Fifteen killed in Sydney beach shooting as Australia mourns Hanukkah attack

Stories of grief, horror and heroism are emerging after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during an event marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, in the deadliest gun attack in Australia in three decades.

Police said two gunmen — a father and son — opened fire late on Sunday on a crowd gathered near the iconic beach. The 50-year-old alleged shooter was killed by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in hospital.

Around 40 people were taken to hospital, including two police officers and four children. One child later died from her injuries. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87, authorities said.

Among those killed was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi, which organised the Hanukkah event. British-born Schlanger had lived in Sydney for 18 years and had recently become a father for the fifth time.

“Nothing was too big for him,” said Alex Ryvchin, Co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.

“He would drive out to regional parts of the state, sit with prisoners, visit public housing, feed the elderly and make sure they had kosher meals. He illuminated our lives with kindness, grace and generosity.”

Schlanger’s brother-in-law, Rabbi Mendel Kastel, said the family was “broken”, adding that the rabbi’s wife had lost both her husband and her best friend’s husband in the attack.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that Dan Elkayam, a French national in his late twenties, was also killed. Elkayam had been working in Sydney providing technical support to NBC Universal since December, according to his LinkedIn profile. He previously lived in Paris and held advanced engineering degrees.

Other victims identified by Chabad and local media include:

• Matilda, a 10-year-old primary school student described as “bright, joyful and spirited”
• Reuven Morrison, a member of the Chabad community who split his time between Melbourne and Sydney
• Alex Kleytman, 87, a Holocaust survivor who attended the event with his children and grandchildren
• Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, secretary of the Sydney Jewish religious organisation Beth Din
• Tibor Weitzen, a father who was fatally wounded while shielding his wife from gunfire

Acts of heroism amid chaos

Australian media identified Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old Sydney fruit shop owner, as a hero who tackled and disarmed one of the attackers. Video footage shows him creeping through a car park before launching himself at the gunman from behind.

Authorities said he was shot by the second attacker and remains in hospital.

“There are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.

State opposition leader Kellie Sloane, who was at Bondi Beach at the time, described scenes of panic and courage.

“There were bodies everywhere. People were trying to revive others, holding hands of those who were passing away, and comforting people in shock,” she said.

Bondi in mourning

Bondi Beach was largely silent on Monday, with roads blocked off and businesses shuttered along Campbell Parade. Locals and lifeguards laid out lost property left behind by people fleeing the gunfire, while flowers and candles filled a growing memorial near the headlands.

Mental health support teams were stationed across the area.

“I could never imagine this would happen here,” said Yuval Bar Nahum, a 23-year-old Israeli living in Bondi. “I always felt safe.”

Community fears and resilience

Several Jewish community members said the attack heightened existing fears following rising tensions since the 7 October, 2023 attacks on Israel and the ensuing Gaza conflict.

“We have been vocal about radicalisation and the rhetoric towards Jewish people,” said Vitek Patek, 29. “We are in shock, but sadly not surprised.”

Waverley Mayor William Nemesh described the shooting as a deliberate terrorist act.

“It is an unspeakable tragedy — a cowardly attack targeting innocents celebrating Hanukkah,” he said. “This occurred on a night symbolising light overcoming darkness.”

Despite the devastation, residents expressed determination to recover.

“As a community, we can move forward,” said Trent Tur, 18, who was in the water when the shooting began.

“It will be hard, but the spirit here is strong,” he said.

Alleged suspects identified

Two alleged gunmen who killed 15 people at a Jewish celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach were a father and son, police said on Monday, as Australia began mourning victims of its worst gun violence in almost 30 years.

The father, a 50-year-old, was killed at the scene, taking the number of dead to 16, while his 24-year-old son was in a critical condition in hospital, police said at a press conference on Monday.

The father and son were identified as Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, respectively, by state broadcaster ABC and other local media outlets.

Officials have described Sunday's shooting as a targeted antisemitic attack.

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