Rabbi amongst 12 killed in Bondi Beach terror assault as a number of kids injured

A rabbi has tragically lost his life and several children have been injured in a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in the eastern part of Sydney.

The horrific incident resulted in 12 fatalities and 29 individuals being rushed to hospital after two men reportedly opened fire at a Jewish market event, Chanukah By the Sea.

Among the victims was Rabbi Eli Schlanger from the Chabad of Bondi. Mere hours before the tragic event, Rabbi Schlanger had been promoting the event on his Facebook page. “BOOK BOOK BOOK for your free donut,” he posted. Rabbi Schlanger’s friend, Eliezer Tewel, shared a heartfelt tribute following the news of his death.

“He was just doing his job. Showing up. Being the constant, reliable presence for his community,” he penned in a poignant post. This is about my friend who is gone. It hurts. It’s confusing.”

In an update provided on Sunday evening, police reported that the injured included a child with an arm injury, a 62-year-old woman who suffered a gunshot wound to her leg, and a man who sustained a bullet graze to his head.

Eyewitnesses allegedly heard people shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ as the terrifying shooting unfolded at Bondi Beach. One of the suspected gunmen has now been identified, and the incident has been classified as a terrorist attack.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, an Australian law enforcement official named the alleged shooter as Narveed Akram, from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s south-west. The official stated that Akram’s residence in Bonnyrigg was currently being searched by police, according to ABC.net.au.

The death toll has risen to at least 12 following the horrific attack. One of the shooters was killed during the incident, while the other has been apprehended.

Disturbing footage circulating on social media shows a woman shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the beach in the aftermath of the shooting, with onlookers intervening and seemingly urging her to stop.

Officials have assured the public that there is no ongoing threat, but have advised people to steer clear of the area.

Sydney local, Finn, recounted hearing the gunfire from his living room while he was on a FaceTime call with his family in London. “I just heard a few fireworks going off, that’s what it sounded like anyway,” he shared with ABC News.

“The next thing you know, I saw a white car with a guy shooting, firing from his car. So I just didn’t know what to do, and my parents were saying, ‘Take cover, take cover, take cover.'”

He continued: “I didn’t know what to do because obviously I was on my own. So I was just in my apartment, in my wardrobe, for the best part of I would say an hour and a half, just trying to see what was going on, trying to hear.”

Sarah Frydman and her daughter Scarlett were attending a bar mitzvah nearby when the attack occurred. Sarah relayed her experience to ABC news: “At about 6:40P.M. people started screaming, telling us to run inside. So we ran in behind the kitchen and we were just hiding in a room.

“There were lots of children there. The parents weren’t there because this was a kid’s party basically. And [there were] lots of kids crying. It was really horrible.”