Bondi Beach shooting live updates: Australia vows crackdown on guns, antisemitism after shooters kill 15

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The Australian and Aboriginal flags flew at staff on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach shootings.In the Australian capital of Canberra, Parliament House also paid tribute by lowering the flag.

Hilary Wardhaugh / Getty Images

And at the scene of the shooting, over the Bondi Pavilion, the Australian flag also flew at half staff.

David Gray / AFP via Getty Images

Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram Monday to the archbishop of Sydney expressing his deep sadness over the loss of “members of the Jewish community gathered for a Hanukkah celebration,” Vatican News reported Sunday.

The pope shared his renewed hope that “those tempted to violence will undergo conversion and seek the path of peace," the telegram said, and he offered his prayers for those still recovering.

Speaking Monday with the groups that donated this year’s Vatican Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene, Leo also asked for prayers for all those suffering because of war and violence, including the victims of the attack in Sydney.

“Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence,” Pope Leo said. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts.”

Australia's national Cabinet pledged to eradicate antisemitism, hate, violence and terrorism after meeting today in the wake of the attack.

Ministers discussed the ongoing work to tackle antisemitism, such as establishing the National Hate Crimes and Incidents Database, enhancing security of the Jewish community and cultural sites, and coordinated work across intelligence and police agencies, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office said in a statement.

A vigil at Bondi Beach today.  Audrey Richardson / Getty Images

They also urged overhauling gun laws as an immediate action, the statement said.

“Leaders agreed that yesterday’s horrific anti-Semitic terrorist attack has no place in Australia and that the evil scourge of anti-Semitism must be eradicated,” the statement added.

In a broad discussion about radicalization, one expert told NBC News that family connections can be a significant potential risk factor in extremist involvement.

What a family thinks “matters in a way that doesn’t necessarily apply for others,” said Andrew Silke, a professor of criminology at Royal Holloway University. He said that attacks by brothers were more common than by father and son.

Normally “the older family member is the one who introduces the younger family member to the ideology and kind of coaches them in, but there have been a few cases where the opposite has happened,” Silke added.

Silke said that it often emerges in terror investigations that there was a pattern of radicalization over time. An attack completely out of the blue, with no evidence of engaging with more radical ideas, would be “incredibly rare,” he said. “Normally, there are signs,” he added.

An online fundraiser set up in the wake of yesterday’s attack has raised more than $1 million for the man who disarmed one of the gunmen.

Ahmed al Ahmed, 43, was hailed a hero for his bravery after video circulated online showed him tackling the attacker and taking his gun.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Ahmed al-Ahmed @ChrisMinnsMP / via X

Ahmed, who was hospitalized with gunshot wounds, has undergone his first surgery and might have to go through additional operations to address his injuries, his family said.

At the time of publication, the page set up on GoFundMe by Car Hub Australia and Zachery Dereniowski, had raised more than $1.4 million.

The U.K.–born rabbi killed in the attack was “vivacious and energetic” and “committed to bringing out good in the world,” according to a close family friend.

Eli Schlanger, a Chabad rabbi in Australia, organized the Hanukkah event in Sydney where he was killed, along with 14 others.

Rabbi Bentzi Sudak, who grew up with the Schlanger family in north London, told NBC News’ British partner Sky News that they were “very vivacious people; always energetic and doing exceptional good work.”

He said they were “always thinking of new ideas to empower other people and do good in different ways.”

The two men suspected of carrying out the attack have been named by Australia's national broadcaster.

Naveed Akram, 24, who is hospitalized, and Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed during the incident, were identified by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Other local media outlets have also named the pair. NBC News has reached out to Australian for comment.

Three senior law enforcement officials in the U.S. and Australia told NBC News yesterday that one of the suspects had been tentatively identified by investigators as Naveed Akram.

A second rabbi was killed in the attack, the Chabad Organization said on Instagram.

Yaakov Levitan served as the secretary of the Sydney Beth Din or rabbinical court, "and was deeply involved in Chabad operations in Sydney," the organization said in an Instagram post.

The Sydney-based soccer club Rockdale Ilinden FC paid tribute today to one of their players who was killed in the attack.

Dan Elkayam, 27, was a “Frenchman of Jewish faith” who lived with his girlfriend in east Sydney and “loved the Australian way of life,” the club's President Dennis Loether, said in a Facebook post.

