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

[Serononin]

From what I can gather, the older shooter had lived in Australia for longer than I've been alive. I wonder at what point his radicalisation started. What causes a person who has gone out of their way to move to a new country, make a life there, raise a family there, and gain citizenship, to turn against their chosen countrymen in such a horrific and violent way?

 

[JennieM]

1h ago

More than a million in donations for 'hero' Ahmed al Ahmed​

New South Wales premier Chris Minns visiting Ahmed al Ahmed in hospital, after he was injured tackling one of the Bondi Beach terrorists. Photograph: @ChrisMinnsMP/X/PA

Donations have poured in for Ahmed al Ahmed, the Muslim father-of-two, who tackled one of the gunmen from behind to disarm him. A GoFundMe page has currently raised more than $A1.3 million (£645,000; $864,000) in less than 24 hours.

The Sydney fruit and vegetable seller is currently recovering in hospital after surgery from bullet wounds – he was shot twice by the second gunman after interrupting the first’s attack.

Ahmed was visited by the state premier earlier today who praised his extraordinary courage. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also described Ahmed “running towards danger, putting his own life at risk” as “the best of humanity”.

Ahmed’s father told Australia’s ABC his son had “served in the police, he has the passion to defend people.“

“When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon,” Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed said.

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

 

[JennieM]

3h ago

Injured officers’ families issue statement​

The families of two police officers injured in the shooting have sent out a message through the New South Wales state police force.

“The families of the two injured officers wish to pass on their thoughts to the loved ones of those who were killed and injured in the Bondi shooting tragedy.

They also want to express their heartfelt gratitude to all first responders who acted with courage, in particular the police officers and paramedics who responded.

They also wish to thank their hospital team, and especially those in ICU.

They thank the community for their support but have asked for privacy as their loved ones focus on recovery and healing.”

Both officers remain in a serious but stable condition in hospital. Only one has been identified so far – Constable Scott Dyson, who had been with the local area police command for 18 months.

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

 

[JennieM]

2h ago
It’s nearing 10.30pm in Sydney, but there are still many mourners down at the Bondi Pavilion, where a makeshift memorial has been established. Earlier, thousands had gathered to pay tribute an evening vigil.

Thousands came down to the hill overlooking the pavilion and the beach in tribute on Monday evening. Photograph: Audrey Richardson/Getty

At dusk, a Rabbi lit the second candle in a menorah, which is lit every night of Hanukah.Photograph: Izhar Khan/Getty Images

A sea of floral tributes and messages. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Jewish mourners at a vigil at the Chabad of Bondi on Monday night. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/EPA

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

 

[JennieM]

2h ago

Sydney Opera House lit with menorah tribute​

The New South Wales government has lit the sails to show solidarity with the Jewish community. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters

A Hanukah menorah is currently projected onto the tallest sail of the Sydney landmark, with the others left in the dark. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images

New South Wales premier Chris Minns said he’d made the decision to light the Sydney Opera House, the other main icon of the city along with Bondi beach, with the menorah to show support to the Jewish community.

In the wake of this horrific attack, it is more important than ever that the Jewish community in NSW knows they do not stand alone.

We cannot, and we will not allow Jewish Australians to feel they must hide their faith, their traditions, their religious celebrations or their identity.

Lighting the Opera House is a simple but powerful gesture: a message to the world that we cherish our Jewish community, that we honour their courage, and that we stand with them in solidarity and love.

Tonight, those candles are a symbol of resilience and a reminder that even in darkness, we choose to stand with one another.”

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

 

[nhmemorymaker]

@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.

@MrsAddick I really want to thank you very much. All these details are very helpful.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Australia plans tougher gun laws after police say father and son killed 15 at Bondi Beach

Forty people remain in hospital, including two police officers.

www.reuters.com

 

[Deleted member 246707]

While I certainly appreciate the bravery of Ahmed al Ahmed, it's a shame he didn't/couldn't shoot the father, after wrestling the gun away. It appears the father was able to rejoin his son, get another gun, and continue shooting.

