A mass shooting at Sydney's popular Bondi Beach on Sunday, December 14 has left at least eleven people dead and more than dozen injured.
Australian police confirmed that two suspects have been taken into custody while reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said one of the gunmen was killed during the incident.
The police said the shooting targeted the Jewish community which authorities formally declared a terrorist incident.
Over 1,000 people were at Bondi Beach to celebrate Hanukkah, which was mean to be a fun, family-friendly event with music, games and entertainment, when the shooting occurred.
As per multiple reports, the police found a homemade bomb inside a car at Bondi that was connected to the attacker who was killed.
"The fact that it is the first day of Hannukah, the types of weapons... some of the other items we found at the scene - as I said, we have found the improvised explosive device in a car which is linked to the deceased offender," Commissioner Lanyon says as per BBC.
Meanwhile, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns praised a bystander who bravely confronted one of the suspected gunmen and managed to disarm him alone.
He called the act "the most unbelievable scene" he had ever witnessed and described the man as a "genuine hero."
In a message to Australia’s Jewish community, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “your fellow Australians stand with you tonight in condemning this act of terror.”
“It is aimed at creating fear, but we will stand with the Jewish community and Jewish Australians at this time,” he added.
Following the tragic incident, the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies urged people to stay indoors or in a safe place and shut down all community events and Jewish institution for safety.
