Australia continues to mourn the loss of victims of a deadly shooting at a Hanukkah gathering in Sydney, an attack Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “tears at our nation’s soul.”

Flags flew at half-mast across Australia on December 15, 2025. The shooting occurred on the evening of December 14, during a “Chanukah by the Sea” event, at Archer Park, Bondi Beach when two gunmen opened fire on a crowd gathered to mark the first night of Hanukkah. At least 15 people were killed and more than 40 injured before police intervened.

Addressing the nation and the media the following morning, Albanese acknowledged both the scale of the loss and the courage shown in its aftermath. Speaking directly to Jewish Australians, he offered a message of solidarity.

“We stand with you, we embrace you, and we reaffirm tonight that you have every right to be proud of who you are and what you believe,” he said. “You have the right to worship, study, live and work in peace and safety, and you enrich us as a nation.”

He added, “An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian.”

The Attack and the Investigation

During the media interaction, Albanese confirmed police had identified the attackers as a father and son, Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24. The younger man was Australian born, while the older arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa and later held residency visas.

New South Wales Police confirmed the older man died at the scene, while the younger was injured and taken into custody. The attack has now been formally declared a terrorist act, triggering joint counterterrorism powers. Australian Federal Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Nigel Ryan said the declaration allowed federal and state agencies to mobilize specialist resources. 

“The Australian Federal Police stand next to the New South Wales (NSW) Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization,” he said, confirming that all available powers would be used in the investigation.

Security agencies confirmed one of the attackers had previously been known to authorities but was not assessed as an immediate threat. The national terrorism threat level remains under constant review.

Gun Laws Under Renewed Scrutiny

As mourning continues, attention has turned to the weapons used in the attack and the broader framework governing gun ownership in Australia. 

Police confirmed the alleged perpetrator legally acquired six firearms, reportedly for hunting. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the older man “was licensed to hold a Category A and B license and the firearms that we have seized were attached to that license appropriately.”

The revelation has reignited debate over how gun licenses are issued, monitored and reviewed. Albanese said firearm laws would be reassessed nationally, including the long-discussed establishment of a national firearms register.

“Licenses should not be in perpetuity,” he said, noting that “people’s circumstances can change” and that the risk of radicalization must be taken seriously.

He signaled the need for individual and periodic review of gun ownership, including the number and type of firearms held. He confirmed that the national cabinet discussions are expected to consider limits on firearms per license holder, tighter eligibility criteria, whether gun ownership should require Australian citizenship, and accelerating work on the National Firearms Register, including digitizing records still held on paper in some states.

Australia’s gun laws were last comprehensively overhauled following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, where 35 people were killed. The reforms introduced through the National Firearms Agreement banned certain weapons, tightened licensing requirements and established a national gun buyback scheme.  

The changes were widely credited with reducing mass shootings for decades, creating one of the strictest civilian gun control regimes in the world. Albanese said the current review would examine whether that framework remains fit for purpose in the face of evolving risks. “The nature of gun laws is that they are only as strong as their weakest link,” he said, emphasizing the need for national consistency and modern oversight.

Confronting Antisemitism Beyond the Law

Beyond firearms regulation, Albanese said the government was acting on antisemitism more broadly. He confirmed the implementation of recommendations from Antisemitism Envoy Jillian Segal, including laws outlawing hate speech, banning Nazi symbols, strengthening action against doxing, expanding education programs in schools and increasing security funding for vulnerable communities.

“We have passed legislation to outlaw hate speech,” he said, adding these measures formed part of a broader response to rising antisemitism. The Prime Minister echoed the words of a Jewish community leader he spoke to after the attack. “We know where antisemitism leads,” Albanese said. “It leads to an attack on everyone.”

In Perth, Indian Australian community organizations joined faith and civic leaders in condemning the attack, expressing solidarity with Jewish Australians, and calling for unity against hatred. 

The Questions That Remain 

As Sydney mourns and flags remain lowered, one image from Bondi Beach has resonated across the country. Ahmad El Ahmad, a Syrian born Sydney resident, was filmed wrestling with one of the gunmen and disarming him during the attack. 

The footage, widely shared on social media, showed Ahmad moving the weapon away from the crowd before collapsing with gunshot wounds. He was taken to hospital for treatment, where he remains under care. Police later acknowledged his actions as courageous bystander intervention that helped prevent further harm.

Albanese said the response reflected the nation at its best, where “Australians ran towards danger to help others,” adding that “these Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives.”

As the government moves to reform gun laws, strengthen firearms registers and review licensing arrangements, a broader question remains. Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, was pressed by a journalist on whether policy responses should extend beyond firearms regulation to addressing extremist ideology, even where weapons are legally held.

Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg captured that concern succinctly, saying, “Guns stole 15 innocent lives, but radicalized ideology pulled the trigger.”

Related posts:

From Sydney to Rhode Island, Indian American Lawmakers Condemn Antisemitic Attack and Deadly Campus Shooting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Condemns Antisemitic Attack at Sydney Hanukkah Celebration  SVCC Lights Up Sydney’s Diwali Season with Art, Culture, and Tradition Varun Ghosh Becomes First Indian Heritage Senator to Take Oath on Bhagavad Gita