Australia does the sensible thing the US won't, further tighten up gun control
The Latest on the Bondi attack
- The attack unfolded about 6:45 p.m. Sunday during an event marking the first day of Hanukkah at Archer Park, a grassy area near the beach, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said. More than 1,000 people had gathered for the celebration when the attack took place.
- At least 15 people were killed and 38 are in hospital after two gunmen attacked a Jewish holiday event. The victims included a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor.
- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation named the father and son accused in the attack as Sajid Akram, 50, who was also killed, and Naveed Akram, 24, who was hospitalized. New South Wales police acknowledged the names had been published in local media and did not dispute them, but said they would not release names until the living suspect was charged and the deceased had been formally identified.
- Officials vowed to pursue tougher gun laws in the wake of the shooting, including potential firearms licensing reforms, as police confirmed one of the shooters was a gun club member and held a license for the sporting-style weapons that appeared to be used in the attack.
- The older gunman first arrived to Australia on a student visa in 1998 and had since held legal status in the country via a partner visa and resident return visas, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Monday. His son is an Australian-born citizen, the minister said.
- Australia’s domestic spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, looked into the son for about six months starting in 2019. The agency determined that he was not a threat and discontinued their investigation into him, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
- World leaders including Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron have offered condolences, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Australia's decision to recognize a Palestinian state "pours fuel on the antisemitic fire."
- A civilian lauded as a hero after he wrestled a gun from one of the suspected shooters has been identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed. He was “seriously injured,” Albanese said.
Rabbi Levi Wolff lights a menorah at Bondi Pavilion earlier today
'All we can do': Sydney residents line up to donate blood
Sydney residents have been answering an urgent call to donate blood to help those injured in yesterday's Bondi Beach shooting.
Some people have waited in line for up to seven hours to donate, including 21-year-old Alex who tells the BBC: "I wanted to know what I could do, and blood donation is a very simple thing someone can do."
In the clip below, others say they've been "rattled" and "devastated" by Sunday's deadly attack on the Jewish community.
While MSM is quick to promote anti-semitism after the Bondi terrorist attack, the real hero of the tragedy gets overlooked.
'He made us proud' and 'acted out of pure conscience', hero bystander's family tells BBC
Ahmed al Ahmed, the bystander who disarmed one of the gunmen during the Bondi Beach attack in Sydney, acted out of “pure conscience and humanity,” his family tells BBC News Arabic.
His father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, says his son did not hesitate when he saw people being attacked. “Ahmed was driven by his sentiment, conscience and humanity when he rushed forward, stopped the gunman, and snatched his weapon,” he says.
He adds that Ahmed had been nearby “by coincidence,” having gone out with a friend for coffee, when he encountered the scene. “He saw the victims, the blood, women and children lying on the street, and then acted,” his father says.
According to the family, Ahmed’s condition is stable, and he is awaiting further medical treatment for gunshot wounds to his shoulder and hand sustained during the attack.
Ahmed al Ahmed, pictured here in a hospital bed, received a visit from New South Wales Premier Chris Minns earlier
In Syria, where Ahmed was born and raised, his uncle Mohamed Ahmed al Ahmed tells BBC Arabic that the family felt immense pride.
“He made us proud, our village, Syria, all Muslims and the entire world,” he says.
