyon said.
A NSW Health spokesperson told ABC News on Tuesday that 22 injured people remain in hospital, six of whom are in critical condition.
Twelve of the 15 deceased victims have now been named. They include a young soccer player originally from France, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl.
Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, pushed back on criticism of the police response time as the shooting unfolded.
Responding officers, Minns said during Tuesday’s press conference, “acted with bravery and integrity. They didn’t take a backward step.”
“They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns,” Minns said. “The offenders had long-range rifles and New South Wales police officers were responsible for killing one of them and shooting the other one and as a result saving many, many people’s lives.”
“Now there are two officers in critical care in New South Wales hospitals at the moment. They weren’t shot in the back as they were running away, they were shot in the front,” Minns said.
“If there’s any suggestion that New South Wales Police didn’t live up to their responsibilities to the people of this state, it should be rejected because it’s not consistent with the facts,” Minns continued.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visits Ahmed al Ahmed, who was identified as the bystander who seized a rifle from one of the gunmen during the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday, at a hospital in Sydney, Dec. 15, 2025. (@ChrisMinnsMP/X)
(SYDNEY) — A Sydney man is being praised as a hero for disarming one of the alleged shooters in the Hanukkah attack that left 15 dead and 42 injured at Australia’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, as seen in video obtained by ABC News
The video shows a man, identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed, 43, running towards one of the alleged shooters. He’s then seen disarming the alleged gunman before pointing his weapon back at him, prompting him to walk away.
The fruit seller was having lunch in the area with a friend when the shooting unfolded and he intervened, according to his brother, Huthaifa.
“I’m really proud about my brother,” he told ABC News.
“He’s a good man. He’s brave,” he said.
The father of two was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for bullet wounds. His brother said he is recovering in the hospital, but is not 100% yet.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns called him a “real-life hero.”
“Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk,” Minns posted on Instagram while sharing a photo with al-Ahmed in the hospital.
“It was an honour to spend time with him just now and to pass on the thanks of people across NSW. There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed’s selfless courage,” he added.
At Sunday night’s National Menorah Lighting in Washington, D.C., Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the director of advocacy group American Friends of Lubavitch, praised al-Ahmed’s heroism and asked for prayers for his recovery.
“I ask all those across the community and beyond — here, and around the world — to please pray for the recovery of Ahmed al-Ahmed, someone who is not a member of the Jewish community, but gave up his safety and wellbeing to stop one of the gunmen and thus prevent even further loss of life. May he recover speedy and fully,” Shemtov said.
A GoFundMe page for al-Ahmed has raised almost $1.5 million with thousands of donations.
“We’re seeing an outpouring of love for Ahmed al Ahmed following his heroic actions at Bondi Beach,” the site posted on X.
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman also shared the fundraiser on his X account Sunday, donating $99,999.
Mohamed Fateh al-Ahmed told reporters that his son is “a hero.”
“He served in the police, he has the passion to defend people,” he said.
The victims of Sunday’s mass shooting ranged in ages 10 to 87, and the alleged gunmen are father and son, aged 50 and 24, officials said. Their names have not been released, but authorities said the father is dead and the son was hospitalized.
Six firearms were collected from the scene alongside two improvised explosives, according to officials.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the attack “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism” and “an act of terrorism,” in a video shared on his Instagram account.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive to speak to the media at the Chancellery on December 15, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that no consensus had been reached on key territorial questions as part of a possible peace settlement with Russia, following two days of talks between Ukrainian, American and European negotiators in Berlin, Germany.
“In other issues, there is progress forward,” Zelenskyy said in comments in a group chat with Ukrainian reporters after the talks ended.
U.S. administration officials signaled on Monday that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine may be closer than ever, telling reporters on the condition of anonymity that “literally 90%” of the issues between the two warring countries had been solved.
Ukraine’s demand for U.S.-backed security guarantees and the fates of four partially-occupied Ukrainian regions have dominated the most recent American push for a peace settlement to end Russia’s full-scale invasion, which it launched in February 2022.
Russia occupies Crimea — which was occupied in 2014 — and partially occupies Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, in the south and east of Ukraine. Moscow has demanded that Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk — which together form the region known as the Donbas — in exchange for an end to the fighting.
Zelenskyy on Monday reiterated Ukraine’s position that it does not want to cede the Donbas region to Russia. The president also said that a demilitarized area or “free economic zone” covering the region cannot be under Russian leadership.
“These are important features for me in any format for Donbas,” Zelenskyy said. “Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognize Donbas as Russian — the part that is temporarily occupied. But nevertheless, we are discussing the issue regarding the territories, and you know that it is one of the key ones.”
