12 dead as gunmen storm festival in Australia

News Update

No fewer than 12 people have been killed after two gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Australia.

Mal Lanyon, police commissioner, said there were over 1,000 people at the site. He labelled the attack a “terrorist incident”.

Lanyon said 29 people have been taken to the hospital. Among them are a child and two police officers who are in “serious, verging on critical” condition and both are in surgery.

One of the gunmen was among the casualties while the second alleged shooter is in a critical condition.

Lanyon said police are investigating if a third gunman was involved. Two suspects are also in police custody.

During investigations, the commissioner said police found what they believed to be “several improvised explosive devices” linked to the deceased offender.

Chris Minns, premier, frowned on the attack he said was “designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community”.

Videos later showed a man wrestling with one of the suspected attackers.

In the clip, the man leaps out and grapples with the gunman from behind, before wrestling the weapon off him while he was shooting.

The gun goes off again as they struggle. He then pushes the attacker to the ground and turns the gun back on him, forcing him to retreat.

“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” the premier said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the “vile act of violence and hate”.

“An act of evil antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation,” he said, adding that Australia was no such place for the incident.

Public mass shootings are very rare in Australia.

In 1996, 35 people were killed, and scores were hurt, when a lone gunmen opened fire at a historic site in Tasmania.

That attack prompted the government to introduce some of the world’s strictest gun control measures.

Minns said there will be a full inquiry into the incident.