Australia is preparing to tighten its gun control laws following a mass shooting at a Jewish celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 16 people dead and dozens injured, in the country’s deadliest gun attack in nearly 30 years.
Authorities said a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son opened fire during a Hanukkah event attended by about 1,000 people on a crowded weekend evening. The father was shot dead by police at the scene, while his son remains in critical condition in hospital. Forty people were injured in the attack, including two police officers, with victims ranging in age from 10 to 87.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as gunshot’s rang out along the beach, sending families and worshippers fleeing across the sand and into nearby streets. Police said the attack lasted about 10 minutes before officers intervened.
Investigators confirmed that the father held a valid firearms licence issued in 2015 and legally owned six registered weapons. Video footage from the scene showed the attackers using what appeared to be a bolt-action rifle and a shotgun. One of the suspects was previously known to security agencies but was not considered an immediate threat.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the tragedy had prompted an urgent review of gun licensing rules, including limits on the number of firearms an individual can own and the duration of gun licences. “People’s circumstances can change. People can be radicalised over time. Licences should not be in perpetuity,” Albanese said, adding that Cabinet would consider new restrictions.
Authorities described the attack as an act of terrorism motivated by antisemitism, calling it the most serious incident in a recent rise in antisemitic violence across Australia since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. The Prime Minister pledged that the government would “do whatever is necessary” to protect Jewish communities and confront hate-driven violence.
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Amid the horror, attention has also focused on a bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the attackers before being shot. The man, a local shop owner, underwent surgery and has been widely praised for his bravery. A public fundraising effort for him raised more than A$550,000 within 24 hours.
Mass shootings are rare in Australia, where sweeping gun reforms were introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Sunday’s attack has reignited national debate over whether the country’s already strict gun laws need to be further strengthened to address emerging security threats.