Elkayam had a passion for soccer and was “an extremely talented midfield player,” Loether said, adding, “Those who were closest to him described him as a down to earth, happy go lucky individual who was warmly embraced by those he met.”

Read more about the victims here.

The facade of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, was illuminated on Sunday night in the colors of the Australian flag.

The tribute was made to show solidarity with the Australian Jewish community, Amir Ohana, the Knesset's speaker, wrote on X.

@AmirOhana / via X

The people targeted the attack were “targeted for the simple act of gathering together, visibly and peacefully, as Jews,” the U.K.'s Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said today.

Mirvis told the BBC that the right of Jewish communities to gather safely and publicly is a “test of the moral health of any society.”

He added that his own family was caught up in the attack. His cousin and cousin’s wife "spent 15 terrifying minutes hiding under a doughnut stand" as the gunmen opened fire, he said.

A man who shares the same name as one of the suspected shooters has said he is worried about his safety.

People on social media have been taking photos from his Facebook account and linking them to the shooter, Naveed Akram said in a video issued by the Pakistan Consulate General in Sydney. Alongside the video, the consulate said Akram's life was "endangered."

“I am going to clearly tell everyone that that is not me, and I have nothing to do with that incident or that person,” Akram, a Pakistani national who lives in Sydney, said. “That is a different person, and I am completely outside of this matter.”

He added that he was “very stressed and scared” about the mix-up, and “can’t go outside safely”

Crowds gathered at Australia’s Bondi Beach to mourn the victims of a deadly shooting during a Hanukkah event that left at least 15 people dead. 

Hundreds of people stood next to a huge pile of bouquets and flowers left to pay tribute to those killed.

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The deadly mass shooting in Bondi Beach, which officials said was a terrorist attack targeting Jewish people, follows a rise in antisemitism in Australia that has been fueled in part by Israel’s war in Gaza.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said this month that there were 1,654 anti-Jewish incidents across Australia between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025 — almost five times the average annual number before the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023.

While the number is lower than last year’s all-time high of 2,062, the past year had the highest number of more serious incidents, including arson attacks on synagogues, schools and other Jewish institutions.

Damage following an arson attack at a synagogue in Melbourne, Australia last year.  Asanka Ratnayake / Getty Images

Jewish groups in Australia, which has a Jewish population of about 117,000 in a country of 27 million, have criticized what they see as a lack of support from authorities. In August, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Iran of directing at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia, expelling the Iranian ambassador to Canberra in response. It was not immediately clear whether the Bondi Beach attack had any connection to Iran.

A 10-year-old girl was playing on the beach with her six-year-old sister when she was shot dead, her family said.

Matilda Britvan “was open-hearted,” her aunt Lina Chernykh told Australia’s 9News network. “Everywhere she goes, she was like a sun.”

Matilda Britvan.  Family handout

She did not say how Matilda's sister, Summer, was doing.

Separately, Matilda’s language teacher paid tribute to her pupil on a gofundme page launched for Matilda's family. “I knew her as a bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her,” Irina Goodhew wrote.

A Holocaust survivor, a 10-year-old and a Chabad rabbi were among the 15 people killed when two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah event at Australia’s Bondi Beach on Sunday.

The dead range in age from 10 to 87, and include French, Slovak and Israeli citizens, officials have said. At least 40 people were also wounded.

Police have not publicly identified any of the victims, but the names of some have been shared by family and friends.

Five of the Bondi Beach shooting victims, from top left clockwise, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, Marika Pogany, Peter Meagher, Matilda Britvan and Dan Elkayam.  Facebook; Randwick Rugby Club; Family handout

Read the full story here.

The families of two police officers injured in the attack have passed on their “thoughts to the loved ones of those who were killed and injured.”

Thanking the community for its support, they asked for privacy as their loved ones were recovering, in a statement released by New South Wales Police.

Two officers, a constable and probationary constable, suffered gunshot wounds in the attack, the force said earlier.

The families said they also wanted “to express their heartfelt gratitude to all first responders who acted with courage, in particular the police officers and paramedics who responded.”

The bystander who disarmed one of the gunman was personally thanked by the premier of New South Wales when he visited him in hospital earlier.

Ahmed al-Ahmed "is a real-life hero," Chris Minns said in a post on X. “Last night, his incredible bravery no doubt saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk.”

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Ahmed al-Ahmed.  @ChrisMinnsMP / via X

Minns added that it was an “honor” to spend time with al-Ahmed and he had passed on the thanks of people in his state.“There is no doubt that more lives would have been lost if not for Ahmed’s selfless courage,” he said. “Thank you, Ahmed.”

