At least 11 people, including children, have been reported killed after two gunmen armed with rifles opened fire at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday afternoon, triggering scenes of panic as hundreds of beachgoers fled the area.
Witnesses told Daily Mail that the attackers exited a vehicle along Campbell Parade near the Bondi Pavilion and began shooting at about 6:40 p.m. Footage from the scene showed repeated bursts of gunfire along the popular tourist strip, with some witnesses estimating that more than 30 shots were fired.
Images and video captured by a Daily Mail photographer showed one of the attackers, later identified as 24-year-old Naveed Akram from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s southwest, firing from an elevated bridge overlooking the area.
Akram was reportedly shot and arrested and is currently in custody, where he is receiving treatment from emergency services. The second gunman was shot dead during the incident.
Police were also reported to be conducting a raid on Akram’s residence in Bonnyrigg as onlookers gathered nearby.
Meanwhile, footage circulating online from the Bondi Beach attack shows a civilian intervening by approaching one of the gunmen from behind and successfully disarming him.
The video shows the man advancing through a car park at the northern end of the beach before wrestling the gunman to the ground.
After overpowering him, the man was seen brandishing the rifle toward the attacker before the gunman walked away and the weapon was dropped.
At the time of the shooting, a Hanukkah celebration known as “Chanukah by the Sea,” billed as a family-friendly event, was underway, with children among those in attendance when the gunmen opened fire. One of the attackers was reportedly on a terror watchlist and known to authorities.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns was reported to have confirmed during a late-night press conference on Sunday that 12 people had been killed, stating that the attack was directed at the Jewish community, given that the Hanukkah event was taking place at the location.
Up to 29 people were injured and transported to hospitals across Sydney, including two police officers who were said to be in critical condition, as well as a child.
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon was reported to have formally classified the shooting as a terrorist incident.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also condemned the attack, which authorities confirmed was an act of terrorism.
“This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah – which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith.
“An act of evil antisemitism, terrorism, that has struck the heart of our nation… An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian,” he was quoted as saying.
It was further reported that investigators later discovered several suspicious items near the bridge from which the gunmen fired, including an improvised explosive device.
The device was reportedly secured and removed by bomb disposal experts and transported away in an armoured vehicle.
A black-and-white flag was also found abandoned on the bonnet of a silver Honda at the scene, though its significance remains unclear.
Police have also launched an investigation to determine whether a third individual may have been involved in carrying out the attack.
