In the minutes that followed the first sounds of gunfire Sunday night at Bondi Beach in Sydney, the assault would end the lives of at least 15 people.

For between 10 and 20 minutes, two gunmen opened fire on attendees at the Hanukkah event, gunning down men, women and children as terrified beachgoers fled. More than a dozen people were killed and at least 40 wounded, some critically, including two police officers.

There are not words strong enough to condemn violence directed toward the Jewish community,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said.

A rare attack: Mass shootings are a rarity in Australia, which enacted strict gun laws after an attack that killed 35 people in 1996. The older suspect had licenses for six guns, according to investigators, and a total of six were recovered from the scene and two searched properties.

The deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia has resonated around the world, including in North Texas, where local leaders say the violence feels close to home. Dallas City Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn,

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reacts to attack on Jewish community on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ascribed the fatal mass shooting in Sydney to Australia’s call for a Palestinian state, saying he warned ahead of the attack that the move “pours fuel on antisemitic fire.

Australian authorities pledged on Monday to review the country’s firearms laws and do more to combat antisemitism after gunmen killed 15 people in an attack on a Jewish festival in Sydney. Officials said on Monday that a father and son were behind Sunday’s assault at Bondi Beach.