16 killed in Australia shooting targeting Jewish Hanukkah party on beach

How many firearms did the father suspect hold a license for?

How does Australia's 2025 shooting compare to 1996's Port Arthur attack?

Which U.S. cities increased security for Hanukkah events after the attack?

Who is the person of interest in the Brown University shooting?

At least 16 people died and dozens more were wounded in a shooting at Sydney's popular Bondi Beach on Dec. 14 that targeted Australia's Jewish community, police and officials said.

In a news conference, New South Wales police said two suspects had been taken into custody, a father and son duo, one of whom later died. At least 42 people, including a child, were hospitalized.

The attack, which occurred on the first day of Hanukkah, was declared a terrorist incident.

Authorities and local media reports citing eyewitnesses said the shooting began while about 1,000 people were attending a Hanukkah-related party on the beach. Australia has experienced a string of antisemitic attacks on synagogues and sites since the war in Gaza began in 2023.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident "shocking and distressing" and described the attack as an "evil act of antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation." Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, said the attack was "designed to target Sydney's Jewish community."

Investigation into motive continues; police sent to houses of worship

The investigation into possible motives behind the attack is ongoing, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said at the news conference.

"Our investigation will be thorough," he said.

Lanyon added that there will be increased police presence at Jewish houses of worship and areas frequented by members of the Jewish community, with 328 officers on the ground under “Operation Shelter.”

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“I want to make it very clear the New South Wales police will not tolerate the types of violence or the types of antisemitic behaviour we have seen,” he said.

Bondi Beach shooting suspects: What we know

Officials confirmed that a father and son are the suspects in the shooting that left a total of 16 people, including one of the gunmen, dead.

The father, 50, a licensed firearm holder under Australian law for 10 years, was pronounced dead, and the son, 24, was hospitalized, Lanyon said at a news conference.

Lanyon added that the father was licensed for six firearms. He said that officials are investigating whether they're connected to the shooting.

Two improvised explosive devices were found at the scene, which Lanyon said were "found to be active" before they were seized and deactivated by authorities.

Officials from the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Lebanon and Iran condemn shooting

Representatives from Middle Eastern countries, as well as the Palestinian Authority, denounced the shooting.

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that the country condemned the attack "as a matter of principle" in a post on X.

"Terror violence and mass killing shall be condemned, wherever they're committed, as unlawful and criminal," Baqaei wrote.

In August, Australia expelled Iranian diplomats and withdrew their representatives from Iran after alleging the country directed antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, according to the BBC.

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun wrote that "Just as we condemn and reject attacks on any innocent civilian in Gaza, southern Lebanon, or any other region of the world, we condemn, by the same principle and obligation, what happened in Sydney," in a statement published by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its stance "against violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of motive or reason," in a statement posted to X.

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement: "The Ministry affirms the full solidarity of the State of Palestine and its standing alongside friendly Australia … renewing its categorical rejection of all forms of violence, terrorism, and extremism, which contradict human values and ethical principles."

Death toll rises to 16

New South Wales Police confirmed that the death toll from the Bondi Beach shooting has risen to 16 in a post on X. New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park separately told ABC News in Australia that the count includes one child.

NSW Police said that at least 42 people remain in the hospital following the shooting, including two police officers who are in critical but stable condition.

NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani calls attack 'vile'

Zohran Mamdani, the incoming mayor to New York City, which is home to the country’s largest Jewish population, condemned the attack as a "a vile act of antisemitic terror" in a Dec. 14 statement. He also called it the latest instance of a "growing pattern of violence" targeting Jewish people.

"I mourn those who were murdered and will be keeping their families, the Jewish community, and the Chabad movement in my prayers," Mamdani said in the statement. "May the memories of all those killed be a blessing."

Mamdani said one of the confirmed victims, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, held deep ties to the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights. The mayor-elect said he will work "every day" to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe once he takes office on Jan. 1, 2025.

Trump pays respects to attack victims, applauds 'brave' bystander

At a Christmas reception at the White House, President Donald Trump acknowledged the attack in Australia, as well as the shooting at Brown University in the U.S. a day prior.

"That was antisemitic attack, obviously, and I just want to pay my respects to everybody," Trump said.

The president also mentioned reports of a bystander who attempted to stop one of the shooters. In footage circulating widely online, a man is seen wrestling one of the attackers and taking a gun from him. Trump appeared to refer to the man in the video, and said he is wounded and in the hospital. Australian authorities have also confirmed a bystander intervened during the attack, but have not released any other details.

