A father and son have been identified as the alleged shooters in a terrorist attack at Sydney’s Bondi beach, as authorities confirm the death toll from the massacre has risen to 16, including one child.
The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the shooting was “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores”.
It was Australia’s worst mass shooting in 29 years.
Sajid Akram, 50, and son Naveed Akram, 24, have been identified as the alleged gunmen behind the attack. The older man was shot by police and died at the scene during Sunday’s attack, while the 24-year-old suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital under police guard.
A police statement on Monday said 14 people died at the scene, with two more dying in hospital overnight. They said 40 people were injured.
The child who died, a 10-year-old girl, was one of four children taken to Sydney Children’s hospital following the attack. A 40-year-old man also died in hospital.
Those killed range in age from 10 to 87, police said.
Albanese said Bondi beach was a place associated with joy and celebrations but was “forever tarnished by what has occurred last evening”.
“This was an attack deliberately targeted at the Jewish community. On the first day of Hanukah, which of course should 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’ll eradicate it together.”
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, said Australia needed to “send a strong and clear repudiation of antisemitism in all of its forms”.
“There is no tolerance for racism or Jewish hatred anywhere in NSW or Australia, and we need to be clear and unambiguous that we’ll fight it everywhere we see it, whether it’s destructive, horrible acts of violence, or chants, mottos and internet posts on the internet,” Minns said.
Minns said there needed to be a time for mourning, and urged anyone who wanted to help in a practical way to donate blood.
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Laynon, confirmed on Monday that police were not looking for a third shooter.
“The 50-year-old male is a licensed firearms holder,” Laynon told reporters. “He has six firearms licensed to him. We are satisfied that we have six firearms from the scene yesterday, but also as a result of the search warrant at the Campsie address. Ballistics and forensic investigation will determine those six firearms are the six that were licensed to that man, but also they were used in the offence yesterday at Bondi.”
Video shows Hanukah celebrations moments before Bondi beach mass shooting – video
Minns said law reform on gun licenses would “almost certainly” take place after the attack.
“In these circumstances, it’s important that no stone is left unturned and NSW police are given time to conduct that investigation, but we have to do everything we possibly can to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”
Lanyon told reporters that the younger man was known to police, but officers had no indication the attack was planned. He said the pair had been staying at an address in Campsie. The older man had been in possession of a firearms license for about 10 years.
Police declared the shooting a terrorist incident on Sunday evening,
Laynon said police found two “basic” explosive devices at the scene.
“They were found to be active devices,” he said. “So they were taken back and rendered safe by our police, who do a professional job.”
Albanese said he and Minns attended a briefing with the domestic intelligence agency Asio, the Australian federal police and NSW police on Monday morning, and would “dedicate every single resource that is required in responding to this”. He praised first responders, including civilians who rushed in to help and stop the alleged gunmen, as showing “the best of the Australian character”.
Lanyon said 328 police officers would be on the ground in suburbs with significant Jewish populations on Monday under Operation Shelter.
Minns paid tribute to NSW Ambulance workers, including paramedics who treated patients under fire. The NSW health minister, Ryan Park, said police officers had stepped in to drive patients to hospital in ambulances.
Surf Live Saving NSW thanked volunteer lifesavers for “selflessly stepping forward during such a serious and tragic situation”, providing first aid and CPR, confirming that no lifesavers were injured during the attack.
In an update on Monday morning, NSW Health said 26 of the 40 injured people treated across nine Sydney hospitals were in a stable condition. Seven people were in a critical condition, while four were in a critical but stable condition. Two people had been discharged on Monday morning, while one person had yet to be assessed.
Police said they had closed Bondi beach and surrounding roads on Monday to allow detectives from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team to investigate, but some people were walking and swimming at the beach early in the morning.
Items left behind by those fleeing the shooting were strewn along footpaths and parks: shopping bags, bike helmets, sandals and boxes of takeaway food.
Runners and dog walkers stopped or slowed as they neared the beach.
King Charles III issued a statement overnight, saying he was “appalled and saddened”.
“In times of hurt, Australians always rally together in unity and resolve,” he said. “I know that the spirit of community and love that shines so brightly in Australia – and the light at the heart of the Chanukah Festival – will always triumph over the darkness of such evil.”
Among those killed was London-born rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, who was assistant rabbi at Jewish cultural centre Chabad of Bondi; and Alex Kleytman, a Ukrainian-born holocaust survivor. The Israeli foreign ministry said one of the victims was an Israeli citizen.
Among the injured was a bystander who tackled and wrestled a gun from one of the alleged gunmen.
Hanukah celebrations in Melbourne ended early on Sunday as news of the attack spread.