A 30-year-old local, Harry Wilson, witnessed the shooting, telling this masthead he “saw at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere”.
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A shooting victim, who suffered an injury to the leg, said he barricaded himself in the North Bondi surf club with dozens of others at the scene. He said he heard dozens of “popping noises” as people jumped security fencing and ran for cover.
A hero bystander wrestled a rifle off an alleged gunman in a moment of bravery that may have saved lives, footage from the scene at Bondi Beach shows. One of the gunmen was shooting a rifle from a patch of grass next to the Campbell Parade car park when he was approached by the bystander.
Video posted online showed multiple people who appeared to have been shot lying on the ground, and members of the public frantically applying CPR.
Police urged people to avoid the area and had earlier advised anyone at the scene to take shelter.
Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said his community was subjected to a horrific act of violence when they had gathered on the first night of Chanukah.
First responders and bystanders tend to victims at Bondi Beach, Credit: Janie Barrett
“This is a day of profound grief. Members of our community have been murdered. Others have been seriously injured. Families are shattered. A sacred moment of light has been turned into darkness,” he said.
“Let me be clear. An attack on Jews celebrating their faith is an attack on Australia itself. It is an assault on our values, our social cohesion, and the basic right of people to gather without fear.”
Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin told Sky News that the annual Hanukkah event at Bondi and Dover Heights was packed with families, and if it was a targeted attack on the Jewish community, then it was “our worst fears realised”.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the reports and images coming out of Bondi were deeply distressing.
“Police and emergency services are responding, and the public should follow official advice,” he said in a statement. “We will update the public as soon as more information becomes available.”
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government was aware of an “active security situation” at Bondi.
“We urge people in the vicinity to follow information from NSW Police,” the spokesperson said.
Videos circulating on X appeared to show people on Bondi Beach scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens can be heard. The footage could not immediately be verified.
More to come
