SYDNEY: The death toll from a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday has risen to 16, with a father and son identified as the attackers, police said Monday, reported Xinhua.
Police in the state of New South Wales (NSW) said on Monday morning that 16 people have been confirmed dead after the shooting.
A police statement said that 14 people died at the scene and two others died in hospital. The deceased range in age from 10 to 87 years old and include one of the attackers.
Another 40 people were being treated in hospital for their injuries as of Monday morning, five of whom were in critical condition.
NSW Police Force Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a press conference on Monday that the two alleged shooters were a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son.
The 50-year-old, who was killed at the scene, was a licensed firearm holder with six guns legally in his possession, Lanyon said.
The shooting occurred at 6.47 pm local time on Sunday when the two men opened fire on a crowd of at least 1,000 people gathered at the beach for an event celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
Lanyon, who on Sunday night officially declared the shooting a terrorist attack, said Monday that investigations into the motives behind the attack are ongoing.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was an act of “pure evil” and that Australia would do whatever is necessary to stamp out antisemitism.
“It is a scourge and we’ll eradicate it together,” he said.
It marks Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since 35 people were killed at Port Arthur in Tasmania in 1996, which prompted fundamental changes to the country’s gun ownership laws.
Meanwhile, world leaders, including Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, as well as leaders from Europe, the Arab world, and international organisations, have conveyed condolences to Australia following the deadly shooting.
In a post on his official Facebook page, Anwar extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wished those injured a swift and full recovery. He said he was deeply alarmed by the attack, which claimed innocent lives and left many others injured, and condemned the act in the strongest terms.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a statement issued by his office, said he was appalled by the horrific attack in Sydney and expressed sympathy for the victims, their families, and all those affected.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, in a post on his official X account, said he was shocked by the distressing scenes at Bondi and that New Zealand’s thoughts were with the victims, their families, and the Australian people.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on his official X account, strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a ghastly terrorist incident, and extended India’s sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones.
From the Arab world, Palestine strongly condemned the attack and reaffirmed its firm position rejecting all forms of extremism and terrorism, including the killing of civilians, Palestine News & Info Agency (WAFA) reported. It also expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Australia, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
The United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Ministry, in a statement carried by the Emirates News Agency (WAM), condemned the shooting and conveyed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of Australia.
Saudi Arabia, through its Foreign Ministry, expressed sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims and to the Australian government and people, while reaffirming the kingdom’s rejection of violence and extremism in all its forms, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
From Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a post on her official X account, said she was deeply saddened by the horrific attack and extended her heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the Australian people.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a post on his official X account, said France stood in solidarity with Australia following the deadly attack while expressing sympathy to the victims, their loved ones, and the Australian people.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a statement posted on his official account, said he was utterly shocked by the antisemitic attack in Sydney and that his thoughts were with the victims and their families.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, strongly condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and government of Australia.
– BERNAMA
