What we covered here
• ISIS ideology: The father and son suspects accused of carrying out the Hanukkah massacre were motivated by “Islamic State ideology,” according to Australia’s leader. CNN has learned Sajid and Naveed Akram recently traveled to an island in the Philippines known for Islamist insurgency – Naveed on an Australian passport and Sajid, who was originally from India, on an Indian passport.
• More stories of heroism emerge: One man who wrestled a gun from one of the attackers before being shot is recovering in hospital. On Tuesday, dashcam footage emerged showing another man grappling with the attacker as he exited his car. He was reportedly killed by the attackers.
• Outpouring of grief: Hundreds of mourners laid flowers and paid their respects at a memorial to the 15 killed in the attack targeting Australia’s Jewish community, the country’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years.
Our live coverage has now paused, you can read the latest on the police investigation into the Bondi Beach shooting here.
Investigation into Bondi Beach shooting continues as tales of heroism emerge. Catch-up on the latest
Here’s what you need to know about the developments regarding the Bondi Beach terrorist attack.
• The father-and-son suspects accused of orchestrating the attack during a Hanukkah celebration were motivated by Islamic state ideology, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
• Police are investigating a recent trip the suspects took to an island in the Philippines home to several Islamist insurgent groups. Sajid Akram is said to have travelled on an Indian passport while his son, Naveed, used an Australian passport.
• Two more people have been released from hospital, while 22 patients continue to receive care in several Sydney hospitals. Three remain in a critical condition.
• Dashcam footage has emerged showing two bystanders attempting to tackle and disarm the gunmen. The Russian-Jewish couple who lived in Bondi were identified as Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61. The pair were fatally shot during their heroic efforts.
• Sydney continues to mourn the lives lost with a growing floral memorial by the Bondi Beach pavilion, a menorah lighting up the Sydney Opera House wings, and the city’s Christmas lights remaining white until Saturday in a show of solidarity.
We’re pausing our live coverage here, but you can read the latest on the police investigation here and the victims’ stories here.
CNN’s Jessie Yeung, Sandi Sidhu, Jinky Jorgio, Todd Symons, Charlotte Reck contributed to this post.
Funeral service for Rabbi Eli Schlanger planned for Wednesday, Jewish organization says
A funeral service for Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, who was killed in Sunday’s shooting at Bondi Beach, will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. local time, according to the Jewish organization Chabad of Bondi.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the funeral details for our beloved rabbi Eli Schlanger,” the organization posted on social media Tuesday. “Following the service, there will be a procession to the cemetery for the burial.”
Schlanger was a father-of-five who organized the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach that was targeted by the attackers.
Chabad of Bondi said it would release details regarding the funerals of other victims “as they are confirmed.”
First two victims of Bondi Beach shooting pictured
We can bring you a picture now of two of the 15 people killed during Sunday’s terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, a Russian-Jewish couple who lived in Bondi, were the first victims of the rampage, according to CNN-affiliate 9News.
As we reported earlier, dashcam video emerged Tuesday showing two bystanders, identified as the couple, trying to disarm one of the suspected gunmen.
‘We would have been such an easy target’: Eyewitness recalls Bondi shooting from nearby bar mitzvah
Sarah Vanunu was hosting her son’s bar mitzvah on Sunday at Bondi Pavillion near Bondi Beach, near the “Chanukah by the Sea” event – a community staple featuring live music, donuts and fun for the first night of the Jewish holiday.
The DJ kicked off her son’s festivities with the traditional hora dance followed by the family’s entrance. After that, almost 100 children danced to Israeli music at the event. Among the crowd, she could see a blue-and-white Israeli flag proudly held aloft by some of the kids.
Then the chaos started.
Children scattered at the sound of gunshots. Nearby beachgoers ran for their lives.
“It was a horrific evening. We did our best to manage many distressed children (and adults). Some of our guests were convinced the gunmen were about to come in and shoot all of us. We were extremely close – about 50 meters from the gunmen,” the mom-of-three told CNN on Tuesday, adding that they knew instantly it was a terror attack.
After helping some of the people that bolted from the beach, they sheltered in the event hall together. Vanunu said she shuddered at the thought that “we would have been such an easy target, but they didn’t know.”
She added that the Bondi attack was shocking but, in some ways, unsurprising.
“For two years we’ve been saying here in Australia, antisemitism is through the roof. It’s out of control. Something needs to change,” she continued, “We’ve had synagogues burnt, homes, Jewish people targeted, homes set on fire, firebombed cars, Jewish businesses, graffiti, protests, in the media. The writing was on the wall.”
Sydney Opera House lit up with menorah image
The Sydney Opera House lit its landmark wings with a menorah to mark the second day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah following the killing of 15 people during a event to celebrate the first day of the ‘Festival of Lights’ on Bondi Beach.