 

[dotr]

Loading…

www.cbc.ca

Updated2 minutes ago rbbm

''The Latest​

• Australian federal and state governments agreed to immediately overhaul the country's already tough gun control laws after the shooting on Sydney's Bondi Beach.
• At least 15 people were killed and 38 are in hospital after two gunmen attacked a Jewish holiday event. The victims included a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor.
• Police said the only suspects are a 50-year-old man, who was shot and killed by police, and his 24-year-old son, who is in a coma.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that Australia's main domestic spy agency had investigated the son for six months in 2019.
• World leaders including Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron have offered condolences, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Australia's decision to recognize a Palestinian state "pours fuel on the antisemitic fire."

''I’m Ethan Lang, a reporter for CBC Toronto.
Across the Greater Toronto Area, Jewish communities are both mourning and calling on their cities to stand up to antisemitism.
Toronto's Jewish community — which makes up about three per cent of the city's population — has been scared by the rise of antisemitism in the city and beyond, said Sara Lefton with the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.
"When we see hateful words turn into hateful actions, like we've seen in Sydney, Australia, the Jewish community in Toronto knows that we're not far behind," she said Sunday.''

'Hi, this is Holly Cabrera. I'm a writer from Montreal.
The mass shooting on Sunday prompted Montreal’s police force to reassure locals.
After the attack, Montreal police said they would increase their vigilance and visibility in areas where Jewish neighbourhood celebrations are taking place until the end of Hanukkah.'

 

[LaLaw2000]

I fear there is going to be alot of fatalities ................some horrific videos on SM showing multiple people receiving CPR........

I love our Australian friends. May God be with them.

 

[JennieM]

Visual explainer: how a night of terror unfolded in Bondi​

Photos, maps, drone footage and video show how terror attack that left at least 15 dead unfolded on Sunday evening

• Warning: contains content that readers may find distressing

Gunmen park their car here, then walk to footbridge
From here they shoot at people attending the Hanukah festival
Guardian graphic. Image: Google Earth

Visual explainer: how a night of terror unfolded in Bondi

Photos, maps, drone footage and video show how terror attack that left at least 15 dead unfolded on Sunday evening

www.theguardian.com

 

[Yellowbelly]

1h ago

More than a million in donations for 'hero' Ahmed al Ahmed​

New South Wales premier Chris Minns visiting Ahmed al Ahmed in hospital, after he was injured tackling one of the Bondi Beach terrorists. Photograph: @ChrisMinnsMP/X/PA

Donations have poured in for Ahmed al Ahmed, the Muslim father-of-two, who tackled one of the gunmen from behind to disarm him. A GoFundMe page has currently raised more than $A1.3 million (£645,000; $864,000) in less than 24 hours.

The Sydney fruit and vegetable seller is currently recovering in hospital after surgery from bullet wounds – he was shot twice by the second gunman after interrupting the first’s attack.

Ahmed was visited by the state premier earlier today who praised his extraordinary courage. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also described Ahmed “running towards danger, putting his own life at risk” as “the best of humanity”.

Ahmed’s father told Australia’s ABC his son had “served in the police, he has the passion to defend people.“

“When he saw people lying on the ground and the blood, quickly his conscience pushed him to attack one of the terrorists and take away his weapon,” Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed said.

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

Ah, so he's a retired police officer. That explains why he ran towards danger rather than from it. When he saw what was happening, the old muscle memory must have kicked in.

 

[musicaljoke]

I am broken for the Australian people and all who are suffering from this horrible crime. My cello friend and I are preparing to play, "Prayer from Jewish Life" by Ernest Bloch for our Christmas Eve service so that we, here on our island in Canada, can remember along with the people who have had such loss.

Here is a gorgeous performance of this haunting piece that I found online. May it touch your heart.

 

[musicaljoke]

While I certainly appreciate the bravery of Ahmed al Ahmed, it's a shame he didn't/couldn't shoot the father, after wrestling the gun away. It appears the father was able to rejoin his son, get another gun, and continue shooting.

He may have seen that shooting could lead to a stray bullet. He is a hero, no doubts arise.

