December 15, 2025 08:40 PM IST
First published on: Dec 15, 2025 at 08:32 PM IST
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A couple grieve at a memorial placed outside Bondi Pavilion at Sydney's Bondi Beach, a day after a shooting. (AP Photo)
At around 5 pm, people had gathered to mark the “Hanukkah by the Sea” event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday as some people were looking to seek relief from steamy weather while others joined a local Jewish group to celebrate Hanukkah or the festival of light. It is an event held for Bondi’s Jewish community to mark the beginning of the religious festival.
The event was advertised on social media and the aim was proclaimed to “fill Bondi with joy and light” but hours later, the scene was a bloodbath. For about 10 to 20 minutes, two gunmen opened fire at the Hanukkah event attendees and shot men, women and children as the terrified beachgoers fled the scene. At least 15 people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl and another 40 were wounded, including two police officers.
How the Bondi Beach shooting unfolded
Videos from the Bondi Beach event showed a carnival atmosphere with families in attendance and activities for kids, including a petting zoo. At about 6:40 pm, two alleged gunmen Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, parked their vehicle about 15 metres from an elevated bridge. It is one of the popular routes to reach the beach from North Bondi.
People gather around a growing flower tribute to shooting victims outside the Bondi Pavilion at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, a day after a shooting. (AP Photo)
The alleged attackers, Naveed and his father, carried high-powered long-arm rifles and walked towards a stone footbridge, which provided them an elevated view of the park. The two gunmen started firing at the beachgoers from a distance of about 50 metres. First emergency call was made to the New South Wales (NSW) police and NSW ambulance at about 6:43 pm.
A video shot from across the Campbell Parade showed the attack unfolding during the early minutes. Naveed is seen in the footage firing towards the Hanukkah celebration from top of the footbridge, while Sajid is seen firing south towards the footpath. Sirens and people screaming in the background could be heard in the video. People were seen fleeing the beach and taking shelter behind cars.
Another footage showed a man, identified by local media as Sydney resident Ahmed al Ahmed, hiding behind a car as he pounced on Sajid Akram, one of the alleged shooters and tackled him from behind while wrestling his weapon away. Ahmed was shot twice during the brave attempt and is being treated at the hospital on Monday.
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A couple grieve at a memorial placed outside Bondi Pavilion at Sydney's Bondi Beach, a day after a shooting. (AP Photo) 
