The death toll in the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney has risen to 15, including a child, New South Wales police said, as survivors revealed harrowing details of the attack and questioned the police’s “underprepared” response, the Daily Mail reports. Sunday’s massacre targeted a Hanukkah festival full of Jews and is being treated as an act of terrorism. Australian police said on Monday that the shooters were a father-son duo, Reuters news agency reported. According to the Sunday Morning Herald, the two have been identified as Naveed Akram and Sajid Akram.
Bondi Beach shooting: How it happened
Two gunmen opened fire from a footbridge on dozens of beachgoers, locals and holidaymakers near Campbell Parade. Video footage showed the attackers moving towards the Hanukkah by the Sea festival. Witnesses reported hearing loud bangs, seeing injured people and seeing a mob fleeing for their lives.New South Wales (NSW) Police issued an urgent warning to people in Bondi to seek shelter at 7.05pm. Within minutes, dozens of police cars and ambulances arrived.A brave passerby named Ahmed attacked a gunman and disarmed him before police could intervene. The civilian ducked behind a car to approach the attacker, grabbed him and stole his weapon, forcing him to retreat and eventually being captured later. The other attacker was later shot dead by police.
Survivors question police response
Some witnesses criticized the police for taking too long to respond. Grace Matthews, who sought refuge in a nearby church, told ABC News: “One of my friends was at the festival (and) he said the police were just very underprepared to respond to a threat like that.” “It was therefore necessary for a member of the public, such as a civilian, to neutralize one of the threats.”However, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon defended the force, saying he was “incredibly proud” of officers and emergency services. “They have done a fantastic job and unfortunately we have learned a lot after the Westfield Bondi Junction attack and tonight the ambulance, police and other responders acted quickly and professionally and did a great job,” he said.
Response and investigation
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as an “act of evil anti-Semitism” and vowed to eliminate the violence. “There is no place for this hatred, this violence and this terrorism in our country,” he said. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess confirmed that one of the shooters was known to intelligence services but “not in an imminent threat perspective”. The authorities are investigating how the attackers obtained the high-performance weapons and whether accomplices were involved. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said a “massive and complex” investigation was underway.
Death toll rises to 15
NSW Police confirmed 15 deaths, including a child who died at Sydney Children’s Hospital. At least 29 people were injured, some still in critical condition. Authorities also discovered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the shooters’ vehicle. Police conducted raids across Sydney, including at 24-year-old gunman Naveed Akram’s home in Bonnyrigg, and secured the Bondi area.
