2025 Bondi Beach shooting
| 2025 Bondi Beach shooting | |
|---|---|
The two gunmen at the Campbell Parade footbridge. The man on the left is shooting towards Archer Park. | |
Location of the shooting in Sydney | |
| Location | Archer Park, Bondi Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Date | 14 December 2025 18:42 – 18:48 (AEDT, UTC+11:00) |
| Target | Jewish people at a Hannukah event |
Attack type | Mass shooting and attempted bombing |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 16 (including one attacker) |
| Injured | 40 (including the accused) |
| Perpetrator | Sajid Akram |
No. of participants | 2 |
| Defenders |
|
| Motive | |
| Accused | Naveed Akram |
| Charges | 59 counts
|
On 14 December 2025, an antisemitic Islamic State (IS)-inspired terrorist attack occurred at the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, during a celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah attended by around 1,000 people. Beginning at 6:42 pm, two Muslim gunmen, allegedly Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram, killed a total of 15 people including 11 men, 3 women and a 10-year-old girl. Sajid, an Indian national and permanent resident of Australia, was shot dead by police; his Australian son was treated for wounds at a local hospital and survived. IS later claimed credit for the attack.
Naveed is now on remand in Goulburn Correctional Centre awaiting trial for 15 murders and 44 other offences. Four civilians confronted the gunmen, attempting to curb the attack. Three were killed and one suffered gunshot wounds. Volunteer surf lifesavers and Waverley Council lifeguards rushed to the scene to provide first aid during the active shooting. Members of the New South Wales Police Force shot the two alleged gunmen, killing Sajid and critically injuring Naveed, who was detained. Forty people, including two police officers, were injured and taken to various hospitals. Four homemade bombs were thrown into the crowd but failed to detonate. Another homemade bomb was found in a car belonging to one of the alleged shooters.
Numerous world leaders, news outlets and Australian authorities declared the shooting was motivated by antisemitism. The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the shooting was "deliberately targeted at the Jewish community on the first day of Chanukah". The ongoing investigation by federal and New South Wales police forces is named "Operation Arques". A federal royal commission will examine the circumstances surrounding the attack. A federal review into federal agencies that had begun, before the decision to hold a royal commission had been made, will become part of the commission.
The Bondi shooting is the first fatal attack on Jews in Australia, the worst terrorist attack in Australia, and the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in which 35 people were killed. Mass casualty attacks are uncommon in Australia; the country enacted strict gun laws in response to the Port Arthur massacre. Following the Bondi Beach shooting, the National Cabinet unanimously agreed to further restrict gun laws and introduce a gun buyback program. The attack led to changes to federal hate speech laws and was marked by a national day of reflection and a national day of mourning. In New South Wales, the attack led to changes to terrorism and protest laws.