A dramatic and harrowing video from Sydney’s Bondi Beach captures the chaotic seconds during Sunday evening’s mass shooting, showing a courageous bystander tackling and disarming one of the gunmen as terrified crowds fled in every direction. The clip shows the man lunging at the attacker, wrestling a rifle out of his grip and briefly attempting to turn the weapon back on him — an intervention that likely prevented more casualties amid the rapid gunfire and surging panic on the beachfront.
Other footage from the scene shows a second shooter positioned on an elevated suspended walkway above the beach, appearing to fire down at beachgoers as screams and the sound of running footsteps filled the air. People scattered for cover behind walls, vehicles, and beach structures as the attack unfolded.
Authorities confirmed that at least 12 people were killed in the assault, including one of the gunmen, while the second attacker was taken into custody. Multiple people were injured, including two police officers responding to the scene.
The shooting erupted during “Chanukah by the Sea,” a public celebration of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah that had drawn large crowds of families, children, and community members to Bondi Beach. Witnesses told the Daily Mail that two men dressed in black stepped out of a vehicle on Campbell Parade near the Bondi Pavilion at around 6.40 pm and began firing indiscriminately. Video circulating online showed flashes from gunfire and people sprinting away as sirens wailed in the distance.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the mass shooting as “shocking and distressing,” adding that police and emergency responders were working urgently to save lives and secure the area. The attack, one of the deadliest in recent Australian history, has left the country reeling as investigations continue and authorities work to determine the motive behind the assault.