Zelenskyy hinted at progress on the issue of Western security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression, without which Kyiv says it cannot agree to a peace deal.
German Chancellor Freidrich Merz said after Monday’s talks, “The legal and material guarantees that the U.S. has put on the table here in Berlin are truly remarkable. This is a very important step forward, which I very much welcome.”
Merz also suggested that Ukraine and Russia agree to a Chrismtas truce, a proposal Zelenskyy said he supports.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told ABC News during an exclusive interview on Monday that he believes the warring parties are “on the verge” of a diplomatic solution to end Moscow’s war.
“We are prepared to have a deal,” Ryabkov said. The deputy foreign minister added that he hoped an agreement would be reached “sooner rather than later.”
More meetings are expected in the coming days, Zelenskyy said, including between American and Russian negotiators. Ukrainian representatives are expecting to travel to the U.S. for further talks “in the near future,” Zelenskyy said, possibly as soon as this weekend.
Ukraine and Russia continued to exchange long-range strikes on Monday and overnight into Tuesday, with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also on Monday claiming an underwater drone attack on a Russian submarine docked at the port of Novorossiysk.
Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday that Russia launched 69 drones into the country overnight, of which 57 were shot down or suppressed. Ten strike drones impacted across seven locations, the air force said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces downed 111 Ukrainian drones overnight into Tuesday morning, including four over the Moscow region.
On Tuesday morning, Zelenskyy addressed the Dutch parliament, telling lawmakers, “We are now in the midst of the most intense and focussed negotiations for peace since the beginning of this war … For true lasting peace. We are not talking about a pause or a temporary, uncertain solution.”
Zelenskyy again urged accountability for Moscow. “Someone else is always expected to make concessions so that Russia will stop spreading bloodshed,” he said. “In Russia’s war against our people, our country, this logic has reached its largest and most dangerous scale.”
(LONDON) — At least nine of the 15 people who were killed in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, have been identified.
They include a young soccer player originally from France, a rugby team manager, a great-grandfather known for his “love of life” who died while shielding others and a Holocaust survivor.
Two gunmen — believed to be a father and son — opened fire on Sunday at an event marking the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, according to authorities.
Here’s what we know about the victims:
Dan Elkayam, 27
Dan Elkayam, 27, a French citizen, was among those killed in the Bondi Beach shooting.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X, writing, “I learn with deep sadness of the death our compatriot, Dan Elkayam, during the antisemitic terrorist attack in Sydney,” according to an English translation. “I am thinking of his family and loved ones and express to them the full solidarity of the Nation.”
Elkayam was a player with the Rockdale Ilinden Football Club, a semi-professional football club in the Sydney suburb of Rockdale. Dennis Loether, president of the club, released a statement in response to Elkayam’s passing.
“To say we are shocked would be an understatement. We are [devastated] to learn that our PL1 Association Player — Dan Elkayam — was tragically and senselessly killed in the Bondi Beach massacre,” the statement read.
The statement described Elkayam as an “extremely talented midfield player,” who lived with his girlfriend in in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.
“Those who were closest to him described him as a down to earth, happy go lucky individual who was warmly embraced by those he me,” the statement continued. “His smiling face and respectful nature will be sorely missed by his [teammates] and everyone that knew him. We pray for him and for his family.”
Alexander Kleytman, 87
Alexander Kleytman, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, was among those killed during the Bondi Beach attack, his wife, Larisa Kleytman, told reporters outside St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney.
“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me,” Larisa Kleytman told the newspaper The Australian.
Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff
Rabbi Leibel Laaroff’s death was confirmed on X by his father, Yoosi Lazaroff.
“Please say Psalms 20 & 21 for my son, Rabbi Leibel Lazaroff … who was shot in a terrorist attack at a Chanukah event he was running for Chabad of Bondi in Sydney, Australia,” the post read. “The Chabad Rabbi he was working with Rabbi Eli Schlangerwas killed. Praying for all the victims and their families.”
Yaakov Levitan
Yaakov Levitan, secretary of the Jewish institution, the Sydney Beth Din, was killed in the attack. His death was confirmed to Guardian Australia by Sydney Beth Din senior member, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman.
”Yaakov Levitan was a profoundly beloved and active member of the Sydney Jewish community,” according to a post on the crowdfunding site Charidy being overseen by the non-profit organization Jewish House.
