At least 15 people were killed Sunday in a mass shooting during a Jewish holiday celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach in Australia, officials confirmed.
At the time of the shooting, hundreds had gathered at Bondi Beach to celebrate the start of Hanukkah in an area known as Chanukah by the Sea, PBS reported. Emergency services began responding to Campbell Parade in Bondi around 6:45 p.m. local time after reports of shots being fired, according to The Associated Press.
Two gunmen opened fire on the crowd, with multiple witnesses reportedly saying chaos erupted after some heard the first few “pops.”
“You heard a few pops, and I freaked out and ran away,” Lachlan Moran, 32, told The Press. “I started sprinting. I just had that intuition. I sprinted as quickly as I could.”
“Everyone just dropped all their possessions and everything and were running and people were crying and it was just horrible,” Moran added.
After first responders arrived on scene, one gunman was fatally shot, while the second was arrested and later noted as being in critical condition, according to PBS. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed during a press conference the death toll had risen to 12 — earlier reports stated at least 11 were killed — while 29 victims had been transported to various hospitals in the area. The casualty count has since been revised upward.
While officials did not confirm all the names of those killed or injured, among those taken to the hospital were a child and two police officers. The two officers are in “serious, verging on critical” condition and have both been taken into surgery, Lanyon stated.
Officials soon declared the shooting a terrorist attack due to the targeted nature of the event and the weapons used. Little information about the shooters has been released, however, Lanyon said police located a vehicle linked to the deceased suspect which is believed to have contained “several improvised explosive devices,” the BBC reported.
“The fact that it is the first day of Hanukkah, 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,” Lanyon said, according to the outlet.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns also stated the “attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community,” according to PBS. Lanyon confirmed there will be a “significant investigation” led by counterterrorism, adding that “no stone will be left unturned.”
In addition to the vehicle, Lanyon said officials are investigating whether a third gunman was involved.
Notably, during the press conference, Minns paid tribute to a man who had been recorded tackling one suspected gunman and taking away their gun, forcing the suspect to retreat.
“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” Minns said.
Editor’s note: This breaking news report was updated to reflect a revised casualty count.
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