Australia - Mass shooting at Bondi Beach Hanukkah Celebration - 14 Dec 2025

[JennieM]

40m ago
The NSW government has outlined some options for community members who would like to offer condolences in the wake of the shooting.

Those with floral tributes are requested to please lay them at the rear of Bondi Pavilion.

Condolence messages for the families affected by the attack can be left on the online condolence book on the government information page.

Victims, families of those who have died, and those who have been affected by the incident can seek support through the Victims Support Scheme. It includes counselling and financial assistance, including assistance to pay for funeral expenses. It can be reached on 1800 411 822 from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Trained disaster mental health support clinicians and NSW Health staff will be available on the ground at Bondi over the coming days and weeks. They will be identifiable by wearing NSW Health vests and members of the community who are feeling distress are urged to make themselves known to those mental health clinicians.

Telephone mental health services are available as follows:

• NSW Health’s dedicated Mental Health Line is available 24/7 on 1800 011 511
• Lifeline is on 13 11 14.
• Children and young people can call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or chat online at www.kidshelpline.com.au.
• Beyond Blue is on 1300 22 46 36

More information on available support, the floral tribute and the online condolence book are available at: Bondi Beach attack

 

[JennieM]

36m ago
Penry Buckley

Muslim groups condemn Bondi Beach attack

As we reported earlier, Muslim peak bodies and community groups have put out statements condemning yesterday’s attack. The Darulfatwa Islamic High Council of Australia has said the attack was “wholly incompatible with Australian values and principles of peaceful coexistence”.

In a statement on X, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association said it was “shocked and saddened at the loss of innocent lives” in the attack:

We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters during this time of deep grief and sorrow.

In a statement on X, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association said it was “shocked and saddened at the loss of innocent lives” in the attack:

We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters during this time of deep grief and sorrow.

In a statement to Guardian Australia, the Bonnyrigg Mosque, near to the residential address of the alleged gunmen, said its community “unequivocally condemns
the violent and senseless attack at Bondi Beach”. It is not suggested the men were part of the congregation.

The mosque’s statement continued:

We extend our sincere condolences to the victims, their families, and the wider community. Violence driven by hatred – be it racial, religious, or ideological – has no place in Australia and must be rejected fully.

We stand united with affected communities and all Australians shaken by this incident. No community should live in fear, nor should any faith be blamed for an individual’s actions.

 

[JennieM]

Another victim confirmed as former policeman and rugby club volunteer​

IMAGE SOURCE, RANDWICK RUGBY

Peter "Marzo" Meagher has been identified as one of the victims of the shooting, in a statement from the Randwick Rugby Club where he was a "much loved First Grade Manager and loyal club volunteer".

The statement, published about an hour ago, said that Meagher had served nearly 40 years in the NSW Police Force before retiring as a Detective Sergeant.

He was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event on Sunday when the shooting happened, the rugby club said.

"The tragic irony is that he spent so long in the dangerous front line as a Police Officer and was struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role" the statement said.

The club said that Meagher's death was "really hard to comprehend", and had "hit our players, coaches, managers, volunteers and supporters extremely hard".

Bondi Beach shooting appears to be motivated by 'Islamic State ideology', says Australian prime minister

Fifteen people - including a 10-year-old girl and a British-born rabbi - were killed when two gunmen targeted Jewish people attending a Hanukkah event.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Lonicera]

It is religious fanaticism that has already very often massacred many people on earth over the course of history. In this case, a preventive measure had not been taken despite the threats to the Jewish community.

 

[Gemmie]

I don't understand all the hate in the world just because someone is different than you.

Stop and smell the roses, pet a stray cat, watch a dragonfly flit in front of you, listen to birds chirping, do anything but hate. There's so much beauty for you to discover. Seek it and enjoy it. Just stop the hate. Please.

My condolences to all that are affected either directly, or indirectly.

 

[iamshadow21]

13m ago

Parents of man who wrestled gun from Bondi Beach shooter call son a 'hero'​

​

By Leonie Thorne​

The parents of a man who tackled and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers have called their son a hero, as he awaits multiple surgeries for gunshot wounds.

Incredible footage shows Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, running up to one of the gunmen from behind before taking the weapon off him.

Mohamed Fateh Al Ahmed and Malakeh Hasan Al Ahmed. (ABC News)
Ahmed Al Ahmed was having coffee with a friend in Bondi when he heard gunshots ring out, according to his parents.

He had spotted one of the gunmen crouched behind a tree, and when his ammunition ran out, Ahmed Al Ahmed approached him from behind, managing to wrestle the gun from his hands.

Mr Ahmed's parents told the ABC their son was shot four to five times in his shoulder, with several of the bullets still lodged inside him.

