Bondi Beach Attack: Deadly Mass Shooting Rocks Hanukkah Gathering of Jews at Sydney, 11 confirmed dead, both shooters neutralized

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Bondi Beach in Sydney was busy celebrating a Jewish festival called Hanukkah on Sunday evening, 14 December 2025, when a mass shooting erupted. Two men dressed in black charged towards people with guns, killing around 11 people and leaving several others injured. The attack took place around 6:45 pm local time near Campbell Parade. The area was filled with people from the Jewish community and others who were attending a public event marking the first night of the Jewish Festival of Lights.

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The two gunmen started open firing near a playground where families and children were gathered, making the scene chaotic. People ran for cover as screams and confusion rose amid the sounds of multiple shots. Reports suggest that one of the suspects was killed at the scene, while the other was taken into custody. Another individual has also been detained in connection with the shooting. One of the gunmen has been identified as Navreed Akram, a resident of Bonnyrigg in south-west Sydney.

Video footage from the shooting scene has been going viral, showing several bystanders fleeing in panic. One of the clips shows a civilian confronting and disarming one of the assailants, saving the lives of several people. Social media users have been praising the man for his bravery amid the chaotic attack.

The event was described as “shocking and distressing” by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He further added that he is being continuously briefed about the situation by federal and state officials. State Premier Chris Minns urged the public to cooperate with law enforcement, calling the scenes emerging from Bondi Beach “deeply distressing”. International leaders, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog, described the incident as a horrific assault on the Jewish community and conveyed their support to the victims.

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Authorities have neutralised the situation, with one of the shooters dead and the other injured and in custody. However, they have instructed people to stay away from the scene as a potential threat remains. An investigation is underway to determine whether the incident was targeted towards the Jewish community, although leaders of the Jewish community and various organisations have expressed concern over rising antisemitism in recent years.

The incident marks one of the deadliest attacks in the nation’s recent history, as mass shootings are rare in Australia due to its strict gun laws, which were introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

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