“He served as general manager of Chabad of Bondi, a dedicated secretary at the Sydney Beth Din, and was a key figure in educational initiatives at the BINA Centre in Sydney. He was a man of quiet devotion, known for his kindness and tireless work in assisting others, including his commitment to distributing tefillin as a sacred act of service,” the post read.
Peter Meagher
Peter Meagher, also known as “Marzo,” was a longtime volunteer at Randwick Rugby Club, which confirmed his death in a statement on Monday.
“It is with an extremely heavy heart that Randwick DRUFC can confirm the tragic passing of our much loved First Grade Manager and loyal club volunteer Peter Meagher yesterday,” the statement from general manager, Mark Harrison, said.
“Peter was working as a freelance photographer at the ill-fated Hanukkah event and for him it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time,” the statement read.
The statement said Meagher served for almost four decades a police officer in the New South Wales police force and retired as a detective sergeant.
“Our deepest condolences go to his wife Virginia, his brothers Greg, David, Andrew and Paul, their extended families and mountain of friends across Randwick Rugby, NSW Police, Sydney Rugby Referees and our local community,” the statement continued.
Reuven Morrison, 67
Reuven Morrison’s death was confirmed in a post on X by Chabad.org, the flagship website of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement.
Morrison, 67, emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Australia in the 1970s, according to the post.
Chabad.org reported he divided his time between Sydney and Melbourne and was a “successful businessman whose main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart.”
Morrison leaves behind a wife and a daughter, Shaina, according to the post.
Marika Pogany
Marika Pogany’s death was confirmed in a post on X from Peter Pellegrini, president of the Slovak Republic.
“Already yesterday, I unequivocally condemned the brutal, deadly attack on innocent people during the Hanukkah celebrations at Australia’s Bondi Beach and expressed my deep solidarity with a nation plunged into grief and shock,” the statement read. “Today, that grief has reached Slovakia as well — among the victims of this senseless, violent rampage was a Slovak woman, Marika.”
“I extend my heartfelt and sincere condolences to Marika’s family and loved ones.”
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s death was confirmed by his cousin, Zalman N Shterna Lewis, in a post on Instagram.
Schlanger was a 41-year-old father-of-five, according to the Instagram post.
“My dear cousin, Rabbi Eli Schlanger was murdered in today’s terrorist attack in Sydney. He leaves behind his wife & young children, as well as my uncle & aunt & siblings,” Lewis wrote on Sunday. “With confidence knowing that ‘joy breaks all boundaries,’ the positive light of Chanukah will triumph against the darkness for once and for all. I knew Eli well enough to know he’d concur.”
Tibor Weitzen, 78
Tibor Weitzen, a 78-year-old great-grandfather, was one of those killed in the attack, his granddaughter, Leor Amzalak, confirmed to Guardian Australia.
His grandson, Mendy Amzalak, told the Australian that Weitzen was a “man full of life, joy, smiles and laughter”, who died shielding others from the bullets.
COLlive.com, an Orthodox Jewish news outlet reporting on Chabad-Lubavitch communities around the world, wrote in a post on Instagram that Weitzen was known “for his warmth, kindness, and love of life. Tibor brought joy to everyone he met, especially the children at Shul, where he was famous for greeting them with lollipops and a smile.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media at Parliament House Canberra on December 14, 2025 in Canberra, Australia. (Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — The Australian prime minister said he’s proposing tougher gun laws after 15 people were killed and more than 40 were hurt in a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney.
Two gunmen — believed to be a father and son — opened fire on Sunday at an event marking the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, according to authorities.
The father, 54, was shot and killed by police and the son, 24, was critically hurt and hospitalized, officials said.
Those killed range in age from 10 to 87, the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday the massacre would be remembered as a “dark day in Australia’s history.”
The prime minister encouraged everyone in Australia to put a candle in their windows on Monday evening to show “that light will indeed defeat darkness.”
The National Cabinet met on Monday and ordered police and prosecutors to come up with options for stricter gun laws, including: “Accelerating work on standing up the National Firearms Register; Allowing for additional use of criminal intelligence to underpin firearms licencing that can be used in administrative licencing regimes; Limiting the number of firearms to be held by any one individual; Limiting open-ended firearms licencing and the types of guns that are legal, including modifications; and A condition of a firearm license is holding Australian citizenship,” according to the prime minister’s office.
Four guns and three improvised explosive devices were found at the crime scene and two more guns were found in searches at homes, the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team said.
The father had a gun license since 2015 and six licensed firearms, officials said.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told reporters the son is an Australian-born citizen and the father arrived in 1998 on a student visa.
Albanese said the son was investigated by authorities in 2019 for links to the Islamic State, but “there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence.”
