It was a hate crime, plain and simple.
A father and son, armed with bolt action rifles, opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration underway at Australia’s beautiful Bondi Beach. At least 40 people were shot during the midday massacre that claimed the lives of 16 people, including a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old. At least one police officer was wounded by gunfire, and four other children sustained gunshot wounds.
The Sunday, December 14, shooting is now the deadliest terrorist attack to ever be carried out on Australian soil, and the deadliest mass shooting the country has seen since the Port Arthur massacre of 1996, which led to sweeping gun reforms that heavily restricted the use of firearms nationwide.
Us Weekly explains everything we know so far about the tragedy.
Two Rabbis Among the Victims of the Bondi Beach Shooting
Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, was among those killed during Sunday’s violence at Bondi Beach. Reports indicate the father-of-five moved to Sydney 18 years ago, and served as an assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi, a synagogue in Australia which organized the event.
Schlanger’s brother-in-law Rabbi Mendel Kastel said the entire family was “broken” by his murder. “They have fallen apart,” Kastel told Reuters, adding that Schlanger’s wife’s best friend’s husband was also killed in the shootings.
Chabad Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, whose age was not released, was also killed. Levitan served as secretary of the Sydney Jewish religious organization Beth Din, and a crowdfunding campaign launched in his name described him as “a beloved community figure.” He “was the cornerstone of his family: a devoted husband and father,” the fundraiser said.
A member of the Chabad community, businessman Reuven Morrison, 62, was also killed in Sunday’s attack.
Holocaust Survivor Died Shielding Wife During Bondi Beach Shooting
Alex Kleytman, an 87-year-old man who survived the Holocaust only to be killed by gunman Sunday, died protecting his wife, who is also a Holocaust survivor.
“I think he was shot because he raised himself up to protect me,” Larisa Kleytman told reporters of her late husband.
Kleytman had moved to Australia from Ukraine, seeking a better life for his family. He was at the event with his children and grandchildren.
French, Slovakia, Israeli Citizens Among the Bondi Beach Shooting Fatalities
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has confirmed that one Israeli citizen was killed in the massacre, and that another sustained serious injuries. French footballer and engineer Dan Elkayam, 27, who played for the local Rockdale Ilinden Football Club, was also killed along with his friend Randwick District Rugby Union Football Club manager and retired law enforcement officer Peter “Marzo” Meagher.
Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82, who had moved in 1968 to Australia where she was an active member in the Jewish community, was also killed. A Meals on Wheels volunteer, she was once recognized for having delivered more than 12,000 kosher meals to needy seniors.
The youngest victim of the violence was a 10-year-old Matilda Britvan, a former student at Harmony Russian School of Sydney. Her family, speaking to Australia’s ABC, described her as a “bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to those around her.”
Tibor Weitzen, 78, is another of the shooting’s victims, and is also said to have died successfully shielding someone with his body. The man’s granddaughter told ABC he moved from Israel to Australia in 1988, and “only saw the best in people.”
Bondi Beach Fruit Vendor Hailed a Hero
Video footage circulated soon after the massacre, showing a courageous fruit vendor risking his own life to save others. In the clip, the man, identified as Ahmed al Ahmed, runs up behind one of the shooters, throwing his arms around the terrorist.
A brief struggle ensued, and Ahmed was able to disarm the killer. The second shooter turned his gun on Ahmed, 43, who remains in the hospital, where he’s being treated for two gunshot wounds. Several people, including world leaders, have praised his heroics. He is reported to have said from his hospital bed, “If I have the ability to help someone, how can I not help them?”
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