New South Wales premier Chris Minns said on Facebook that he wanted to demonstrate his state’s solidarity with the Jewish community and for them to know they “do not stand alone.”
“We cannot, and we will not allow Jewish Australians to feel they must hide their faith, their traditions, their religious celebrations or their identity,” he said.
The menorah is a nine-branched candelabra lit incrementally until all candles are lit collectively on the final night.
Minns described the move as “a simple but powerful gesture: a message to the world that we cherish our Jewish community, that we honour their courage, and that we stand with them in solidarity and love,” he wrote.
The premier added that the menorah demonstrates resilience “and a reminder that even in darkness, we choose to stand with one another.”
UN Special Rapporteur calls for investigation into authorities' response to Bondi Beach shooting
UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul has called for “an independent and impartial investigation” to determine whether authorities missed any opportunities to prevent the shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, and whether the police response was sufficiently “prompt and effective”.
At least 15 people, including one child were killed in Sunday’s targeted attack on the Jewish community during a Hanukkah celebration.
Saul, who is the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism, also commended the efforts of onlookers who acted selflessly to protect others, adding: “I applaud the courage of bystanders who assisted others, including the heroic efforts of one man who tackled a gunman and disarmed him.”
The Special Rapporteur welcomed the Australian Government’s support for the victims and their families, which included facilitating visas to attend funerals and urged the need to provide ongoing assistance and victim support, including counselling and public memorialization.
What we know about the victims of Sunday's shooting
Of the 15 people killed in Sunday’s shooting at Bondi Beach, 11 have been named. A 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and two rabbis are among those who died.
Here’s what we know about the victims so far:
Matilda
10-year-old Matilda was celebrating the first day of Hanukkah with her parents, younger sister and friends at Bondi Beach when the two gunmen opened fire.
She was a “very sweet, happy child, with a beautiful smile,” according to her aunt.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, was a father of five who organized the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach that was targeted by the attackers.
Schlanger’s cousin Rabbi Zalman Lewis described him as “truly an incredible guy” in a Facebook post.
Alex Kleytman
87-year-old Alex Kleytman was a Holocaust survivor who died while shielding his wife Larisa from gunfire, according to the global Jewish organization Chabad.
A native of Ukraine, Kleytman leaves behind his wife, two children and 11 grandchildren, Chabad said.
Dan Elkayam
Dan Elkayam, 27, was a football fan who played for Rockdale Ilinden FC’s Premier League 1 team. His club described him as “an extremely talented and popular figure” and said he would be missed.
A French national, Elkayam had recently moved to Australia, according to his LinkedIn page.
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, was a general manager at the Chabad of Bondi, as well as a secretary at the Sydney Beth Din, which Chabad describes as a Jewish court of law.
A father of four who was originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Levitan was described by Chabad as “a vital, behind-the-scenes pillar of Sydney’s Jewish infrastructure.”
Reuven Morrison
Reuven Morrison, 62, was a businessman, philanthropist and a longtime resident of Melbourne, Chabad said.
Morrison was originally from the former Soviet Union and had come to Australia in the 1970s “seeking a safe environment far away from the persecution he had experienced,” the organization added.
Peter Meagher
Peter Meagher, a former detective and rugby club member, was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event at the time of the attack.
He had served in the police force for almost 40 years and retired as a Detective Sergeant, according to Randwick Rugby Club.
Tibor Weitzen
Tibor Weitzen, 78, is being remembered as a “sweet grandpa” who “loved life.”
Weitzen’s granddaughter told CNN affiliate 9News that her family is “shattered” by his death. “Just devastating. Honestly, I’ve got no words,” she said, according to the outlet.
Marika Pogány
Marika Pogány, an 82-year-old Slovak citizen, was a close family friend of Slovakia’s former president Zuzana Čaputová, who said she first met her during a visit to the Auschwitz Nazi Concentration Camp.
“Only her mother and her uncle came back from Auschwitz. No other member of this prominent family from Rožňava survived. Sydney was a safe haven for her, away from fascism and communism,” Čaputová said in a statement.
Boris and Sofia Gurman
Boris, 69, and Sofia Gurman, 61, were a Russian-Jewish couple living in Bondi, according to CNN affiliate 9News.
Dashcam video emerged Tuesday showing the pair trying to disarm one of the suspected gunmen before the attack on Bondi Beach began. The Gurmans were fatally shot in the confrontation, becoming the first victims of the rampage, 9News reported.
CNN’s Isaac Yee and Ivana Kottasová contributed to this reporting.
Timeline of Bondi Beach shooting shows how attack unfolded
This timeline of the Bondi Beach attack shows how the attack in Sydney, Australia unfolded on Sunday.
CNN tracks the steps of the two gunmen as they set up on a footbridge and started firing at nearby Archer Park, where a mostly Jewish crowd was celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.