 

[JennieM]

‘It was a matter of conscience’: Ahmed al-Ahmed’s family reveal why he risked his life to disarm alleged Bondi shooter​

Another cousin, Mustafa al-Asaad, told the Al Araby television network that al-Ahmed intervened as a “humanitarian act”.

“When he saw people dying and their families being shot, he couldn’t bear to see people dying,” he said.

“It was a humanitarian act, more than anything else. It was a matter of conscience … He’s very proud that he saved even one life. “When he saw this scene, people dying of gunfire, he told me, ‘I couldn’t bear this. God gave me strength. I believe I’m going to stop this person killing people’.”

Al-Asaad said his cousin was an Australian citizen of Syrian origin, from the city of Idlib. […] [His parents] had only arrived in Sydney from Syria months prior, and had been separated from their son since he came to Australia in 2006.

[…]

According to his parents, al-Ahmed had been having a coffee with a friend in Bondi when he heard the shots ring out. They said he would have done anything to protect anyone.

“When he did what he did, he wasn’t thinking about the background of the people he’s saving, the people dying in the street,” his father said.

“He doesn’t discriminate between one nationality and another. Especially here in Australia, there’s no difference between one citizen and another.”

‘It was a matter of conscience’: Ahmed al-Ahmed’s family reveal why he risked his life to disarm alleged Bondi shooter

Family say al-Ahmed ‘doesn’t discriminate’ and would have done anything to save lives during the attack

www.theguardian.com

 

[Deleted member 246707]

He may have seen that shooting could lead to a stray bullet. He is a hero, no doubts arise.

I don't know his reasons for not pulling the trigger, or if he tried and it didn't work. But, I'd suggest that when you're 5 yards from a terrorist shooting innocent people, not shooting him because you're afraid of a stray bullet is pretty unlikely to be one of them.

 

[browneyes]

I don't know his reasons for not pulling the trigger, or if he tried and it didn't work. But, I'd suggest that when you're 5 yards from a terrorist shooting innocent people, not shooting him because you're afraid of a stray bullet is pretty unlikely to be one of them.

I’m not questioning his heroism. He saved lives and risked his own.

 

[tricia]

Please understand there is a very good reason why we do not allow a gun control discussion in a thread about a different topic.
First, it is off topic. This discussion thread is about the shooting in Australia.
If we did this, the thread would very quickly start to get out of hand. There would be no more discussion about the shooting in Australia, and finally, posters would get so upset that the anger would spill over into the discussion. Then we would have to close the thread. I don't think anyone wants that.

 

[JennieM]

Gunmen told family they were on fishing trip on day of attack - local media
​

Sajid and Naveed Akram, who killed 15 people on Bondi Beach in an attack on the Jewish community on Sunday, had told their family they were on a fishing trip.

Naveed's mother, Verena, told the Sydney Morning Herald, external as police swarmed the family home, that she had a conversation with her son on Sunday - the day of the attack.

She says: "He rings me up and said: ‘Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We’re going... to eat now, and then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot’."

According to the paper, sources suggest Naveed is showing signs he will survive his injuries. As a reminder, he remains in hospital in a critical condition following the attack.

Police investigating Bondi gunmen's trip to Philippines month before shooting

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

 

[JennieM]

Photo shows gunman with weapon and ammunition during attack​

We can now bring you this photo of one of the gunmen - named in local media as Naveed Akram, 24 - during the attack.

In the image, he is holding a gun alongside what appears to be another weapon and ammunition. He is standing on the footbridge which, accounts of the attack suggest, he used as a vantage point.

He carried out the attack alongside his 50-year-old father, Sajid, who was killed in an exchange of fire with police at the scene. Naveed remains in hospital with critical injuries.

Naveed is an Australian-born citizen. He first came to authorities' attention in October 2019, but the Australian prime minister said an "assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence".

His father arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, which was transferred in 2001 to a partner visa and later resident return visas.

Local media reported that both men pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Police investigating Bondi gunmen's trip to Philippines month before shooting

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