At least 11 people were killed and several others injured after two gunmen opened fire at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during the Chanukah by the Sea event on Sunday evening. One of the attackers was shot dead by police, while the second suspect was arrested and is in critical condition, authorities said.New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon said an improvised explosive device was found in a car linked to the deceased gunman. He added that the shooting has been classified as a terrorist attack, though officials have not confirmed the target.
Footage broadcasted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation showed two black-clad gunmen firing at people from a footbridge near the beach, while another video filmed by a bystander appeared to show a person tackling and disarming one of the attackers. Witnesses described the chaotic scene. Lachlan Moran, 32, from Melbourne, told the AP: “You heard a few pops, and I freaked out and ran away. … I started sprinting. I just had that intuition. I sprinted as quickly as I could.” He added that he heard intermittent gunfire for about five minutes. British tourist Timothy Brant-Coles told AFP he saw “two shooters in black with semi-automatic rifles” and multiple people shot. Local resident Harry Wilson told the Sydney Morning Herald he saw “at least 10 people on the ground and blood everywhere.” Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) chief said one of the attackers was “known to us, but not in an immediate threat perspective.” Police and federal agencies continue to scour the area amid concerns that explosives may have been placed nearby. Bondi Beach, typically crowded on weekends, remains largely deserted, with an exclusion zone in effect as investigators continue their work.
