16 dead after father and son open fire on Australian beach in Jewish attack

Police say a father and son were behind the horrific mass shooting that left 16 dead, including one of the gunmen, and 40 people hospitalized during a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach. Sydney, Australia.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said during a press conference on Monday in Australia that it was a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son who carried out the terrorist attack.

The father died, police said, and the son is in critical but stable condition at a hospital. Lanyon also said they are not looking for additional suspects at this time.

The father was a licensed owner with six legally registered firearms. All six of the firearms were recovered, with some being recovered at the scene. The others were located and recovered when investigators executed search warrants at two separate locations, police said.

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The commissioner told reporters Monday afternoon that the father met the eligibility criteria for a hunting license used for recreational hunting.

Still unidentified, the father was issued a Category A / B firearms license, which allows him to own the long firearms he has registered.

Lanyon told police the warrants were executed at a property in Campsie and another property in Bonnyrigg. He added that their residential address was in Bonnyrigg, although they lived in Campsie.

The commissioner also told reporters that the father had held a gun license for 10 years.

“There was very little knowledge of these men by the authorities,” Lanyon said. “The person was determined to have the right to have a firearms license and … the person had a firearms license for a number of years for which there were no incidents.”

Two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were also found at the scene of one of the houses where the search warrants were executed. The IEDs were taken into possession by a bomb disposal and rescue unit and found to be active. They were later made safe by the police.

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Lanyon noted that the IEDs were “rudimentary,” or fairly basic, though he also noted that he was grateful they did not detonate.

Police said the victims of Sunday’s attack ranged in age from 10 to 87.

The shooting happened during an annual celebration, known as “Chanukah By The Sea.” It was scheduled to start at 5pm to celebrate the first day of the Jewish holiday by lighting the first candle on the Menorah. The shooting happened around 6:45 pm local time.

Police say the attack “targeted” the Jewish community and is being investigated as an act of terrorism.

At least 40 people remained hospitalized after the shooting, including two police officers, the agency confirmed. The shooting is the worst attack against Jews since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks by Hamas.

Police added that they found evidence of several improvised explosive devices in a vehicle near the scene of the attack.

“We have our backup bomb disposal unit here at the moment working on it,” he said.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog acknowledged the attack while speaking at an event in Jerusalem recognizing the extraordinary achievements of immigrants on Sunday.

“At this very moment, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, were attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews who were going to light the first Chanukah candle on Bondi Beach,” Herzog said. “Our hearts go out to them. The heart of the entire nation of Israel is missing a beat at this very moment, as we pray for the recovery of the wounded, we pray for them and we pray for those who lost their lives.”

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Herzog also called on the Australian government to “seek action and fight against the enormous wave of anti-Semitism that plagues Australian society.”