UPDATE: Bondi Beach terror attack update: death toll rises, shooters were father-son

A horrifying act of anti-Semitic terrorism struck Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday. We have now learned that it was a father-son duo who opened fire on families and celebrants gathered for a Hanukkah event, killing 16 people, including one of the scumwafers, and injuring at least 40 others.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed in a Monday press conference that the perpetrators were a 50-year-old anti-Semitic licensed gun owner and his 24-year-old crap-weasel son. The father was killed at the scene, while the son remains in critical but stable condition in hospital under guard. Authorities are not seeking additional suspects.

"There was very little knowledge of either of these men by the authorities," Lanyon said. "The person was determined to be entitled to have a firearms license and…the person had a firearms license for a number of years for which there were no incidents." Perhaps he was waiting for the opportune time.

The father had held his gun license for a decade and owned six legally registered firearms, all of which have now been recovered, some from the scene and others during searches of properties in Campsie and Bonnyrigg. Police also discovered two rudimentary improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at one of the homes; bomb disposal units rendered them safe after confirming they were active.

Additional evidence of IEDs was found in a vehicle near the attack site, Lanyon noted, with specialists on scene handling the threat.

The shooting erupted around 6:45 p.m. local time during "Chanukah By The Sea," an annual public celebration organized by Chabad of Bondi that had drawn hundreds to light the first Chanukah candle. Victims ranged in age from 10 to 87, and at least 40 remained hospitalized, including two police officers.

Police have declared the incident a targeted terrorist attack on the Jewish community the worst against Jews outside the October 7, 2023, Hamas atrocities.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the attack during an event in Jerusalem: "At these very moments, our sisters and brothers in Sydney, Australia, have been attacked by vile terrorists in a very cruel attack on Jews who went to light the first candle of Chanukah on Bondi Beach," Herzog said. "Our hearts go out to them. The heart of the entire nation of Israel misses a beat at this very moment, as we pray for the recovery of the wounded, we pray for them and we pray for those who lost their lives."

Herzog went further, urging Australian leaders to confront rising anti-Semitism. He called on the Australian government to "seek action and fight against the enormous wave of anti-Semitism which is plaguing Australian society."

This tragedy underscores a grim reality: even in nations long seen as safe havens, hatred can turn festive gatherings into scenes of carnage, and this has become all too common with festive Jewish gatherings.

As investigations continue, the focus must remain on justice for the victims and rooting out the ideologies that fuel such evil.

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