'Gunmen Shot For 20 Minutes, No Cops Fired Back': Bondi Beach Attack Survivor Recounts Horror

Last Updated:December 15, 2025, 11:23 IST

A survivor of the Bondi Beach terror attack said two gunmen fired indiscriminately at the crowd for nearly 20 minutes, repeatedly reloading as people hid and shielded their kids.

A man looks at belongings stacked up following a shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach (Photo: AP)

A survivor of the terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah gathering has described harrowing scenes of sustained gunfire, panic and confusion, saying two shooters opened fire on the crowd for nearly 20 minutes as people desperately tried to shield their children and escape.

Speaking to a reporter, the survivor said the attackers were positioned at different levels near a bridge overlooking the event area and fired continuously into the crowd.

“Yes, there were two shooters, one on the bridge, one under the bridge. Just start to shoot for 20 minutes. They shoot, shoot, change, change the magazine, and just shoot. Simple as that. Twenty minutes," the survivor said.

He said he watched one of the gunmen closely as he repeatedly reloaded his weapons and fired at the crowd, while he lay on the ground protecting his children.

“I was two of my babies under me, and I looked at him all the time. I was near the tent. I looked at him. It’s just a rifle and a pistol, and just shoot, shoot," he said.

“He aimed. He did. He really took his time. He shoots, takes his time."

The survivor alleged that despite police being present at the scene, there was no immediate response to the attackers.

“There were four policemen there. Nobody gave fire back. Nothing like they are. They are frozen," he said.

“And they shoot the guy, changed magazine. I looked at him all the time. I don’t understand why. Why?"

Asked who the shooters were targeting, the survivor said the attack appeared completely indiscriminate.

“Oh, all the crowd. Anyone. Jewish, just shoot. It doesn’t matter who. Men, all kids, everyone," he said, adding that he could not hear if the attackers said anything because of the intensity of the gunfire.

“The shooting was so loud that we couldn’t hear what they said."

He also described seeing one of the attackers being stopped by a member of the public.

“I think one of the people took his rifle and shot him. That’s one of them. That’s what I saw," the survivor said, adding that he was unsure how much he fully witnessed amid the chaos.

At least 16 people were killed when two gunmen, identified by police as a father and son, opened fire on the crowd gathered for the Jewish festival beside the landmark Sydney beach late on Sunday, marking the worst shooting in Australia in three decades.

Reuters quoted the police as saying that the 50-year-old father was killed at the scene, while his 24-year-old son remains in critical condition in the hospital.

A man identified by Australian media as 43-year-old Sydney fruit shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed was later hailed as a hero for tackling and disarming one of the gunmen during the attack.

“There are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery," New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, according to Reuters.

More stories of heroism emerged on Monday as mourners returned to Bondi Beach to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial near the headlands.

State opposition leader Kellie Sloane, whose electorate covers Bondi, said she witnessed locals risking their lives to help others.

“It was an incredibly confronting scene, there were bodies everywhere, people working trying to revive people," Sloane told Reuters.

“We held the hands of people who were passing away, we looked after the people who were in shock."

Waverley Mayor William Nemesh described the shooting as a deliberate terrorist attack targeting a religious celebration.

“It is an unspeakable tragedy that has occurred, a deliberate terrorist attack, a cowardly attack targeting innocents enjoying Hannukkah," Nemesh said.

Meanwhile, Bondi Beach remained largely quiet on Monday, with traffic blocked and businesses shuttered, as mental health advocates were stationed across the area and residents continued to grapple with the aftermath of the attack.

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