Live: Premier says Bondi Beach shooting will bring 'overwhelming' response

Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl. One of two alleged gunmen has also died, while a further 42 people were taken to hospital. Follow live.

www.abc.net.au

I know we're not meant to link them, but I think it's okay to mention over $200K has already been donated by the public to help Mr Ahmed's recovery.

We have health care here, so he won't have the massive hospital bills he might have elsewhere, but he's going to need something to live on while he can't work, and it will probably help to pay for a better standard and frequency of rehab.

MOO

 

[MrsAddick]

In this duo, considering the father was the owner of the weapons, the son seemed to me to be much more "familiar" or confidant with them, certainly not the first time firing them IMO . Was able to load & reload many times with ease.

The father seemed not so confidant.

All IMO

Yeah true.

Those of you from Australia are so helpful to us on the thread. Please help us understand the various reasons that one would be granted a licence to have such firearms.

And the report states that he had had such licenses for 10 years. Does one have to reapply each year. Is there any process for how one is monitored or regulated.

It just feels so weird to live in such a gun-happy country and not understanding how more regulated societies conduct their processes.

In Australia, you need to complete a Firearms Licence Qualification course to apply for a long arms weapon permit.

Only specific groups are eligible to own weapons. For example, my extended family do not live on land but they own long arm shotguns for duck hunting. You can’t just say “I’m a hunter”… you need to have a licence to hunt. For ducks, this means sitting an exam to demonstrate that you can recognise which ducks are legal to hunt or not (ie endangered). It’s not a simple test as you need to identify how they look while flying in the sky.
Sport/target shooters would need to have membership with a local gun range.

The father had a gun licence. Presumably, the son would not have been able to get a gun licence if know the police/ASIO already.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t go out into the middle of the Australian bush with his dad and illegally shoot at rabbits for practice. No one would notice or hear you.

You can own multiple guns but the type of gun is restricted (I.e. no semi-automatics capable of shooting many rounds a second). The shooters needed to reload shotgun multiple times which reduces number of potential casualties.

 

[JennieM]

2m ago
NSW Health has provided an update on the victims of the Bondi shooting who are receiving medical care.

As of 5pm today, there were 27 patients receiving care in several Sydney hospitals for their injuries:

• Three patients are in a stable condition at Prince of Wales Hospital.
• One patient is in a critical but stable condition, and two patients are in a stable condition at St George Hospital
• Three patients are in a stable condition at Sydney Eye Hospital
• Three patients are in a critical condition and two patients are in a critical but stable condition at St Vincent’s Hospital
• Three patients are in a critical condition, two patients are in a critical but stable condition and one patient is stable at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
• Two patients are in a stable condition at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
• One patient is in a critical but stable condition and two patients are in a stable condition at Royal North Shore Hospital
• Two patients are in a stable condition at Liverpool Hospital

Bondi beach shooting live updates: national cabinet meets to discuss gun laws after terror attack; butchered pig heads found at Muslim cemetery in Sydney

Father and son identified as alleged shooters in attack that killed at least 15 people

www.theguardian.com

 

[MrsAddick]

@nhmemorymaker sorry I didn’t fully answer your question…
Firearms licences need to be renewed every 1, 2 or 5 years (this would depend on the specific purpose of owning the gun).
To reapply, you need to provide evidence that you have continue to satisfy the ‘genuine reason’ requirement to own the weapon (e.g. provide new duck hunting licence).
If criminally convicted of something, the licence will be revoked. Also, my brother had a mental health crisis and was ‘sectioned’ (involuntary admission to psychiatric hospital, if police think you may be a danger to yourself or others) - police can confiscate your guns.

Licence holders must keep the gun ‘safely secured’ at their registered address, anytime it’s not being used for the specific purpose allowed. Guns and ammunition must be kept in separate, locked safes at home address.

Even police officers are required to check-in their firearms overnight at the police station when not on active duty. Each weapon is weighed/checked to confirm if any bullets missing, which would require justification for where they are or why they were fired on duty.

 

[SouthAussie]

The ABC has been able to confirm the identities of five of the 15 dead so far.

This excludes the identity of one of the gunmen, who was also killed.

There are:

• Rabbi Eli Schlanger
• Dan Elkayam
• Alexander Kleytman
• Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
• Reuven Morrison

Live: Five victims identified as PM visits scene of Jewish festival massacre

Fifteen victims have died, including a 10-year-old girl. One of two alleged gunmen has also died, while a further 42 people were taken to hospital.

www.abc.net.au

Just to add more detail to part of this post ^^^ Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor. Now survived by his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren.

Survived the nazis, then a radical madman guns him down. imo


Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor who came to Australia from Ukraine.
"As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust," the health organisation wrote in its annual report.
"Alex's memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival."

