Fifteen people were killed and several others wounded in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah event near Bondi Beach, Sydney, police say, in an attack that has shocked Australia and prompted urgent calls for action from the federal government and community leaders. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87.
Victims named and community losses
British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, has been confirmed among the dead by his family and by Chabad, the Jewish organisation that hosted the event. Chabad said Rabbi Schlanger had helped organise the Hanukkah gathering and served as an assistant rabbi. The organisation also named Reuven Morrison and Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, the secretary of the Sydney Beth Din, as victims.
Among those killed was Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman, who had attended the event with his children and grandchildren, Chabad reported. French citizen Dan Elkayam was also confirmed dead by France’s foreign minister, Jean‑Noël Barrot, who wrote on X that France mourns with his family and the Jewish community.
A 10‑year‑old girl identified only as Matilda by local media — her family asked that her surname be withheld — was among the victims. A fundraiser set up for her family quoted her teacher describing Matilda as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.”
Peter Meagher, a retired police officer and volunteer with a local rugby club, was working as a freelance photographer at the event and was also killed, Randwick Rugby Club said.
Two gunmen identified as father and son
Local media have named the two gunmen as Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24‑year‑old son, Naveed Akram. Police say the father died at the scene; the son is in custody. Authorities have described the incident as an act of terror and antisemitism, and investigations are ongoing.
Federal response and push for tougher gun laws
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened a national cabinet meeting in the aftermath of the attack and used social media to express solidarity with Jewish Australians. “We stand with Jewish Australians and we stand against hatred and violence,” he wrote on X. “Australia is stronger than those who try to divide us and we will come through this together.”
Earlier, Albanese announced he would push for tougher gun laws at the cabinet meeting, signalling a likely political push to tighten firearms regulation in response to the massacre.
Local reaction and fear in the Jewish community
The attack has left many in the local Jewish community shaken. Allegra Spender, the independent MP for Wentworth, which includes Bondi Beach, told the BBC the event was “a wake‑up call to Australia.” She said community members she had spoken with were “going to bed in many cases scared,” and that some were taking down mezuzot from their doorframes out of fear.
Spender added: “I think this is a night that we will remember in Australian history for many, many years.”
Public response and urgent appeals
Officials issued an urgent call for blood donations to treat the injured, and Sydney residents responded in large numbers. The surge in demand briefly crashed the blood donation website, and Lifeblood, the agency that manages donations, urged people to attend donation centres in person. At Town Hall, waits to donate stretched to more than six hours as volunteers and strangers queued to help.
“We can keep [the victims] in our thoughts and our prayers, but as far as tangible impacts, this is all we can do,” said one donor, a 21‑year‑old named Colt, who had already spent two hours in line.
What happens next
Police investigations are continuing, with authorities examining motive, how the attackers obtained weapons, and whether others were involved. Community leaders and politicians have called for calm and unity while demanding answers and action to prevent future attacks.
Support services and community organisations are mobilising to assist survivors, families of the deceased, and those traumatised by the violence. Local and national leaders have pledged to work together in the coming days as the nation processes the scale of the loss.
