How many lives were lost in the Bondi Beach shooting?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Death toll from the Bondi Beach shooting rises to 16.
- Father and son identified as the attackers.
- Incident classified as a terrorist attack.
- Ongoing investigations into motivations behind the shooting.
- Australia's most deadly mass shooting since Port Arthur in 1996.
Sydney, Dec 15 (NationPress) The tragic shooting incident at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday has resulted in a rising death toll of 16 individuals, with authorities identifying a father and son as the perpetrators, according to police reports on Monday.
As stated by the police in New South Wales (NSW), the shooting has been confirmed to have claimed the lives of 16 individuals, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
According to a police statement, 14 victims succumbed to their injuries at the scene, while two others later died in hospital.
The ages of those who lost their lives range from 10 to 87 years, and one of the attackers is among the deceased.
Currently, around 40 individuals are receiving treatment for their injuries, with five in critical condition as of Monday morning.
NSW Police Force Commissioner Mal Lanyon addressed the media, revealing that the two suspects are a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son.
It was noted that the elder suspect, who lost his life at the scene, was a licensed gun owner and had six firearms legally registered to him, according to Lanyon.
The incident occurred around 6:47 p.m. local time on Sunday when the assailants opened fire on a crowd of at least 1,000 individuals gathered to celebrate the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
Lanyon officially classified the shooting as a terrorist attack on Sunday night and stated that investigations into the motives behind the attack are ongoing.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed on X that Australia will not allow itself to be divided by hatred or violence. He emphasized the need to confront these issues head-on and to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.
The Prime Minister earlier characterized the attack as an act of pure evil and assured that Australia would take all necessary measures to combat antisemitism.
This incident marks Australia's most deadly mass shooting since the Port Arthur tragedy, where 35 lives were lost in Tasmania in 1996, leading to significant reforms in Australia's gun ownership regulations.