Fresh details are emerging about the gunmen responsible for a horror mass shooting at Bondi Beach as Australia’s Jewish community mourns the dead.
Hanukkah events and vigils were held in unison across Australia on Monday night as thousands of mourners laid flowers and left messages to remember the 15 people killed in the massacre at a Jewish festival.
In an emotional ceremony at Bondi Beach, Rabbi Yossi Shuchat lit the candles of a five-foot-high menorah, telling those gathered: “Lightness will always persevere, darkness cannot continue where there is light.”
The Pillars of Light Festival also went ahead at Melbourne’s Federation Square where attendees gathered to sing, pray and watch Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann light the menorah.
Addressing the crowd, Rabbi Kaltmann thanked everyone “for showing up and being here in solidarity”.
“We gather not in fear, but in strength,” he said.
“We will light up our hearts and shine away this darkness by lighting the menorah.”
In Sydney’s east, hundreds of people attended a prayer vigil at the Chabad Bondi synagogue, the place of worship for many of those caught up in Sunday’s attack.
Harry Guth said he was attending to show solidarity with those killed and injured in the attack.
“I must admit it wasn’t a surprise,” Mr Guth said.
“Obviously I’m shocked but something was waiting to happen if you get burnt cars, burnt shuls (synagogues), burnt restaurants, graffiti on walls.”
The gunmen – Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid Akram, 50 – acted alone and did not appear to have been part of a terror cell but were driven by radical Islamic ideology, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Sajid, a licensed owner of six firearms who arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, died at the scene following a short shootout with police.
Australian-born Naveed remains in a coma in hospital after also being shot and is expected to face charges.
Neither of the men were on ASIO’s radar immediately prior to the shooting, Mr Albanese told the ABC’s 7.30 program after being briefed by the spy agency’s director-general.
The younger Akram was investigated by ASIO for six months in 2019 because of his connections with two people who both subsequently went to jail but there was “no evidence” he had been radicalised.
The 15 people killed in the shooting range in age from 10 to 87.
There are 26 injured patients receiving care in Sydney hospitals, 12 of whom are critically injured.
Constable Scott Dyson and another unnamed NSW Police officer are among the injured and are both in a serious but stable condition.
Their families have expressed “heartfelt gratitude” to the first responders and hospital workers whose actions saved lives.
Members of the Jewish community also met on Monday night to celebrate the second night of Hanukkah at St Kilda beach and Caulfield Shule in the city’s southeast.
Rabbi Effy Block from the Chabad St Kilda said his congregation were reeling from “broken hearts, deep shock, and profound pain”.
“Yes, our hearts are heavy. Yes, we are grieving … but we will not be broken,” he said.
“We will not be silenced and we will not give in to fear.”
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