There were 15 shooting victims aged between 10 and 87. The youngest was a child who died at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park confirmed.
The older gunman also died.
Emergency workers at the scene of the Bondi Beach shooting.Credit: Edwina Pickles
A further 40 people were injured, including four children who were transferred to Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Police said that as of Monday afternoon, 33 people remained in hospital, with six critical. Twenty-seven people were in serious but stable conditions, including two police officers – a constable and a probationary constable.
Who were the victims?
The youngest victim was 10-year-old Matilda, who died in hospital from gunshot wounds.
Matilda’s aunt, Lina, said she was struggling to come to terms with the death of her “happy, bright” niece, a former student of Bellevue Hill’s Harmony Russian School of Sydney.
Matilda’s aunt, Lina, said the 10-year-old was a bright and happy girl.
She said Matilda was initially expected to survive her injuries.
“I will never see her smile again; only in my photographs.”
Another victim was 41-year-old father-of-five and assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, Rabbi Eli Schlanger. He had a newborn baby and organised Chanukah by the Sea.
Eli Schlanger (left) and Dan Elkayam.Credit: Jewish News, LinkedIn
French national Dan Elkayam, in his late 20s, also died, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. Elkayam worked as an IT analyst for NBC Universal and had been in Australia for years.
Victim Alex Kleytman, Holocaust survivor and Ukraine native, “died shielding [his wife] from the gunman’s bullets”, Chabad reported.
Tibor Weitzen has been identified as a victim of the Bondi shooting.Credit: Courtesy of the Australian Jewish Association
Also killed while protecting others, according to Chabad, was father and grandfather Tibor Weitzen. Robert Gregory of the Australian Jewish Association said Weitzen, believed to be in his 70s, was a familiar face at Bondi Chabad events.
Businessman Reuven Morrison, another member of the Chabad community, was also killed, Chabad reported. He came from the Soviet Union before he “discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney”.
Who are the shooters, Naveed Akram and Sajid Akram?
The two gunmen are a father and son who had told their family they were going on a weekend fishing trip.
Naveed Akram has been identified as one of the alleged gunmen.Credit:
Recently unemployed bricklayer, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, was arrested and taken to hospital under police guard in a critical but stable condition. Authorities said he is likely to survive.
His father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, died at the scene. He held a firearms license for recreational hunting, had six guns legally in his possession and was a member of a gun club, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said, adding he brought six registered guns to the beach on Sunday, which were seized.
Lanyon said police knew of one shooter, but not that they were planning an attack.
A woman is transported to an ambulance.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealed Sajid arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, but would not say where from.
Naveed is an Australian-born citizen, and came to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in October 2019, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
He was assessed to have no indication of a threat of violence and ASIO’s concerns were based on his associates rather than his own character, Albanese said.
What do we know about hero bystander Ahmed el Ahmed?
People were most likely saved by 43-year-old father-of-two Ahmed el Ahmed, a bystander who courageously lunged at one shooter to steal his rifle before suffering gunshot wounds.
Ahmed is understood to have no experience with guns and was at Bondi to grab a coffee with his cousin, Jozay Alkanj, when bullets began raining.
An social media image shows Ahmed el Ahmed, the hero bystander who tackled one of the gunmen.Credit:
The father of 43-year-old Ahmed el Ahmed, who wrestled a rifle off one of the alleged gunman.Credit: James Brickwood
“He was very scared,” Alkanj said.
“He said ‘I’m going to die – please see my family [and tell them] that I went down to save people’s lives’.”
Speaking in Arabic to journalists outside hospital as his son awaited surgery, Ahmed’s father called his son a hero and said he was in “good spirits” last night.
“He said he thanks God that he was able to do this, to help innocent people and to save people from these monsters, these killers.”
Albanese praised Ahmed, saying his actions – along with those of police – stood in stark contrast to the “horrific act” committed by the killers.
Where at Bondi Beach did the shooting take place?
Footage showed two men firing what appeared to be rifles from the pedestrian bridge linking Campbell Parade and Bondi Pavilion.
The map below shows where the incident unfolded within the broader context of Bondi:
Was this a terrorism incident?
Yes. Lanyon declared the shooting a terrorism incident.
How did police respond?
Multiple police vehicles and dozens of officers rushed to Bondi Beach.
Police confirmed the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) seized three firearms and two improvised explosive devices (IED) from Bondi last night as well as another firearm and third IED there today.
Lanyon described the scene as “incredibly chaotic and terrifying” for even the most experienced officers.
What happened at Bonnyrigg and Campsie?
Investigators raided properties in Bonnyrigg and Campsie following the attack and seized two firearms.
A forensics team arrived at the Bonnyrigg house on Monday morning. Alleged shooter Akram lived there with his parents, 22-year-old sister and brother, 20. Police had closed off sections of the street.
In the days before the shooting, the father and son are understood to have stayed at a small grey rental home in Campsie, which was also raided.
On Monday afternoon, counterterrorism police were seen seizing two guns from the property in large brown paper evidence bags.
Police removing evidence from a short-term rental at Campsie.Credit: Nine News
What have people said about it?
Albanese condemned the “act of evil antisemitism” against Jewish Australians and “every Australian”, while NSW Premier Chris Minns said hearts were bleeding for the Jewish community.
US President Donald Trump sent well-wishes to Albanese and Australians over the “terrible” and antisemitic shooting.
Co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Alex Ryvchin feared that the “shredded” Jewish community may never recover from the “almighty blow”.
Rabbi Mendel Kastel, chief executive of Jewish House who lost multiple family members in the shooting, said it was easy to “become very angry” and “blame people” but this was “not what this is about”.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the community had repeatedly warned during the “summer of terror earlier this year” that it was only a matter of time until blood was spilt.
Jillian Segal, special envoy to combat antisemitism in Australia, told ABC Radio National that the federal government must “accelerate” and “fully endorse” recommendations of her review into antisemitism.
What next steps will authorities take?
Albanese vowed to propose tougher gun laws, to include limiting the number of firearms used or licensed by individuals, when he meets with state and territory counterparts on Monday afternoon.
Minns earlier flagged potential gun reforms, saying NSW Parliament could be recalled before Christmas to pass them. He said the attack would be met with an “overwhelming” response by his government, police and community groups.
Lanyon promised a “very thorough and transparent investigation”.
NSW Police confirmed the JCTT has begun an investigation into the massacre, to be led by NSW Police under Operation Arques and include the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission.
More coverage on the Bondi terror attack
Bondi Beach incident helplines:
Victim Services helpline 1800 411 822Public Information & Enquiry Centre on 1800 227 228Supply information to police on 1800 333 000
NSW Health disaster mental health support clinicians will be available at Bondi over coming days and weeks. These staff will be mobile and identified by NSW Health vests.
Other support:
NSW Health Mental Health Line, available 24/7 on 1800 011 511For crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14Children and young people can call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or chat online at kidshelpline.com.au.
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