Who were the Bondi beach shooting victims? What we know

Authorities say two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl were among the victims.

www.bbc.com

 

[drsleuth]

@nhmemorymaker sorry I didn’t fully answer your question…
Firearms licences need to be renewed every 1, 2 or 5 years (this would depend on the specific purpose of owning the gun).
To reapply, you need to provide evidence that you have continue to satisfy the ‘genuine reason’ requirement to own the weapon (e.g. provide new duck hunting licence).
If criminally convicted of something, the licence will be revoked. Also, my brother had a mental health crisis and was ‘sectioned’ (involuntary admission to psychiatric hospital, if police think you may be a danger to yourself or others) - police can confiscate your guns.

Licence holders must keep the gun ‘safely secured’ at their registered address, anytime it’s not being used for the specific purpose allowed. Guns and ammunition must be kept in separate, locked safes at home address.

Even police officers are required to check-in their firearms overnight at the police station when not on active duty. Each weapon is weighed/checked to confirm if any bullets missing, which would require justification for where they are or why they were fired on duty.

I'm sure they had their weapons secured in their bnb

 

[drsleuth]

Just to add more detail to part of this post ^^^ Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor. Now survived by his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren.

Survived the nazis, then a radical madman guns him down. imo


Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor who came to Australia from Ukraine.
"As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust," the health organisation wrote in its annual report.
"Alex's memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival."

Who were the Bondi beach shooting victims? What we know

Authorities say two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl were among the victims.

www.bbc.com

This is just beyond tragic , Australia should have been safe.

 

[iamshadow21]

Parents praise 'hero' son for tackling gunman during Bondi Beach attack

The ABC has spoken to the parents of Ahmed Al Ahmed who was shot after he heroically wrestled and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers.

www.abc.net.au

 

[BrianJohnson]

Given the massive spike in anti semitism across the world especially in recent times I find it absolutely staggering that there was no security patrols/police presence for a mass gathering of jews on one of their holy days, just beggars belief. This event should have been flagged by the security forces and LE as a high risk event and security measures taken. These poor people were sitting ducks

 

[Spectrix]

The father had a gun licence. Presumably, the son would not have been able to get a gun licence if know the police/ASIO already. But that doesn’t mean he can’t go out into the middle of the Australian bush with his dad and illegally shoot at rabbits for practice. No one would notice or hear you.
You can own multiple guns but the type of gun is restricted (I.e. no semi-automatics capable of shooting many rounds a second). The shooters needed to reload shotgun multiple times which reduces number of potential casualties.

As above. It appears as if (at least two of) the guns used in the attack are known as straight-pull which is a type of bolt action.
They have to be reloaded manually, though it is a fast easy movement in the way that pump-action is. Pump-action cannot be licenced in Australia, but bolt-action can.
That's not to say that further gun reform would have stopped this particular attack.

 

[MrsAddick]

Just to add more detail to part of this post ^^^ Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor. Now survived by his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren.

Survived the nazis, then a radical madman guns him down. imo


Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor who came to Australia from Ukraine.
"As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust," the health organisation wrote in its annual report.
"Alex's memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival."

Who were the Bondi beach shooting victims? What we know

Authorities say two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl were among the victims.

www.bbc.com

This is just so awful. Also, the October 7 survivor who was injured in Bondi attack. https://www.skynews.com.au/australi...ws-story/507a0742008061ada2d68471e6234cd1?amp

I’m shocked, sad and frankly sickened that this has happened in my country. Thankfully the vast majority of Australia’s feel the same way. There has been a massive outpouring of grief and support declared from people of all faiths. Consensus condemnation of the attack from all government parties. We have a relatively small Jewish populations here but large public vigils are being planned and members of the public are voluntarily standing in queues for 2-4 hours to donate blood

 

[chrism23]

So bad. This does NOT happen in Australia!

JUST DID.

 

[iamshadow21]

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(This is Trent Maxwell's account, verified/checked by ABC News.) Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...rorist-attack/106142446#live-blog-post-246570

 

[MrsAddick]

<modsnip: Image of screenshot removed due to no link to source>

The Bondi hero who tackled one of the gunmen and took control of his weapon (43-year old Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit shop owner and father of two) has come out of his first surgery and recovering from injuries.

Make no mistake, this man is a national hero. The typical Australian response would be to ensure this man never has to pay for his own beer for the rest of his life.

However, given Ahmed is Muslim and may not drink alcohol, I’m sure we will find another way to celebrate him! X

 

[Yh5r]

The Bondi hero who tackled one of the gunmen and took control of his weapon (43-year old Ahmed al Ahmed, a fruit shop owner and father of two) has come out of his first surgery and recovering from injuries.

Make no mistake, this man is a national hero. The typical Australian response would be to ensure this man never has to pay for his own beer for the rest of his life.

However, given Ahmed is Muslim and may not drink alcohol, I’m sure we will find another way to celebrate him! X

The GoFund me for him is up to over $1 million now! I'm sure he'll be able to buy whatever drinks he enjoys for the rest of his life with it