Indian officials confirm nationality of one of the suspected Bondi gunmen
Indian authorities have confirmed that one of the father and son suspects in the Bondi Beach shooting, Sajid Akram, was originally from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad.
According to a statement from India state police, Akram “migrated to Australia in search of employment, approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998.”
“Sajid Akram carries Indian passport as on date and his son Naveed Akram and daughter were born in Australia and are Australian citizens,” the statement says.
The statement goes on to says that family members of Sajid Akram had limited contact with relatives in the country.
“As per information available from his relatives in India, Sajid Akram had limited contact with his family in Hyderabad over the past 27 years,” the statement says.
The 50-year-old was killed exchanging gunfire with Australian police on Sunday. His 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, the second alleged shooter, is in custody at a hospital and is expected to face significant charges.
Sydney turns Christmas lights white "out of respect" for Bondi attack victims
Sydney has said Christmas light displays around the city will be replaced with white lights until Saturday “out of respect for the victims of the terror attack in Bondi.”
It flagged the move in on the local government’s Facebook page on Monday, saying initially it was for one evening, but in an update on Tuesday, it said the lights will shine white until Saturday 20 December in an ongoing show of unity.
“Take care of yourself. Take care of each other,” the City of Sydney urged, before sharing a list of six helplines offering crisis support and mental health advice.
"This has changed Sydney forever:" Eyewitness tells CNN
A man who was enjoying an evening outdoors with his partner when the Bondi Beach terrorists struck told CNN’s Erica Hill how a “beautiful Sunday at the beach” descended into chaos.
Sanjay Anand described a busy beach with a great atmosphere just moments before he and his partner heard what they first believed to be fireworks, “We started seeing people … fleeing the scene,” he said, “And so we … ran for our lives.”
While he couldn’t see the shooters, Anand sensed the shots were around 50 meters from him, and so he and his partner began to run in the opposite direction, crossing a road to get into a side street.
“And we could still hear the gunshots… It was chaos,” he said, adding he could not be certain where the shooter was or if it was a “trigger happy madman.”
Anand said the violent incident has come as a shock for the community. “We never thought that this would happen here in Sydney, in a place like Bondi, an iconic beach,” he said. “We’re going to have to be more vigilant.”
He reflected on the impact Sunday’s deadly attack will have on the Australian city. “It’s sad that this is now a reality…This has changed Sydney, I think, forever,” he said.
Mourners lay flowers at Bondi Pavilion in memory of victims
A floral memorial dedicated to the victims of Sunday’s terror attack grew on Monday night as crowds gathered at Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach to pay respects, comfort one another and mourn the lives lost.
Take a look below at some of the latest pictures we’re seeing from the vigils.
22 patients remain in hospitals after Bondi Beach shooting
As of Tuesday evening, Australian local time, 22 patients are still receiving care in several Sydney hospitals for injuries sustained during the Sunday attack on Bondi Beach, according to a spokesperson for NSW Health.
Of these, three remain in a critical condition. Six are in a critical but stable condition and 13 patients — including two at a childrens’ hospital — are in a stable condition.
Patients continue to be discharged, the spokesperson said, adding that some may return for further care.
Alleged Bondi shooter is out of coma, Australian media report
Several Australian media outlets, including CNN affiliates 9 News and 7 News are reporting that alleged Bondi shooter Naveed Akram is out of a coma.
Akram suffered critical injuries as the attack came to an end and has been in hospital since Sunday.
CNN has reached out to New South Wales police for comment.
Police have said the suspect is expected to face significant criminal charges over the massacre, in which 15 people were killed. New South Wales Police told CNN he would need to be in a cognizant state before he could be formally charged.
Hero bystander who tried to fight off attacker before Bondi rampage is named
Dashcam video emerged Tuesday showing two bystanders trying to disarm one of the suspected gunmen before they carried out their horrific attack on a Hanukkah event attended by hundreds of families, killing at least 15 people.
The video, first posted on Chinese social media platform XiaoHongShu and geolocated by CNN, shows a man wearing a purple shirt grappling with the attacker as he exits his car on Campbell Parade at Bondi. A woman can be seen running toward the scene.
CNN-affiliate 9News reported the confrontation took place before the Bondi attack began. CNN verified it took place around 25 meters away from the bridge the suspects were later filmed firing from.
The two bystanders, have been identified as Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, a Russian-Jewish couple who lived in Bondi. The Gurmans were fatally shot in the attack and were the first victims of the rampage, according to 9News.
The video contains two dashcam angles of the moment. In the first, the man identified as Boris Gurman can be seen pulling the suspected attacker to the ground and grabbing the gun from him. Both men fall to the ground.
Gurman can then be seen on his feet, holding the gun. The woman, identified as Sofia Gurman, is standing nearby.
In the second angle, taken from a rear facing dashcam as the car drives away, Boris Gurman can be seen running toward the attacker while holding a black object.
