SYDNEY: Australia is grappling with one of its deadliest acts of mass violence in decades after the death toll from a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach rose to 15, prompting renewed questions around extremism, public safety and gun controls.
Police in New South Wales (NSW) confirmed on Monday that in total, 16 people (including a gunman) were killed in the attack, which unfolded on Sunday evening during a public gathering at the popular beach. Fourteen people died at the scene, while two others later succumbed to their injuries in hospital, according to a police statement cited by Xinhua news agency.
The victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 years, underlining the indiscriminate nature of the violence. One of the deceased was also among the alleged shooters.
Another 40 people remained hospitalised as of Monday morning, five of them in critical condition, police said.
Terror classification and ongoing probe
NSW Police formally declared the incident a terrorist attack on Sunday night. While addressing the media, Commissioner Lanyon said that a probe into ascertaining the motive was ongoing.
While police have not yet released further details on the attackers’ intent, the choice of location and timing, during a religious celebration, has intensified concerns around targeted violence and antisemitism.
National response and political reaction
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday: “What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations.”
“It is forever tarnished by what has occurred.”
“Australia will not be divided by hate or violence. We will confront it head on. And we will stand together in solidarity with Jewish Australians and with one another,” Albanese said in a post on X.
The Australian Prime Minister also reiterated the government’s resolve to tackle antisemitism, describing it as a “scourge” that must be eradicated collectively.
One of the deadliest attacks in Australia
The Bondi Beach shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were killed in Tasmania. That tragedy led to sweeping reforms in Australia’s gun ownership laws.
The scale of Sunday’s violence, and the fact that one alleged attacker held firearms legally, is expected to reignite debate over licensing and monitoring, even as authorities caution against drawing conclusions before the investigation is complete.
Agencies