"A very very brave person actually, who went and attacked frontally one of the shooters and saved a lot of lives," he said in his remarks.

Rabbi confirmed to be one of the victims

Rabbi Eli Schlanger was one of the victims of the shooting, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the BBC confirmed.

Schlanger was 41 years old, British born, and a father of five with a son born in October, according to the BBC. The ABC notes that he was the head of the Chabad mission in Bondi.

Rabbi Zalman Lewis, his first cousin, told the British broadcaster that Schlanger was "full of life" and that people should do acts of charity if they wish to honor him.

"Every human being on earth has a positive way to contribute to making the world a better place, and we just have to keep spreading light. The world is a positive place and we need to show that and I know Eli would be saying that," Lewis said.

Brown University vigil to be held at what would have been menorah lighting

On the other side of the world, Providence, Rhode Island is set to hold vigil for the victims of the Brown University mass shooting at what would have been a menorah lighting ceremony on Dec. 14.

Mayor Brett Smiley made the announcement at a Sunday morning news conference and added that the community is still "in shock and mourning."

"For those who know at least a little bit of The Hanukkah story, it is quite clear that if we can come together as a community and shine a little bit of light tonight, I think there’s nothing better that we could be doing as a community," Smiley said.

At least two students were killed and nine others were injured in the shooting that took place at the Ivy League university on the afternoon of Dec. 13. Officials confirmed at the news conference that a person of interest is in custody.

Brown University shooting live updates: Person of interest in custody

Security increased ahead of other Hanukkah events

Several large cities in Europe and the U.S. are stepping up security measures for planned Hanukkah events following the deadly attack in Bondi Beach.

In Germany, Berlin police said they were ramping up measures for a large menorah lighting event near the Brandenburg Gate. In the U.K., London’s Metropolitan Police said they are upping their security presence around synagogues and at Hanukkah events.

In the U.S., New York City Mayor Eric Adamssaid the New York Police Department is deploying additional resources to Hanukkah events and synagogues. The city is slated to host some of the nation’s largest Hanukkah events beginning on Dec. 14, in both Brooklyn and Manhattan. The two menorah lighting events in the boroughs draw large crowds each year.

Attack shocks in nation with strict gun laws

Australia has some of the world's strictest gun control measures, and mass shootings are relatively rare.

The shooting nevertheless appears to be the worst one in Australian history since the Port Arthur attack in 1996, when a lone gunman killed 35 people at a historic site in Tasmania. That incident led the Australian government to impose an almost total ban on all automatic and semiautomatic weapons.

From Australia to the UK: how other countries have responded to mass shootings

It’s also the second incident of mass violence in the region in as many years. In April 2024, the nearby Bondi Junction neighborhood experienced a mass stabbing at a shopping center, which left six people dead.

Lawmakers around the world react

Reactions to the tragedy from lawmakers and other political figures have poured in from across the globe. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that "antisemitism has no place in this world" and said the U.S. government strongly condemns the attack.

"Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia," Rubio posted on social media.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III also released statements condemning the violence, as did leaders of several other nations, including Sweden, Norway, Spain, Poland and New Zealand.

Where is Bondi Beach? Event held near kids' playground

Hanukkah begins Dec. 14 and is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays. And Bondi Beach is one of the world's most famous beaches. On weekend evenings, it is typically crowded with locals and tourists.

The beach and surrounding suburb of the same name are a few miles east of Sydney in New South Wales. The Hanukkah event, hosted by Chabad of Bondi and Waverley Council, was advertised as a free beachside event near the children's playground. It was to offer live entertainment and games as well as a menorah lighting.

Videos circulating on the social media platform X appeared to show people on the beach and nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens could be heard. One video showed a man dressed in a black shirt firing a large weapon before being tackled by a man in a white T-shirt who wrestled his weapon off him.

A different man was seen firing a weapon from a pedestrian bridge.

Jewish leaders condemn the attack, antisemitism

Australia's Jewish community was estimated at nearly 117,000 people in 2021, during the nation's last census.

"If decisive action is not taken now to protect Jewish communities and confront antisemitism head-on, this will not be the last massacre. It will simply be another warning ignored," said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, an Israeli lawyer and human rights activist, in emailed comments.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the attack, alleging that Australia's policies fuel antisemitism.

"A few months ago, I wrote a letter to the prime minister of Australia. I told him that their policies pour fuel on the antisemitic fire," Netanyahu said in a speech. "It encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets. Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent, and you must replace weakness with action."