Nine Killed in Mass Shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach During Jewish Festival

Sydney, December 14, 2025 — At least nine people were killed and several others injured after two gunmen opened fire at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Jewish religious event marking the start of Hanukkah on Sunday evening, authorities said. The attack has been described by Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as “shocking and distressing”.

According to witnesses, around 50 shots were fired when the shooting erupted just after 6.30 pm local time, as hundreds of people had gathered on the beach for the “Chanukah by the Sea” celebration. New South Wales Police confirmed that one of the gunmen was shot dead in retaliatory police fire, while the second alleged shooter remains in a critical condition.

Police said at least 11 people, including officers, were injured in the attack. Visuals from the scene showed the two shooters, dressed in black, firing into the crowd, while bystanders attempted to perform CPR on the wounded.

At around 7.47 pm Australian time, NSW Police posted on X that they were responding to a “developing incident” at Bondi Beach and urged people in the area to take shelter. In a later update, police confirmed that ten people were dead, including a man believed to be one of the attackers.

Prime Minister Albanese said emergency services were working to save lives and that authorities were coordinating closely. “My thoughts are with every person affected,” he said, adding that he had spoken to the Australian Federal Police Commissioner and the New South Wales Premier, and urged the public to follow official police advice.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the attackers targeted people indiscriminately, including children and the elderly. An attendee told the newspaper that panic spread rapidly as shots rang out across the beach.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said Australians were in deep mourning following what she described as “hateful violence” at one of the country’s most iconic locations. She noted that the attack struck as the Jewish community gathered for a celebration of peace and hope. “This was severed by hate,” she said, adding that the nation stood together against violence and extremism.

The Australian Jewish Association strongly criticised the Albanese government, saying the attack was “entirely foreseeable” and alleging that warnings about threats to the Jewish community had gone unheeded. The association said many Jews were now questioning their future in Australia and expressed anger that the Prime Minister’s initial statement did not explicitly mention that the event targeted was Jewish.

The investigation is ongoing as police work to establish the full circumstances and motive behind the attack, which has sent shockwaves across Australia and drawn widespread condemnation.

Source : NDTV

Download Catholic Connect App for Daily News Updates: 

Android: Click here to download

iOS: Click here to download