Twelve people have died after gunmen opened fire at Bondi Beach
Numerous people are injured – including two police officers – and multiple people have died after a shooting at Bondi Beach now declared a terrorist incident.
Source: X
Twelve people have died – including one of the gunmen – and many people are wounded after two men opened fire at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening.
Police said the second alleged shooter was in a critical condition and NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said that at 9.36pm the shooting was declared a terrorist incident.
Lanyon said in a media conference on Sunday night that 29 people had been transferred to various hospitals across Sydney including two police officers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that the national security committee was convened as a matter of urgency.
Gunshots were reported after 6.30pm as hundreds of Sydneysiders attended the Chanukah by the Sea event to celebrate the start of the Jewish festival.
NSW Police said a number of suspicious items located in the vicinity were being examined by specialist officers and an exclusion zone was in place.
There were no police reports of other incidents in Sydney connected to the incident at Bondi Beach but there were reportedly raids conducted at sites in Sydney.
The men could be seen firing guns into the crowd as people screamed and sprinted for cover.
A number of people could be seen lying injured and unmoving on the grass at North Bondi.
Other videos showed people being loaded into ambulances on stretches while onlookers attempted to provide support.
You might like
A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said paramedics treated patients for gunshot wounds.
Another video showed a man tackling and disarming one of the gunmen, another shows officers standing guard over a hunting rifle lying on the ground with an exclusion zone in place.
Witnesses at Bondi reported panic, confusion and disbelief as chaos unfolded with emergency services on the scene.
Stay informed, daily
NSW Premier Chris Minns described the reports and images from the scene as “deeply distressing”.
In a media conference on Sunday night, Minns said “our hearts bleed for Australia’s Jewish community tonight” and he said that “this is a massive, complex and just beginning investigation and there are things tonight we don’t have the answers to”.
He said there had been an “outpouring of love and support” for Australia’s Jewish community and he also said that during the night the country had seen “extraordinary acts of courage and bravery”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the scenes at Bondi were “shocking and distressing” and that “the evil and loss is beyond comprehension”.
He described Sunday’s attack as being one that targeted Jewish Australians and every Australian would be devastated by this attack on “our way of life”.
“In this moment of darkness we must be each other’s light. … your fellow Australians stand with you tonight in condemning this act of terror,” Albanese said.
“We have seen Australians today run toward danger” to assist others in acts of bravery.
Lifeline 13 11 14, or text 0477 13 11 14.
-with AAP
