SYDNEY, Australia – Authorities are confirming 15 people are dead and dozens more injured after what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called a terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
The shooting happened Sunday evening at the “Chanukah by the Sea” public gathering, a celebration marking the Jewish holiday. A father and son duo are alleged to be the attackers.
Victims Identified Include Child, Holocaust Survivor
Police and community leaders have begun identifying the victims, who range in age from a child to elderly Holocaust survivors. Among those confirmed deceased are:
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, a father of five and assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi.
Matilda Britvan, 10, a joyful child attending with her family.
Alex Kleytman, 87, a Ukrainian Holocaust survivor who died shielding his wife of 57 years.
Boris Gurman, 69, and Sofia Gurman, 61, a Russian-Jewish couple who were filmed attempting to wrestle a rifle away from an attacker.
Rabbi Yaakov Halevi Levitin, 53; Dan Elkayam, 27; Reuven Morrison, 62; Tibor Weitzen, 78; Peter Meagher, 61; and Marika Pogany, 82.
Officials say additional victims may be identified as the investigation continues.
Alleged Attackers Identified, One Killed
Police have identified the two alleged attackers as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24.
Authorities confirm Sajid Akram was killed at the scene. Naveed Akram was critically injured and remains hospitalized. Investigators reported that the older suspect legally possessed a firearms license for recreational hunting, which Prime Minister Albanese vowed to address with stricter gun laws.
Video circulating online appears to show two men dressed in black firing long guns from an elevated footbridge, causing panic as beachgoers fled. This remains a developing story.