The first funerals for the fifteen victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting are being held today, as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the alleged gunman is expected to be charged.
Community Mourns as Victims Are Laid to Rest
Mourners gathered in Sydney three days after the terror attack, which took place at an event marking the start of Hanukkah. The attack, which shocked the nation, has intensified concerns about rising antisemitism both in Australia and globally.
Among the victims was 41-year-old British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi Synagogue and a father of five. His father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, spoke emotionally at the funeral, expressing his regret at not having said "I love you" more often.
The confirmed victims include a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, whose family had moved to Australia from Ukraine. Her father told a vigil, "We came here from Ukraine … and I thought that Matilda is the most Australian name that can ever exist. So just remember the name, remember her."
Other victims named are:
- Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, secretary of a local Jewish group.
- Dan Elkayam, a French citizen.
- Alexander Kleytman, 87, a Holocaust survivor.
- Peter Meagher, a retired policeman.
- Boris and Sofia Gurman, a Russian-Jewish couple killed confronting a gunman.
- Reuven Morrison, 62, a businessman shot while trying to intervene.
- Tibor Weitzen, 78, and Marika Pogany, 82.
Twenty-two people remain in hospital following the shooting, Australia's deadliest mass shooting in three decades.
Alleged Attacker to Face Charges as Investigation Continues
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated he expects the injured alleged gunman, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, to be charged later today after waking from a coma. Akram is under heavy police guard in hospital and will be questioned once medication wears off and legal representatives are present.
The other alleged attacker, his 50-year-old father Sajid Akram, died at the scene on Sunday. Police have stated the two men, who were shot by officers, were motivated by Islamic State ideology.
Investigators are examining a recent trip the pair took to the southern Philippines. Sajid Akram used an Indian passport to travel, while his son used an Australian one, with their declared destination being Davao City – an area associated with Islamic extremism.
Government Vows Action on Gun Laws and Antisemitism
The Australian government and intelligence services face significant pressure over how the alleged attackers were legally able to acquire the high-powered rifles and shotguns used in the Bondi Beach shooting.
In response, Mr Albanese has vowed to toughen the country's gun laws. The New South Wales state parliament will reconvene next week to debate reforms, which may include capping the number of guns a single person can own and restricting access to certain shotguns.
State Premier Chris Minns described the task as "monumental" and called for a "summer of calm and togetherness, not division."
The Prime Minister has also pledged to work with the Jewish community to "stamp out and eradicate antisemitism", following criticism of his government's response to its rise since the war in Gaza began two years ago.
World leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and former US President Donald Trump, have expressed their shock and offered condolences to the victims and the nation.
