Police said the 50-year-old father was shot dead at the scene by officers, bringing the total death toll to 16, while his 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in hospital.
Australia on Monday signalled plans to tighten its already strict gun laws as the nation mourned victims of its deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades, after a father and son opened fire at a Jewish celebration near Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people.
Police said the 50-year-old father was shot dead at the scene by officers, bringing the total death toll to 16, while his 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in hospital.
The attack left at least 40 people injured, including two police officers who are in serious but stable condition. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 according to Reuters.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the shooting as “an act of pure evil” and said his government would review gun licensing laws to prevent similar tragedies.
“People’s circumstances can change,” Albanese told reporters. “People can be radicalised over a period of time. Licences should not be in perpetuity.”
He said Cabinet would consider limits on the number of firearms an individual can own and review the duration of gun licences.
The shooting occurred at a park east of the iconic Bondi Pavilion on Sunday evening during a Hanukkah celebration attended by around 1,000 people. Witnesses said the attack lasted about 10 minutes, sending crowds fleeing across the sand and into nearby streets.
Police did not officially name the suspects, but Australian media identified them as Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram.
Authorities said the father had held a firearms licence since 2015 and legally owned six registered weapons. Videos from the scene appeared to show the attackers using a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun.
“We are very much working through the background of both persons,” New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said. “At this stage, we know very little about them.”
Security officials said one of the suspects had previously come to the attention of authorities but had not been assessed as an immediate threat.
Two Islamic State flags were found in the suspects’ vehicle, according to Australia’s national broadcaster, though police have not confirmed the report.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the father arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, while the son was Australian-born.
The attack has reignited debate over gun control in Australia, which enacted sweeping firearm reforms after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people. Sunday’s shooting was the worst mass killing since that attack.
A bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen has been widely praised for saving lives. Local media identified him as Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old fruit shop owner, who was shot twice and underwent surgery. A fundraising campaign for him raised more than A$550,000 by Monday afternoon.
Bondi resident Morgan Gabriel, 27, said she initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks before realising people were running for their lives.
“I sheltered about six or seven people,” she said. “Their phones had been left down the beach, and everyone was just trying to get away. It’s very quiet this morning, there’s a solemn vibe.”
A makeshift memorial of flowers and Israeli and Australian flags was set up near the Bondi Pavilion, while police and private Jewish security guards stood watch as mourners paid their respects. An online condolence book was also opened.
Albanese visited the scene on Monday morning to lay flowers and pledged solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.
“The Jewish community are hurting today,” he said. “All Australians wrap our arms around them and say, we stand with you. We will do whatever is necessary to stamp out antisemitism.”
World leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, sent messages of condolence, Albanese said.
The shooting comes amid heightened tensions following a series of antisemitic attacks in Australia since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023. Authorities said they were confident only two attackers were involved, after earlier investigating the possibility of a third suspect.
At the suspects’ home in the western Sydney suburb of Bonnyrigg, police cordoned off several streets on Monday as investigations continued.
Rabbi Mendel Kastel, whose brother-in-law Eli Schlanger was killed in the attack, urged unity.
“It’s about a community,” he said. “We need to be there for each other, and we will get through this.”
Mass shootings remain rare in Australia, widely regarded as one of the world’s safest countries. But as the nation mourns, the government’s renewed push to tighten gun laws signals a determination to prevent a repeat of the violence that shattered Bondi Beach.