A single mother’s attempt to raise money for a lost handbag and phone following the Bondi Beach massacre has drawn sharp criticism online, igniting a fierce debate over compassion, priorities, and trauma.
According to the Daily Mail, Tara Burns, a mother of two from Bondi Junction, was celebrating her daughter’s fifth birthday at the beach on Sunday when alleged gunman Naveed Akram, along with his father Sajid, opened fire, killing 15 people and injuring 42 others.
In the chaos, Burns said she lost her handbag containing her phone and IDs and launched a GoFundMe asking for $500 to replace them.
“My kids and I were celebrating my daughter’s fifth birthday at Bondi Beach yesterday. In the scuffle of having to leave in the terrifying scramble, I’ve lost my handbag and my phone,” she wrote on the fundraising page. “Just before Christmas this is a big financial burden on me being a single mother. Any donations big or small to help me replace my IDs and phone would be so greatly appreciated, thank you kindly.”
The fundraiser has attracted just one $20 donation so far, but a TikTok video criticizing Burns’ appeal quickly went viral.
One user called her “self-absorbed” and “tone deaf,” saying: “This person is concerned about losing their handbag during a mass terrorist attack, and not only that, she’s concerned enough that she’s made a GoFundMe page so we can all support her. What is going on?”
Critics compared her request to the scale of the tragedy, pointing to victims who lost their lives and families facing funeral costs. “Losing a handbag is pretty insignificant to losing your life,” one commenter wrote.
Others defended Burns, emphasizing the trauma she endured and the financial strain she faces as a single mother.
“You know she’s a victim, right? She was at the shooting. You were not,” one user said. Another added, “Shaming someone for asking for help because other people went through worse is actually disgusting.”
Supporters noted that experiencing a terror attack can leave lasting emotional and financial scars.
“She probably stepped over dead bodies too. It’s almost Christmas — she’s out thousands. Because she was in a terror attack,” one user remarked, highlighting the complexity of judging trauma responses in the immediate aftermath of tragedy.
