Two men opened fire on unsuspecting beachgoers on Sunday, in Sydney, Australia’s Bondi Beach. Together, they slaughtered 15 people until a bystander took charge and disarmed one of them. Since the massacre, one of the accused gunmen has been charged with 59 offenses, including 15 charges of murder. Hundreds of people gathered today to attend the funerals for the victims. 

They are calling this tragedy an antisemitic mass shooting. The gunmen are accused of targeting Jews who were celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach. More than 20 victims are still being cared for in hospitals, and all those who were killed have been identified as Jewish. The investigation is ongoing, and Australia is facing serious backlash from concerned citizens regarding antisemitism, gun control, and police protection for Jews.

Murder and Terrorism Charges

The shooters have been identified as father and son, Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24. Sajid died at the scene, and Naveed has been in a coma at a Sydney hospital. He recently woke and was charged on Wednesday, December 17, with 15 counts of murder, one for each fatality, and a separate count for committing a terrorist act. Authorities also charged him with 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder. 

The Akrams allegedly placed explosive devices near a building with the intent to harm more civilians. Their car contained improvised explosive devices and was found at the crime scene. Legal Aid NSW is representing Naveed, and his attorney has not entered a plea or requested his client’s release on bail. He is expected to remain under police supervision while in the hospital until he is healthy enough to be transferred to prison. Legal Aid has a policy where they refuse media comment on behalf of their clients.

Stricter Gun Laws

Australia already has stricter gun laws compared to the United States. Mass shootings are not normal for them, and including the Bondi Beach massacre, there have been 24 since the strict gun laws reform in 1996. The United States has endured more than that since Halloween. Since this incident, lawmakers are looking to enact stricter laws to ensure this does not happen again, or to a specific group of people. Change is possible, and Australia is moving towards making it happen. 

The suspects were reportedly inspired to commit the Bondi Beach massacre by the Islamic State group, and this provoked citizens to question Australia’s government on whether they had done enough to condemn hate crimes.

After the attack and outrage towards the government, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took a vow to take whatever action was necessary to put an end to antisemitism. Albanese, along with other Australian leaders, has pledged to enact stricter gun laws, the strictest since the 1996 Port Arthur shooting, where 35 people were killed. 

Grieving For Bondi Beach Victims

The victims of the Bondi Beach shooting range from a 10-year-old child to an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. Many Australians have come together to grieve and support each other during this horrific time. There is no right way to act after an incident of this caliber, but they are choosing to donate blood and gather for moments of silence. 

One of the victims, 41-year-old Eli Schlanger, was a husband and father of five who organized and was celebrating the Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach when the shooting happened. Unfortunately, he did not survive the attack.

“After what happened, my biggest regret was — apart from, obviously, the obvious – I could have done more to tell Eli more often how much we love him, how much I love him, how much we appreciate everything that he does and how proud we are of him,” said Schlanger’s father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman. If only one event returns to Bondi Beach, it will be the Hanukkah celebration, Ulman said. 

“Eli [son-in-law] lived and breathed this idea that we can never ever allow them not only to succeed, but anytime that they try something, we become greater and stronger,” he said. “We’re going to show the world that the Jewish people are unbeatable.”

“I hope he knew that. I’m sure he knew it,” Ulman said. “But I think it should’ve been said more often.”