A second solemn vigil has been held at Sydney's Bondi Beach, as a community reeling from a devastating terror attack continues to mourn the loss of sixteen innocent lives. The attack, which unfolded on Sunday night during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration, also left twenty-two people hospitalised with injuries.
Details of the Attack and Victims
The shooting occurred when Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid, 50, allegedly took position on a footbridge connecting Campbell Parade to the Bondi Pavilion. From this vantage point, they opened fire into the crowd below, sending terrified celebrants screaming and sprinting for cover.
Sajid Akram, a licensed firearms holder, was shot dead by responding police officers. His son, Naveed, was also shot by police and remains in hospital under guard, having woken from a coma on Tuesday.
Of the fifteen innocent victims killed, nine have been publicly identified. The youngest was 10-year-old Matilda, whose grieving parents addressed the crowd at Tuesday night's vigil. The victims included:
- British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41.
- French national Dan Elkayam, 27, an engineer who moved to Australia a year ago.
- Holocaust survivor Alex Kleytman.
- Beloved husband and father Tibor Weitzen.
- Wellington Street synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison.
- Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82.
- Retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher.
Police Forcefully Reject 'Freezing' Allegations
In the aftermath, a misleading cropped photograph has gone viral online, falsely suggesting that police officers failed to act. The image showed a female officer with her arms raised, with social media users worldwide accusing her of 'freezing' during the carnage.
However, an uncropped version of the photo reveals the true context: it was taken after the alleged gunmen had been apprehended. The officer is seen trying to keep the public back and warning bystanders to stay clear while colleagues secured the scene. Another officer is visible in the background running to assist.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and NSW Premier Chris Minns have spent days vehemently rebutting the false claims. Commissioner Lanyon bluntly noted the tactical reality, stating, "They were confronted by two men armed with long arms. Our police at the scene were armed with pistols."
Premier Minns staunchly defended the officers' bravery: "They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns... They didn't take a backwards step. The offenders had long-range rifles and NSW police officers were responsible for killing one of them and shooting the other one and as a result saving many people's lives."
A Community in Mourning
As authorities combat damaging misinformation, the focus for many remains on grieving and remembrance. The Tuesday night vigil at Bondi Beach provided a space for collective mourning, echoing tributes being held internationally, including one in northern France for victim Dan Elkayam.
The investigation continues while a city, and a nation, attempts to process a profound tragedy that has scarred the heart of one of its most iconic locations.
