Following the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia's Sydney, several videos have emerged on social media showing how police and bystanders confronted gunmen.A video posted X shows police subduing the Bondi Beach shooter and neutralising two suspects.
At least 15 people, including a child, were killed on Sunday after two men opened fire from a pedestrian footbridge near Campbell Parade. Crowds of locals, tourists and participants at the Chanukah by the Sea festival were caught in the attack.
The attack unfolded during the Hanukkah celebration when the two men opened fire from the footbridge near Campbell Parade. The gunmen were identified as father and son, Naveed and Sajid Akram.Armed with long-barrelled guns, the attackers opened fire on the packed tourist hotspot, triggering scenes of panic as families and visitors ran for safety, leaving belongings scattered across the sand.
As shots rang out, some people hid in nearby shops and buildings, while others sought cover behind beach facilities. Social media footage showed moments of bravery amid the terror, including a bystander who confronted one of the gunmen and wrestled a weapon away.
Police responded swiftly, shooting dead the older attacker at the scene, while his son was critically injured.By the time the area was secured, the beachfront was littered with discarded shoes, blankets and picnic items — stark reminders of the sudden violence that shattered a festive afternoon.A civilian hero named Ahmed tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen before police could intervene. The brave bystander crouched behind a car, approached the attacker and wrestled the weapon away, forcing the gunman to retreat until he was later apprehended.Meanwhile, his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who owned a fruit shop, was killed during the shooting, reports The Sunday Morning Herald. Authorities said the pair had told family members they were going on a weekend fishing trip to Jervis Bay before carrying out the attack.Authorities are investigating how the pair obtained high-powered weapons and whether there were any accomplices. Police also discovered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the shooters’ vehicle and conducted raids across Sydney, including Naveed Akram’s home in Bonnyrigg.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as an “act of evil anti-Semitism” and pledged to eradicate such violence, emphasising national unity and support for Australia’s Jewish community.Albanese vowed the violence would be met with “a moment of national unity where Australians across the board will embrace their fellow Australians of Jewish faith.” Some of his political opponents and Israel’s government accused him of not having done enough to prevent such a horror.Australia, a country of 28 million people, is home to about 117,000 Jews, according to official figures. Antisemitic incidents — including assaults, vandalism, threats and intimidation — surged more than threefold in the year after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel launched a war on Hamas in Gaza in response, according to a July report by the government’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal.