Albanese on Sunday called the attack “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism” and “an act of terrorism.”
Pope Leo spoke out on social media on Monday, writing, “Enough with this antisemitic violence! Let us eliminate hatred from our hearts.”
ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Dada Jovanovic contributed to this report.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media at Parliament House Canberra on December 14, 2025 in Canberra, Australia. (Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — The Australian government is “prepared to take whatever action is necessary,” after a shooting that left 15 people dead and more than 40 injured at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a press conference on Monday.
Albanese said Sunday would be remembered as a “dark day in Australia’s history,” after authorities said two gunmen — one of whom was killed during the incident — opened fire on an event marking the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
At least 15 people were killed and more than 40 people were injured in the attack, a NSW Health spokesperson said in a statement to media on Monday afternoon. Twenty-seven patients are being treated at eight hospitals in and around Sydney, the spokesperson said.
The prime minister encouraged everyone in Australia to put a candle in their windows on Monday evening to show “that light will indeed defeat darkness.”
Albanese said he planned to “put on the agenda of the national cabinet tougher gun laws,” with details to include “the number of guns that can be used or licensed by individuals” and whether or not licenses for guns should be reviewed after a period of time, he added.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said in a separate press conference that he believes it’s time for a “change to the law in relation to firearms legislation in New South Wales.”
The alleged shooters were father and son, aged 50 and 24, officials said during a news conference. The father was killed and the son is hospitalized with unspecified injuries, according to officials. Their names were not released.
NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed there is a 24-year-old male who is in the hospital at the moment and will likely face criminal charges.
Six firearms were collected from the scene, officials said, adding that the father had a gun license and six licensed firearms. Officials said investigators are working to determine whether the six firearms collected from the scene were licensed to the father.
Two improvised explosive devices were also discovered at the scene and were removed to be rendered safe by a bomb disposal unit, according to officials at the news conference.
Speaking to reporters on Monday about the two suspects, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the son is an Australian born citizen and the father arrived in 1998 on a student visa.
Albanese said the son was investigated by authorities in 2019 for links to Islamic State, but that “that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence.”
Albanese on Sunday called the attack “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism” and “an act of terrorism.” The prime minister called for “national unity” in response to the shooting.
Police enforce a cordon at Bondi Beach after a mass shooting on December 14, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (George Chan/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — At least 11 people were killed on Sunday as two gunmen opened fire at Australia’s Bondi Beach in an attack that targeted a Jewish event, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, adding that police had designated the shooting as a “terrorism event.”
“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah,” Minns said in the beginning of a press conference on Sunday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as an “act of evil antisemitism.”
Another 29 other people were injured in the shooting, the New South Wales Police Force said, adding that two of the injured were police officers.
A suspect was also killed and a “second alleged shooter is in a critical condition,” police said in a statement issued at about 9 p.m. local time.
As gunfire erupted along the popular waterfront on Sunday evening, hundreds of beachgoers could be seen fleeing from the north side of the beach, according to a video taken at the scene at 6:42 p.m. and verified by ABC News. Police said the first call for a report of shots fired came in at about 6:45 p.m.
“The scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing,” Albanese said in a statement. “Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives. My thoughts are with every person affected.”
Police in their first social media message urged the public to avoid the area. Anyone who was there was told to seek shelter.
“Two people are in police custody at Bondi Beach; however, the police operation is ongoing and we continue to urge people to avoid the area,” police said in a subsequent message about 40 minutes later. “Please obey ALL police directions. Do not cross police lines.”
Photos from the scene showed a heavy police presence and emergency response, including several people being transported by stretchers.
The Australian Jewish Association described the shooting as happening at an event being held at the beach to mark the beginning of Hanukkah celebrations.
“Please pray for the Australian Jewish community,” the organization said in a statement.
Sussan Ley, a minister who leads Australia’s opposition party, said in a statement that the shooting amounted to “hateful violence striking at the heart of an iconic Australian community.”
“This attack occurred as our Jewish community came together at the Chanukah by the Sea celebration,” Ley said. “This was a celebration of peace and hope for the future, severed by hate.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a statement condemning the shooting in Sydney, calling it a “terrorist attack” on the Jewish community.
“At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews who went to light the first candle of Chanukah on Bondi Beach,” he said.
Albanese in his statement said he was in contact with New South Wales officials, including the local premier.
“We are working with the NSW Police and will provide further updates as more information is confirmed,” he said. “I urge people in the vicinity to follow information from the NSW Police.”
“This is a massive, complex investigation that has only just begun,” Minns said.
