Murray Olds: Australian correspondent on mass-shooting at Bondi Beach

An anti-Semitic terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach has claimed the lives of 12 people. 

Thousands were attending a Hanukkah celebration just before 9 last night our time - when two gunmen dressed in black opened fire on the crowd. 

At least 29 people are injured - including two police officers. 

Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the attack is the worst since the Port Arthur Massacre in 1996 - which left 35 people dead.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So horror scenes on Bondi Beach overnight. At least twelve
are dead and twenty nine are injured after a mass
shooting at the Sydney hot Spot. Two people are in custody.
The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanezi, has responded to criticism that
he has not done enough to prevent anti Semitism in Australia.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
We've continued to act, We've continued to work with Jewish
community leaders. We've continued to take all the advice from
the security agencies to put in place special measures and
will continue to do so.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Here's the uncle of a security guard shot on the shoulder.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Knowing thought Sunday night you'll be spending it at a
hospital where two terrorists have gone on a massacre to
try killers and introduced people as possible and hopefully there's
a way back, but I'm really doubtful.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Australia Corrisbona Murrayolds's with us Homas.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
Good morning, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Was there any warning whatsoever that something like this might happen?

Speaker 4 (00:57):
Well? One of the two gunmen, we understand and was
known to police. Now whether he was just on the
radar as a bit of a low level threat or
was he something more senis to more serious and they're
going to be so many questions asked along those lines.
Why didn't the police, the security agencies as is the

(01:19):
domestic terrorism outfit in Australia. It just beggars belief that
this was not on the radar of these agencies. Having
said that, Heather, maybe that is too radicalized men in
Sydney's West because they raided the home of one of
them last night at Bonnie Rigg. We don't know what

(01:40):
was the outcome of that raid. One of the gunment,
by the way, was killed, the other is in hospital.
It was shot by police. We understand now. Have these
guys been radicalized online by someone from some overseas actor,
have they done it themselves? Are they just weirdos? We
simply don't know. At the stage there's so much information

(02:01):
out there still. Police are trying to pull it all together.
But as you say, look, twelve dead, twenty nine injured.
The death toll may have climbed overnight because some of
the injured Heather are serious to critical. The police are
not releasing any further information at this stage of the morning.
There will be a news conference later this morning, but

(02:22):
at this stage that's all we've got to go on. Now.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Is there or is there not a third shooter, because
there has been talk of that.

Speaker 4 (02:30):
There's nothing to indicate at this stage this morning that
there was a third shooter. There were two of them,
of course pictured, one of them disarmed by the guy
who's been identified Heather as a fruit shop owner from
southern Sydney. He's apparently snuck through the car park and
as we can see online, he's just tackled the gunman,
jumped him, tackled them, got him in a bear hut,

(02:51):
grabbed the gun off them and the gunman scuttled away.
So at this stage, you know, there's very I've seen
those stories about the speculation of a third government. The
police are saying nothing about that. Will no doubt get
that information later on this morning. But as I say,
one of the guys has been identified, Navid Akram named

(03:11):
as one of the shooters. Police raided his home last night,
and at this stage there's still many, many, many questions
to be answered. I mean, you know, the political response
from the Prime Minister, from the premiere, the police response
as well. The Asia boss was up last night saying
that one of these guys was on the radar, the
other one that apparently was not so so many holes

(03:35):
to be filled this morning.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Yeah, Now, how much trouble is Anthony Albanesi and given
what has been happening in your country with an anti
Semitism in the last few years, also the statements from
the US and from Benjamin nettin Yahoo about him.

Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yeah, well it remains to be seen. I mean, I'm
not sure what Albanizi can do himself. I'm not sure
what any political leader can do with this sort of thing.
I mean, it's not as though the government hasn't joined
the opposition in condemning what's happened here in Australia, the
attacks on synagogues, the attacks on homes and businesses. It's

(04:11):
not an Albanizi's purview to stop that. I mean, that's
up to police. But you know, it's not a new
criticism of the Prime minister and this will only amplify it.
And you know, of course thoughts turned Heather to Port
Arthur April nineteen ninety six when that lunatic went on
a rampage, shot thirty five people dead. Now this is

(04:32):
another scale altogether. This has got religious political overtones. It
is on a scale we've not seen here. We've not
seen this in Australia. Ten dead, twenty nine injured, two fruitcakes,
just opening five. For those who know Bondai Beach, it's
the northern end, Heather, it's up there, and yesterday was

(04:54):
the first day of Hummaker, the Jewish holiday celebrated every
year's an eight day festival of light. There were kids
down in the park below that footbridge and they were
with their families and we don't know how many children
among the dead, Heather. We don't know how many kiddies
were wounded. You know, you scratch your head and you

(05:15):
just think, how the hell could this happen here in Australia.
But it's happened. It's just dreadful, it is.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Thank you very much for your time, mate, Murray Old's
Australia correspondent.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
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