Bondi Beach shooting: At least 15 dead in attack on Jewish event

SYDNEY: At least 12 people were killed in the Bondi Beach shooting, an attack on a Jewish holiday event in Sydney on Sunday, as video footage showed a bystander tackling and disarming one of the gunmen, an act widely credited with potentially saving lives.

Footage circulating on social media from the Bondi Beach shooting shows a man wearing a white shirt running towards an armed attacker in a car park. The gunman, dressed in a dark shirt and holding a rifle, is tackled from behind as the bystander wrestles the weapon from his hands before pointing it back at him.

The video then shows the armed man losing his footing and backing away towards a nearby bridge, where another shooter was reportedly positioned, while the bystander places the rifle on the ground.

Reuters confirmed the authenticity of the video using verified corroborating footage showing the same individuals. Reuters also verified that the armed men seen in the video were the same suspects later surrounded by police, based on their clothing and appearance.

Police said one suspected gunman was killed at the scene, while another was taken to hospital in critical condition. Authorities are investigating whether a third attacker was involved in the Bondi Beach shooting, which left at least 12 people dead in the attack on the Jewish event.

The bystander’s actions spread rapidly across social media, with users praising his bravery and saying his intervention may have prevented further loss of life. His identity was not immediately known.

“Australian hero, a random civilian, wrestles a gun off the attacker and disarms him,” one user wrote on the social media platform X. “Some people are brave and then some people are something else entirely.”

Another post read, “This Australian man saved countless lives by stripping the gun off one of the terrorists at Bondi Beach. HERO.”

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns described the Bondi Beach shooting as the most unbelievable scene he had ever witnessed.

“A man walking up to a gunman who had fired on the community and single handedly disarming him, putting his own life at risk to save countless others,” Minns said. “That man is a genuine hero, and many people are alive tonight because of his bravery.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also praised those who intervened.

“These Australians ran towards danger to help others,” Albanese told a press conference. “Their bravery has saved lives.”