An ISIS flag can also be seen on the hood of the attacker’s car.
A statement released by the couple’s family said their actions encapsulated the type of people Boris and Sofia were, “people who instinctively and selflessly tried to help others,” 9News reported.
“While nothing can lessen the pain of losing Boris and Sofia, we feel an overwhelming sense of pride in their bravery and selflessness,” the statement reportedly said.
Islamic street preaching group distances itself from suspected shooter, condemns attack
A Sydney Islamic street preaching group has released a statement distancing itself from suspected Bondi gunman Naveed Akram, after he was identified as participating in videos the group published online in 2019.
The videos, reviewed by CNN, were posted on the Facebook page of “Street Dawah Movement,” which describes itself as an Outreach Centre that aims to promote Islam and preach its teachings.
In one of the videos, Naveed Akram can be seen handing out pamphlets to pedestrians on a Sydney street. One of the two pedestrians takes a pamphlet, but both continue walking without speaking to Akram.
Street Dawah Movement confirmed in a statement that Naveed Akram had been part of its videos “a few times” in 2019, saying he “was a keen visitor at our volunteer Sunday community Muslim faith awareness programs.”
The group said Akram was 17 years old at the time and that it had not had any contact with him since 2019.
“We at Street Dawah Movement are horrified by his actions and we are appalled by his criminal behaviour and condemn his actions,” the group added.
The videos featuring Akram were removed from the group’s Facebook page on Tuesday after CNN reached out for comment.
24 patients are still being treated in hospitals around Sydney
As of Tuesday afternoon local time, 24 patients are still receiving care in several Sydney hospitals for injuries sustained during the Sunday attack on Bondi Beach, according to a spokesperson for NSW Health.
- Stable condition: 16 patients
- Critical but stable condition: 5 patients
- Critical condition: 3 patients
The spokesperson said patients continue to be discharged, including some who may have been discharged earlier but returned to hospital for further care.
Suspects traveled to the Philippines, more stories of heroism emerge. Catch up on the latest
More details have emerged about the two suspects who opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration Sunday at Bondi Beach, killing at least 15 people.
Police said the pair traveled to the Philippines before the attack and that two Islamic State flags were found in their vehicle.
The updates come as Australians in Sydney and beyond pay their respects to the victims in a massive outpouring of grief and support, as 27 people remain hospitalized, including two police officers.
Here are the latest development for those just joining us:
- New footage emerges: Dashcam video shows two bystanders rushing one of the suspected gunmen before the attack and attempting to fight him. The video, uploaded to social media and geolocated by CNN, shows a man grappling with the attacker after he exits his car. The two bystanders were reportedly fatally shot in the confrontation.
- Suspects’ traveled to Philippines: New South Wales police confirmed the two suspects traveled to the Philippines last month, before the attack, and that two ISIS flags were found in a vehicle belonging to the younger gunman. “The purpose of that and where they went when they were there is under investigation at the moment,” the NSW Police Commissioner said. Philippine authorities confirmed to CNN the pair had travelled to the island of Mindanao, which has long been a hotbed of extremism.
- ‘Motivated’ by ISIS: Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was motivated by “Islamic State ideology.” The prime minister said that while authorities had investigated one of the gunmen in 2019, he was not considered a person of interest at the time and was not subject to ongoing monitoring.
- PM visits Bondi ‘hero’: Albanese also visited Ahmed al Ahmed, the bystander who wrestled a gun from one of the Bondi Beach attackers, in the hospital where he’s being treated for his injuries. “He is a true Australian hero. He’s very humble,” said Albanese. Ahmed, 43, had been shot several times in the shoulder and has further surgery scheduled.
- Tougher gun laws: New South Wales premier Chris Minns said he is “determined to bring in the toughest gun laws in Australia.” Albanese said new legislation could include limiting the number of guns an individual can own, the type of guns that are legal, and whether gun ownership should require Australian citizenship.
Suspects traveled to Philippines' Mindanao, Sajid Akram traveled on Indian passport, his son on Australian passport, authorities tell CNN
Philippine authorities confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that the Akrams arrived together in the country on November 1, 2025, with Sajid using an Indian passport and his son using his Australian passport.
The father-son duo listed their final destination as Davao –– a major city on the southern island of Mindanao. They left the country on November 28, flying back to Manila en route to Sydney, the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation said.
Mindanao, the second-largest island in the Philippines, is home to several Islamist insurgent groups and has long been a hotbed of insurgency against the Philippine government. In 2017, ISIS-aligned militants took over the city of Marawi sparking a bloody months-long siege.
Immigration Bureau Spokesperson Dana Sandoval told CNN that Sajid was an Australian resident and Indian national. He traveled to the Philippines on an Indian passport,
CNN has reached out to India’s Ministry of External Affairs for comment.