Bondi Beach Mass Shooting Declared Terror Attack; 16 Killed

At least 16 people were killed and 40 injured after two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish event, Chanukah by the Sea, at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, authorities said.

Australian officials have declared the shooting a terrorist attack, saying it targeted hundreds of people gathered to celebrate Hanukkah. The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 years.

Police said on Monday that the two attackers were a father and son. The father, Sajid Akram (50), was shot dead at the scene, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, remains in critical condition in hospital.

Police said the son was known to New South Wales police and security agencies, while the father held a firearms licence with six registered weapons. All six firearms have since been recovered, police told The Guardian.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as “evil” and “beyond comprehension,” and convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet.

The Bondi Beach attack is the deadliest incident since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, when 35 people were killed. The attack also comes amid a rise in antisemitic incidents in Australia in recent years, authorities and community groups have said.