MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Australian authorities have declared that the mass shooting which killed 15 people during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State group. Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said investigators reached that conclusion based on evidence recovered during the investigation. Officials identified the suspects as a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The older man, Sajid Akram, was shot and killed by police at the scene, while his son remains hospitalized under guard. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said investigators found Islamic State flags inside a vehicle linked to the attackers, reinforcing concerns that the violence was ideologically motivated. Of the dozens wounded in the attack, 25 people remain hospitalized, including 10 in critical condition. Three of the injured are children receiving care at a pediatric hospital. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 and had gathered at one of Australia’s most iconic beaches when gunfire erupted without warning.
Public anger and grief have fueled renewed debate over gun laws and public safety, even as officials praised acts of courage that unfolded amid the chaos. One bystander, Ahmed al Ahmed, was filmed tackling and disarming one of the attackers before securing the weapon, an act that authorities say likely saved lives. Albanese later visited him in the hospital, describing the Syrian-born shop owner as a national hero who embodies unity in the face of terror. Investigators revealed the suspects had traveled to the Philippines weeks before the attack and are examining whether the trip played any role in their radicalization. Authorities also confirmed the recovery of improvised explosive devices and homemade Islamic State flags from a seized vehicle. As Australia mourned, thousands gathered at Bondi Beach to lay flowers and pay respects, while lifeguards and first responders were widely praised for running toward danger to help the wounded. In an extraordinary show of solidarity, blood donation centers across the country reported record-breaking numbers, with tens of thousands of Australians signing up to give blood in the days following the massacre.