From Daily Mail: Twelve people, including children, are dead after two gunmen armed with rifles opened fire at Bondi Beach on Sunday afternoon, in an act of terrorism targeting a Jewish holiday celebration.
Witnesses said two men stepped out of a vehicle on Campbell Parade, near Bondi Pavilion, and opened fire about 6.40pm on Sunday with footage showing blast after blast on the tourist strip. Some witnesses report more than 30 shots.
A festival for Hanukkah, named Chanukah by the Sea, advertised as a night of family fun, was taking place, with children attending the event when the gunmen, one of whom was on the terror list and known to authorities, opened fire.
Video and photos taken by a Daily Mail photographer show a gunman, later identified as Naveed Akram, 24, from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s southwest, opening fire from an elevated bridge.
Akram was shot and taken into custody. He is being treated for his injuries.
The second, unidentified gunman was shot and killed during the attack.
Authorities have not confirmed reports that there may have been a third gunman.
According to a video taken of the incident, a hero bystander, later identified by family members as 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, tackled one of the gunmen and stripped him of his weapon.
The heroic bystander sustained two gunshot wounds, according to reports.
Police found suspicious items in a car linked to one of the gunmen, near the bridge they occupied to launch the attack. Among the items was an improvised explosive device (IED), the Mail reports.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns gave an update on Sunday, confirming during a press conference that the death toll has risen to 12 people, with up to 29 injured. Two police officers and a child were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith. An act of evil antisemitism, terrorism, that has struck the heart of our nation. An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian.”
Akram’s home, owned by his family for only a year, was raided by police, who took at least three residents from the home at gunpoint.
The Mail also notes that a black and white flag was spotted on a silver Honda at the scene, but it’s “unknown what the flag means.”
Of note, Australia has strict gun laws considered the “gold standard” in the world.
The Guardian reports:
For almost three decades, Australia’s gun laws have been recognised as among the most stringent – and effective – in the world.
After the horror of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre that killed 35 people in Tasmania, Australia’s then conservative government stared down the gun lobby to introduce restrictions that led to a dramatic decrease in the number of guns.
In an almost unprecedented display of national collaboration, the federal government worked with the states to restrict semiautomatic weapons, toughen up licensing requirements and introduce a new requirement for gun holders to demonstrate a “genuine reason” for ownership.
Australians have been rightly proud of these reforms, confident that the community remains relatively safe from gun violence and far from the American reality of frequent mass shootings.
Sunday’s Bondi attack will shake that confidence and may force the country to again grapple with its gun laws.
It is unknown whether the guns used in the attack were legally obtained.
According to the Guardian, gun control advocates in Australia feel the weapons are still “far too easy to access despite the country’s ‘gold standard’ framework.”
Read more at Daily Mail
TERROR ATTACK: Multiple dead after gunmen opened fire on Jewish celebration on Australian beach
The Dennis Michael Lynch Podcast archive is available below, with the most recent on top. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the show by downloading The DML News App or go to Apple Podcasts.
