Australian beach shooting targeting Jewish community leaves 16 dead
The New South Wales Police reported that 16 people are dead, including one of the suspects, and dozens are injured following a shooting rampage that targeted the Jewish community. The incident happened on Sunday morning on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.
Authorities in Australia said the victims range in age from 10 to 87 years old.
Sunday marks the first day of Hanukkah — a day that drew hundreds from the Jewish community to celebrate with a day at the beach.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the suspects are a 50-year-old man, who was shot and killed by police, and his son, a 24-year-old who is currently in the hospital. The father had six firearms licensed to him, police said, which they retrieved while executing two search warrants.
Video circulating throughout the media shows a man tackling one of the suspects. The man was able to sneak up on the suspect and tackle him, ultimately disarming him. An Australian news source identified the hero as 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed. The fruit shop owner was reportedly shot twice during the incident.
“He’s in [the] hospital and we don’t know exactly what’s going on inside,” a relative told the outlet. “We do hope he will be fine. He’s a hero 100%.”
Two improvised explosive devices were found at the scene of the shooting. Authorities found these to be active, Lanyon said, and they were taken back and rendered safe by the police’s rescue and bomb disposal unit.
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese called the incident an act of terrorism and a “dark moment for our nation.”
“What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations, and it is forever tarnished by what has occurred last evening,” Albanese said at a news conference. “This was an attack deliberately targeted at the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah, which, of course, should be a joyous celebration. And the Jewish community are hurting today. Today, all Australians wrap our arms around them and say, ‘We stand with you. We will do whatever is necessary to stamp out anti semitism. It is a scourge, and we will eradicate it together.'”
Flags will fly at half-mast in Australia to pay respects to the victims, Albanese said.
King Charles posted on social media he and his wife are appalled and saddened.
The incident follows a wave of antisemitic attacks in Australia over the past year.
The post Australian beach shooting targeting Jewish community leaves 16 dead appeared first on Straight Arrow News.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
