Police confirm alleged Bondi shooters were father and son
NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon confirms the two offenders – a 50-year-old man and 24-year-old man – were father and son.
The father was shot dead by police, while the son is in critical but stable condition in hospital.
Lanyon says police are not looking for a further offender.
As part of the investigation, we conducted two search warrants last night, one at Bonnyrigg and a second at Campsie. The 50-year-old male is a licensed firearms holder. He has six firearms licensed to him.
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Updated at 21.44 CET
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Here’s what we know after the terror attack so far:
What we know about the Bondi beach attack so far – video reportShare
Updated at 22.12 CET
Update on shooting victims taken to Sydney hospitals
NSW health has provided an update on the status of patients transferred to Sydney hospitals after last night’s attack.
Police confirmed earlier that 14 died at the scene, and another two people died in hospital overnight – bringing the death toll to 16.
One of those who died overnight was a child, who passed away at the Sydney Children’s hospital. The other person who died overnight passed away at the Royal Prince Alfred hospital.
12 patients are in a stable condition at Prince of Wales hospital
One patient is in a critical condition and two are in a stable condition at St George hospital
One patient is in a stable condition at Sutherland hospital
One patient is in a critical condition at Sydney Eye hospital
Three patients are in a critical condition, five patients are in a stable condition, and two patients were treated and discharged at St Vincent’s hospital
Three patients are in a critical but stable condition, one patient is in a critical condition, one patient is in a stable condition, and one is yet to be assessed at Royal Prince Alfred hospital
One patient is in a critical condition and two patients are in a stable condition at Sydney Children’s hospital, Randwick
One patient is in a critical but stable condition and one is in a stable condition at Royal North Shore hospital
Two patients are in a stable condition at Liverpool hospital
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Updated at 22.10 CET
Alex Ryvchin says Bondi beach attack has ‘fundamentally changed’ Australia
Things will always be different now for the Jewish community, says co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin.
He tells ABC News Breakfast he and his 12-year-old daughter have been at the Chanukah festival every year, but did not go to the event last night.
He says the shooting has “fundamentally changed this country”.
This stops life, this destroys worlds. Things will always be different for us. Things can’t go back to normal. It’s fundamentally changed this country.
Ryvchin says one of his dearest friends was one of the victims of last night’s shooting, and was a person “who personified goodness and godliness and holiness, a person who lived literally for no reason other than to do good deeds”.
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Updated at 22.04 CET
‘We will do whatever is necessary’ to stamp out antisemitism, Albanese says
Anthony Albanese says the government will continue to stand with Jewish Australians and stamp out antisemitism.
He’s asked whether the government has failed to help the Jewish community who have faced antisemitic attacks. Albanese says he’s spoken to members of the Jewish community.
We need wrap our arms around Australians. We stand with them, we stand against antisemitism, we will do whatever is necessary to stamp it out. Antisemitism is a scourge. It’s been around for a long period of time. We need to do whatever we can to stamp it out.
The press conference ends there.
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Updated at 22.00 CET
Police confirm two active improvised explosive devices retrieved by bomb disposal unit
NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon confirms there were two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which were active and found at the scene.
There were two IEDs found at the scene, they were taken by our rescue and bomb disposal unit. They were found to be active devices. So, they were taken back and rendered safe by our police who do a professional job.
Lanyon says he’s “very glad” those devices were not activated.
Asked how they could have been triggered, Lanyon says police are investigating thoroughly and “will get to the bottom of this”.
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Updated at 21.57 CET
Law reform ‘almost certain’ after Bondi attack, Chris Minns says
NSW premier Chris Minns there will “almost certainly” be law reform on gun licenses following this terrorist attack.
He’s asked whether there was a failure over the father being able to get a gun license, and both men not being detected by authorities ahead of the attack.
Minns says he “can’t say at this point” whether there was a failure, and that the police will conduct their investigation.
