(Photo Credit: Mark Baker for AP)
Australian police said the number of people killed in an attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach has risen to 16, in an update shared on Monday around 7:30 a.m. local time.
New South Wales Commissioner Mal Lanyon, during a press conference, said 42 other people were injured in the shooting. Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales, said two offices were injured in the attack and were in “critical but stable condition” in the hospital.
The attack was carried out by a father and son, the cops said, with the 50-year-old dad dying at the scene; the 24-year-old son, identified as Naveed Akram, is a Pakistani national who lives in Sydney, CBS News reported.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as Lanyon, said the shooters clearly targeted Jews; the event they shot up had more than 1,000 attendees celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.
“We’ll continue to stand with Jewish-Australians and continue to stamp out antisemitism in all of its forms,” Albanese said.
He added, “antisemitism is a scourge. It’s been around for a long period of time. We need to do whatever we can to stamp it out.”
His comments echoed those of President Donald Trump, who said on Sunday it was a “purely antisemitic attack.”
“That was an anti-semitic attack, obviously,” Trump said at the White House. “And I just want to a pay my respects to everybody.”
Trump also urged American Jews to proudly celebrate Hannukah in the face of antisemitic attacks.
“Celebrate proudly — be proud of who you are,” Trump told Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy.
He made those comments when it was believed at least 11 people were killed and 29 were injured in the attack; Australian police updated the death toll a few hours later.
Lanyon said two explosive devices were discovered near the vehicle of the attackers; they were deactivated and “rendered safe” by the department’s bomb squad.
