Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to strengthen Australia’s gun laws following a deadly shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach that targeted the Jewish community. Police say 15 people, ranging in age from 10 to 87, were killed in what authorities have declared a terrorist attack motivated by an tisemitism.
The shooting occurred in the early evening of Dec. 14, 2025, near a park where the Hanukkah event was being held. Videos shared online showed people running and screaming as gunfire erupted. Police say two attackers fired from a bridge overlooking the gathering. During the chaos, a bystander later identified as Ahmed al Ahmed tackled one gunman and disarmed him before police arrived. Officers later shot and killed one suspect. The second suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition and awoke from a coma on Dec. 17.
Authorities allege the attackers were a father and son, Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24. Extremist flags were found inside a vehicle linked to the suspects, leading investigators to believe the attack was inspired by Islamic State ideology. Police say the father legally owned several firearms that are believed to have been used in the shooting.
Among those killed were two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor who died while protecting his wife, and a 10-year-old girl. Dozens of others were injured, including two police officers who were shot during the response. Both officers remain hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
Mass shootings are rare in Australia, which has some of the world’s strictest gun laws. This was the country’s deadliest attack since 1996. Albanese said the government will review gun licensing rules and consider limits on the number of firearms individuals can own. Leaders around the world condemned the violence, while Australians gathered to mourn, lay flowers, and donate blood in a show of unity.