A major terrorist mass shooting took place at Bondi Beach in Sydney on 14 December 2025, during a large Jewish Hanukkah celebration. Authorities describe it as a targeted antisemitic attack on the Jewish community.
What happened
Two gunmen opened fire near a Hanukkah menorah-lighting event by the beach in the early evening, when around 1,000 people were gathered. Witnesses reported sustained gunfire for several minutes, causing people to flee across the sand and into nearby streets and parks, leaving belongings scattered along the promenade.
Casualties and victims
Reports from officials indicate that around 15–16 people were killed, including one child and one of the attackers, with the second attacker arrested and in hospital. Around 40 people were injured, several critically, including at least two police officers and some children. Among the dead are members of the local Jewish community, including a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, and at least one foreign national.
Attackers and motive
Police say the alleged attackers were a father and son, with the younger man already known to authorities. The attack has been formally classified as a terrorist incident and described by the Australian prime minister as a deliberate, antisemitic assault on Jewish Australians at the start of Hanukkah.
Police response and security
One gunman was killed at the scene after engaging with police, while the other was detained and is under guard in critical condition. A bystander has been praised as heroic for tackling and disarming one of the attackers during the chaos. Police also located suspected explosive devices linked to the attackers and safely neutralized them.
Situation at Bondi now
Bondi Beach and surrounding roads have been closed as a large crime scene while counter-terrorism teams investigate. Community Hanukkah events elsewhere have been scaled back or cancelled, and political and religious leaders are calling for solidarity with Sydney’s Jewish community after the attack.
