TRANSCRIPT:
A warning: This story contains distressing content.
"What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism. An act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location - Bondi Beach - that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations, and it is forever tarnished by what has occurred last evening."
A message from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on a dark day for Australia.
A Hanukkah event held by Sydney's Jewish community at the iconic Bondi Beach has been the target of the country's worst mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre.
Two armed men opened fire on hundreds of people who had gathered to take part in the celebrations.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says a child is among those killed in the violence.
"It's my very sad duty this morning to report that 16 people have been confirmed as being killed. 15 innocent people and one perpetrator. There were 42 people in New South Wales hospitals overnight, and the victim's age ranges are from as young as 10 to 87. A devastating fact."
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has confirmed the shooting as a terrorist incident, citing the location and timing of the event, the types of weapons, and explosive devices found at the scene.
Those devices did not detonate and were moved to a secure location by police.
Commissioner Lanyon says the two shooters were father and son.
"As a result of investigations undertaken, I can say that we are not looking for a further offender. We are satisfied that there were two offenders involved in yesterday's incident. The offenders are a 50-year-old and 24-year-old male who are father and son. The 50-year-old is deceased. The 24-year-old is currently in critical but stable condition in hospital at the moment."
The 50-year-old male was licensed to hold six guns which appear to match the weapons used in the incident.
Police have conducted two search warrants at the southwest suburbs of Bonnyrigg and Campsie and are continuing an investigation to ensure the threat has been eliminated.
One local Jewish resident was participating in a bar mitzvah - a coming-of-age ritual for Jewish boys - nearby when the shooting broke out.
"It was a bar mitzvah where there's lots of singing and dancing, and lots of people having fun, and then there was a call for everyone to come in. I was looking for my daughter outside, and it sounded like fireworks going off, and a lot of it."
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, one of the organisers of the "Chanukah by the Sea" event, is among the victims of the shooting.
His cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis, announced the 41-year-old father of five's death in a social media post, calling his cousin an "incredible guy."
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, has told SBS Hebrew he knows members of his community who were killed, including Rabbi Schlanger.
"I'm feeling utter disbelief that this has actually happened, that our worst fears have been realised, that some of my dearest friends are dead, and that this occurred on Hanukkah, up on that beach where I was supposed to speak. And I've spoken at that event for the last 10 years. And for the grace of God, I wasn't there. And I'm thinking about particularly my dear friend, the rabbi, who is one of the most luminous and kind and gentle and dear human beings that I've met."
Planned Hanukkah events have been cancelled in other parts of Australia, including Melbourne, as police boost patrols in other states and territories.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government will do everything in its power to stamp out antisemitic hate.
"This was an attack deliberately targeted at the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukah, which of course should be a joyous celebration and the Jewish community are hurting today. Today all Australians wrap our arms around them and say, 'we stand with you'. We will do whatever is necessary to stamp out antisemitism. It is a scourge, and we will eradicate it together."
He's praised first responders, including one bystander who was filmed disarming one of the gunmen.
"To the brave responders, first responders, including ordinary citizens who acted yesterday. Thank you for what you do. People rushing towards danger to show the best of the Australian character. That's who we are. People who stand up for our values."
The attack has drawn condemnation from around the world including from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long criticised the Albanese government's response to antisemitism.
He did however praise the actions of that heroic bystander, who has since been taken to hospital and is being treated for multiple gunshot wounds.
"We saw an action of a brave man, turns out a Muslim brave man, and I salute him, that stopped one of these terrorists from killing innocent Jews. But it requires the action of your government, which you are not taking. And you have to, because history will not forgive hesitation and weakness. It will honour action and strength. That's what Israel expects of each of your governments in the West and elsewhere."
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon says Operation Shelter has begun, deploying hundreds of officers to Jewish community sites to offer protection and reassurance.
"We'll have 328 officers on the ground this morning as part of Operation Shelter. Operation Shelter is designed to provide comfort to the Jewish community. We will make sure that we are highly visible at places of worship, places that are known to be frequented by the Jewish community, but very much in those suburbs where we know that we have a large Jewish population. The New South Wales police will not tolerate the types of violence or the types of antisemitic behaviour that we have seen."
The Commissioner also warns against acts of retribution and called for calm as police continue their efforts.
"This is not a time for anyone to be seeking retribution. This is a time for community to grieve and to heal. The New South Wales Police will do what it does best, and that is to prevent and investigate offences that happen and we will be here to support the community."
Premier Chris Minns says one way New South Wales residents can help is by donating blood.
"If you are looking for something practical to do, you could give blood. We saw extraordinary scenes from New South Wales public hospitals last night. Emergency departments at the drop of a hat were in the process of saving scores of lives. They did an incredible job, but they need your help."
And Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it's a time for Australians to come together and support one another, rather than let communities be further divided by hate and prejudice.
"Yesterday was indeed a dark day in our nation's history, but we as a nation are stronger than the cowards who did this. Australia will never submit to division violence or hatred, and we will come through this together. We refuse to let them divide us as a nation."
