• At least 12 people have been killed in a shooting on Australia’s Bondi Beach which targeted the Jewish community, police say. The attack, which took place as hundreds gathered to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, has been declared a terrorist incident.
• Police have confirmed that there are two known suspects — one is dead while the other is in a life-threatening condition in hospital. Officers are currently investigating whether there was a third perpetrator involved in the attack.
• An improvised explosive device was found in a car at Bondi, which was linked to the deceased perpetrator.
It is approaching midnight local time in Sydney, Australia, where at least 11 people were killed in a shooting at the city’s Bondi Beach earlier today.
The scene of the attack has been cordoned off by authorities. Police vehicles are parked near the cordons, with members of the public being ushered away from the area.
Australia is unaccustomed to mass shootings. Strict gun laws were introduced in 1996 after a shocking attack at Port Arthur, when 35 people were killed by a lone gunman.
Buying a gun requires extensive checks, and though gun crimes occur, they are usually targeted and limited in scope.
According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, 31 homicides by firearm were recorded in Australia from 2023–24, the most recent figures.
Mass attacks are also uncommon. One of the most recent also took place in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, when a man armed with a knife killed six people in Westfield shopping center at Bondi Junction in April 2024. The perpetrator, who was shot at the scene, had a history of mental health issues.
International leaders offer condolences
Leaders around the world are beginning to respond to today’s deadly shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach, expressing their shock and sending condolences to the families of victims.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said that his country and Australia are “family,” writing on a post on X that he is “shocked by the distressing scenes at Bondi” and offering his thoughts to those affected by the attack.
The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the news of the shooting “deeply distressing,” writing on X that his country “sends our thoughts and condolences to everyone affected by the appalling attack.”
French President Emmanuel Macron posted to X that “an antisemitic terrorist attack struck families gathered to celebrate Hanukkah,” following the police’s confirmation that the attack targeted Sydney’s Jewish community. France “will continue to fight relentlessly against antisemitic hatred, which hurts us all, wherever it strikes,’ he said, offering his thoughts to the victims of the attack.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, posted that Europe “stands with Australia and Jewish communities everywhere” following the attack. “We are united against violence, antisemitism and hatred,” she wrote.
Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin wrote on X that he was “shocked and appalled” by the shooting, adding that “such hate and violence can never be tolerated.” Martin offered prayers “to the families and friends of those lost, the injured, first responders, and people of Australia at this distressing time.”
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the attack marked a “dark day for Australia,” posting to X that he had offered Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese his support and calling the shooting a “cowardly act.”
Leaders from countries including Germany, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Estonia and Lithuania also sent their condolences.
CNN