Bondi Beach Hanukkah Shooting Kills Around Fifteen, Injures Dozens

Emergency services were called to Bondi Beach on the evening of December 14 after two gunmen opened fire near a public Hanukkah event organized by the Chabad of Bondi. Ambulance crews arrived after reports of gunfire at about 6:45 p.m. and treated dozens of people at the scene before they were taken to hospitals across Sydney. Authorities have described the attack as a targeted act of antisemitic terrorism.

Video evidence reviewed by investigators shows two people firing from a small bridge near a car park on Campbell Parade at the northern end of the beach, directing fire toward a parkland area where families had gathered for music, live entertainment and holiday activities. Police moved quickly to cordon off sections of the beach and park, and emergency crews established triage areas to cope with the large number of casualties.

By the next day officials had consolidated casualty figures at around 15 dead and more than 40 injured or hospitalized. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 years old. Among those killed were a 10 year old girl, two rabbis and a Holocaust survivor. The family of British born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, said he was among the dead. Hospitals continued to update patient lists as investigators sought to verify identities and notify next of kin.

Police say two assailants carried out the attack, described in official statements as a father and son. Law enforcement officers engaged the suspects at the scene. One attacker was shot and killed by police, and the other was wounded and taken to hospital where he remained under guard and had not yet been formally charged as authorities worked to sort through forensic material and evidence seized at the location. Investigators emphasized that their work was ongoing and that they were probing whether there were additional accomplices or prior planning that extended beyond the two men.

National leaders and community figures condemned the violence and called for unity. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation. Muslim community leaders, including the Council of Imams New South Wales, issued unequivocal condemnations and urged cooperation with police.

The assault on a holiday gathering exposes new vulnerabilities in public security at religious and cultural events in a city long regarded as multicultural and stable. Security analysts say the incident will prompt urgent reviews of protective measures at community events, and it will likely test the reach of Australia’s counterterrorism laws and the capacity of police to prevent ideologically motivated violence.

Mourners gathered at Bondi Beach in the days after the shooting to lay flowers, light candles and grieve publicly. As investigators continue to piece together motive and connections, Jewish and wider community leaders are calling for calm and solidarity while urging authorities to provide rapid support for victims, families and those traumatized by the attack.