A 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son are suspected of being behind the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday.
16 people have been killed in a terrorist attack on a Jewish celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday morning, Norwegian time. This includes one of the perpetrators.
Another five are in critical condition in hospital, and a total of 40 are injured.
The attackers used shotguns as they opened fire on the party on the famous beach. Among those killed were Rabbi Eli Schlanger and Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor. The dead ranged in age from 10 to 87, according to police.
Australian police say at a press conference that the two shooters are father and son. The son, a 24-year-old man, is in police custody. He has suffered critical injuries. His 50-year-old father was killed in the shootout during the attack.
They deny that there may have been a third perpetrator. For now, they cannot answer what the motive for the attack was, but the police emphasize that this is an important part of the investigation.
Had a weapons license
According to police, the 50-year-old had a weapons license and six weapons registered to him.
Police say they have seized a total of six firearms in the wake of the attack. These were found at the scene and after searching homes linked to the incident in Campsie and Bonnyrigg.
The case is being investigated as a terrorist attack. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began his speech at the press conference by describing the events at Bondi Beach as an act of pure evil.
“This was an attack that was deliberately directed at the Jewish community,” he said.
Albanese praises both the emergency services and the civilians who were first on the scene.
The man has his weapon taken from him. The shooter then flees in the direction of another perpetrator.
"People running towards danger, showing the best of the Australian people's spirit. That's who we are - people who stand up for our values," he said, adding that they had saved many lives.
– Will work against anti-Semitism
When the shooting began, a Jewish Hanukkah event was being held at a playground on the beach, near the Bondi Pavilion.
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival of lights celebrated in November or December.
– Australian Jews have been warning that something like this could happen for a long time. Have you failed them, the Prime Minister was asked at the press conference.
The Prime Minister stressed that his government stands with the Jewish community and will continue to do so.
– We will continue to work with them against anti-Semitism and extinguish it, he said.