A Hanukkah menorah was projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House today, in memory of the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.

David Gray / AFP via Getty Images

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected accusations that his country’s recognition of a Palestinian state was to blame for the attack.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Parliament House Canberra yesterday. Hilary Wardhaugh / Getty Images

Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Cooperation that he did not accept Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that support for Palestinian statehood put “fuel on the antisemitism fire” in the country.

“Most of the world recognizes a two-state solution as being the way forward in the Middle East,” he said. “This has been an extraordinarily traumatic 24 hours. My job is to provide support for the Jewish community,” he added.

The Bondi Beach attack was strongly condemned by the founder of a Sydney institute where one of the suspects studied for a year.

Naveed Akram, whom investigators have tentatively identified as one of the suspects, approached Al-Murad Institute in late 2019 “seeking Koran recitation and Arabic language classes,” founder Adam Ismail said.

“As I’ve done with thousands of students over the years, I’ve taught him Koranic recitation and Arabic only, for a combined period of one year. These were the only subjects I taught him and these are the areas I specialize in,” Ismail said in a video on Facebook today.

Ismail, who appears in a photo with Akram that has been widely circulated, emphasized that he had “absolutely no involvement” in the attack. “I condemn this act of violence without any hesitation,” he said. “I am deeply saddened by what occurred and I extend my sincere condolences to the victims, their families and the Jewish community affected.”

The man who was shot while disarming one of the gunmen during the deadly attack has successfully undergone his first surgery, his cousin told reporters, according to the Australian broadcaster ABC.

A video still showing Ahmed Al Ahmed disarming one of the Bondi Beach gunmen. Supplied to NBC News

“He’s done the first surgery, I think he’s got two or three [more], it depends,” Hozay Alkanj said of his cousin, Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, who was filmed rushing one of the shooters from behind and wrestling the long-barreled weapon away. Another relative earlier told Australia’s 7NEWS that al Ahmed was shot in his arm and his hand.

Al Ahmed has been praised by officials including New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who called him a “genuine hero.”

Speaking at the White House yesterday, President Donald Trump said al Ahmed is “a very, very brave person” who “saved a lot of lives.”

Australia’s national cabinet pledged to eradicate antisemitism, with various leaders also agreeing that “strong, decisive, and focused action” is needed on gun law reform, according to a statement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office.

The government is mulling limiting the number of firearms held by one individual, allowing firearms licenses to be granted only to Australian citizens and limiting the types of guns that are considered legal, the statement said.

Albanese had convened the national cabinet this afternoon, saying officials would look at further “tightening” Australia’s already strict gun laws.

Officials agreed that the attack in Bondi Beach, which they have designated a terrorist incident aimed at Jewish people celebrating the first day of Hanukkah, “has no place in Australia and that the evil scourge of antisemitism must be eradicated.”

Mourners paid tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting with a floral memorial at the Bondi Pavilion in Sydney today.

Mourners gather to lay flowers at Bondi Beach today in Sydney.  Izhar Khan / Getty Images

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, right, lays flowers at a memorial. George Chan / Getty Images

Mourners outside Bondi Pavilion today. Saeed Khan / AFP via Getty Images

A mourner paying tribute to the victims. Saeed Khan / AFP via Getty Images

Suspect in Bondi Beach attack was legally licensed to own a gun

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The 50-year-old suspect killed by authorities at the scene of the Bondi Beach attack had the legal right to possess a firearm, police said at a news conference in New South Wales.

At the urging of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australians put lighted candles in their windows at 6:47 p.m. local time (2:47 a.m. ET) in solidarity with those killed and with the festival of Hanukkah.

The national show of support comes 24 hours after the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach, which officials said was “designed to target” Jewish people marking the first night of the celebration.

“I would urge and join with others who have urged Australians across the country to light a candle,” Albanese told reporters, “to show that light will indeed defeat darkness.”

The younger suspect was an Australian-born citizen who first came to the attention of the Australian intelligence agency in October 2019, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.

“He was examined on the basis of being associated with others,” he said. However, “an assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence,” he added.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the older suspect, the father, arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa and transferred to a partner visa three years later. Since then the father has been on a resident return visa.

Neither Albanese nor Burke elaborated on the son’s associations. Albanese said the investigation at the time went on for six months.