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Spree Shooting At Hanukkah Event in Australia (And A Good Guy With A Gun Saves the Day)

AP Photo/Michel Spingler

In the wake of the spree killing at Brown University, the usual suspects on the left proclaimed that "these sorts of things just don't happen in countries with 'sensible gun safety laws'". 

Australia has regrettably entered the chat.  

Twelve people have died - including one gunman - following a shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach which targeted the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.

According to police, 29 others were taken to hospital and two officers were shot during the incident, which has since been declared a terror attack by officials. The surviving gunman is in a critical condition.

More than 1,000 people were attending an event on the beach celebrating Hanukkah.

As this is written, 11 people and a gunman are dead and 29 injured in a spree shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's up-market Bondi Beach.   The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is running a timeline.  

[New South Wales premier] Chris Minns confirms that of the 12 individuals killed in the attack, one "offender" has also been killed and another is in custody.

He says the attack was "designed to target Sydney's Jewish community". 

What should have been a "night of peace and joy" was "shattered" by a "horrifying, evil attack", he adds.

There were well over 1,000 people in attendance tonight, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon says, celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hannukah.\

While the attack is being investigated by Australia's counterterrorism authorities...:

The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is looking into the identities of the attackers and if there's anyone else in the community "with similar intent".

"ASIO was also a member of the joint counter-terrorism team and our principal role at this stage is to support the police in their ongoing investigation," ASIO director-general Mike Burgess says.

"But at the same time, as is standard practice for us, we are looking at the identities of the attackers and where that is known. We're looking to see if there are anyone in the community that haslar intent.

...and the attackes are known to have targeted the Jewish community, and there is a putative identification of at least one shooter...

... Australian authorities are urging people not to jump to any conclusions.  

The Australian police were reported to have taken seven minutes to respond to the busy beach - and even then, there may have been "opportunities for improvement":

Whew.  Good thing they disarm the civilians, or things really could have gotten out of hand. 

But lest you think the cops' performance tells us Oz is completely borked, just hang on.  There is hope. 

The times called for a hero, and one answered:

Here in the US, we've pointed out that the "good guy with a gun" is disroportionaly likely to end a spree killing - but this guy did it the hard way.  Salute.

And who is that hero?

Oh, this, if true, is going to melt heads on both sides of the proverbial aisle:

Let's claim a win for "toxic masculinity" as well as the local refugee community.  

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Ed Morrissey 7:00 PM | December 13, 2025
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