Australia terror attack: 16 dead, including gunman, after father-son duo opens fire on Jewish community
Police say a father and son were behind the horrifying mass shooting that left 16 people dead, including one of the gunmen, and 40 people hospitalized during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said during a press conference on Monday in Australia that it was a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son that carried out the terror attack.
The father is dead, police said, and the son is in critical but stable condition in a hospital. Lanyon also said they are not looking for additional suspects at this time.
The father was a licensed gun owner with six legally registered firearms. All six of the firearms have been recovered, with some being recovered at the scene. The others were located and recovered when investigators executed search warrants at two separate locations, police said.
Lanyon told police the warrants were executed at a property in Campsie and another property in Bonnyrigg. He added that their residential address was in Bonnyrigg, though they were staying in Campsie.
The commissioner also told reporters the father had held a gun license for 10 years.
"There was very little knowledge of either of these men by the authorities," Lanyon said. "The person was determined to be entitled to have a firearms license and…the person had a firearms license for a number of years for which there were no incidents."
Two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were also found at the scene of one of the homes where search warrants were executed. The IEDs were taken into possession by a rescue and bomb disposal unit and found to be active. They were then rendered safe by police.
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Lanyon noted that the IEDs were "rudimentary," or fairly basic, though he also noted he was grateful they did not detonate.
Police said the victims of the Sunday attack range in age from 10 to 87 years old.
The shooting happened during an annual celebration, known as "Chanukah By The Sea." It was scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. to celebrate the first day of the Jewish holiday by lighting the first candle on the Menorah. The shooting happened around 6:45 p.m. local time.
Police say the attack "targeted" the Jewish community and is being investigated as an act of terrorism.
At least 40 people remained hospitalized after the shooting, including two police officers, the agency confirmed. The shooting is the worst attack against Jews since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks.
Police added that they found evidence of multiple improvised explosive devices in a vehicle near the scene of the attack.
"We have our rescue bomb disposal unit there at the moment working on that," he said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog acknowledged the attack while speaking at an event in Jerusalem recognizing immigrants' extraordinary achievements on Sunday.
"At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews who went to light the first candle of Chanukah on Bondi Beach," Herzog said. "Our hearts go out to them. The heart of the entire nation of Israel misses a beat at this very moment, as we pray for the recovery of the wounded, we pray for them and we pray for those who lost their lives."
Herzog also called on the Australian government to "seek action and fight against the enormous wave of antisemitism which is plaguing Australian society."