We’re looking at [this] right now …
There be a comprehensive inquiry. This is a massive terrorist event in Australia’s largest city, targeted on Jewish Australians. We need to get to the bottom of exactly how it happened so we can take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
I think in these circumstances it’s important that no stone is left unturned and New South Wales police are given time to conduct that investigation, but we have to do everything we possibly can to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. Part of that may be law reform, almost certainly it will be. Part of it will be a comprehensive police response, but it also goes down to the level of confronting racism and antisemitism in our community.
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Updated at 22.07 CET
Nothing to indicate alleged shooters had planned attack, police say
Police won’t yet confirm any motivations behind the attack, and say that they’re looking at that as part of the investigation.
Police commissioner Mal Lanyon also says there was nothing “to indicate that either of the men involved in yesterday’s attack was planning the attack”.
He confirms that the 50-year-old shooter is deceased, and had held a gun license for ten years.
Lanyon also says that there was “very limited knowledge” of the younger man, who authorities have said was known to Asio, Australia’s spy agency.
We have investigators working around the clock. I’m incredibly proud of the work undertaken so far. We want to understand the motives behind it. We certainly want to understand the actions that have happened. I cannot give a running commentary on the investigation …
They were staying at an address in Campsie. Their residence is in Bonnyrigg.
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Updated at 21.46 CET
Ambulance chief says team used lessons from Bondi Westfield attack
NSW Ambulance commissioner, Dominic Morgan, says more than 123 personnel from NSW Ambulance were part of last night’s response. The first ambulance crews were on the scene in less than ten minutes, he says.
He says there were some “amazing lessons” learned from the Bondi Westfield shopping centre attack, which helped emergency services respond effectively last night.
There was some amazing lessons learned from the Bondi Westfield shopping centre. Last night, I’m told the command structures were seamless. The joint agency approach, the ability for paramedics with the support of police to work in these hot zones, I’m convinced contributed to the saving of lives that otherwise would have been lost.
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Updated at 21.47 CET
Police will be ‘highly visible’ at Jewish places of worship
Lanyon says police have commenced “Operation Shelter” this morning, and there will be 328 officers on the ground at Bondi this morning.
The police commissioner says police will be “highly visible” at places of worship and other places that are known to be frequented by the Jewish community.
Lanyon also urges the public to remain calm.
Operation Shelter is designed to provide comfort to the Jewish community. We’ll make sure we’re highly visible at places of worship, places that are known to be frequented by the Jewish community, but very much in those suburbs we know we have a large Jewish population. 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 …
I was very clear last night to call for calm. This is not a time for anyone to be seeking retribution. This is a time for the community to grieve and to heal.
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Updated at 21.37 CET
Police confirm alleged Bondi shooters were father and son
NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon confirms the two offenders – a 50-year-old man and 24-year-old man – were father and son.
The father was shot dead by police, while the son is in critical but stable condition in hospital.
Lanyon says police are not looking for a further offender.
As part of the investigation, we conducted two search warrants last night, one at Bonnyrigg and a second at Campsie. The 50-year-old male is a licensed firearms holder. He has six firearms licensed to him.
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Updated at 21.44 CET
Anthony Albanese says Bondi attack was ‘act of pure evil’
Minns thanks the emergency service workers and innocent bystanders and civilians who stood up to “save other peoples’ lives”.
This is a terrible wanton act of destructive violence but we still have amazing people in Australia and they showed their true colours last night.
Anthony Albanese stands up next and describes the terror attack as an “act of pure evil”, and promises to dedicate “every single resource” to respond.
What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores. In iconic Australian location. That’s associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations.
We will do whatever is necessary to stamp out antisemitism. It is a scourge and we’ll eradicate it together. The Australian Federal Police and Asio are working closely with New South Wales authorities and the briefing we’ve just had, we’ve had the AFP there and the AFP commissioner will return to Australia today. We’ll dedicate every single resource that is required in responding to this.
Albanese says world leaders including Donald Trump, French president Emmanuel Macron and UK prime minister Keir Starmer have reached out to him to express their sympathies.
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Updated at 21.32 CET
