What We Know About the Victims of the Bondi Shooting

A minimum of 16 lives perished and in excess of 40 were hurt when gunmen shot at a Hanukah gathering at Bondi Beach, an incident Australian police are describing as a terrorist attack.

In the latest update, authorities have confirmed the death toll is 16, which includes one of the alleged attackers. Furthermore, 42 wounded individuals were transported to the hospital.

The victims have not yet been officially identified, but investigators think their ages span between 10 and 87 years of age.

Listed are the individuals who have been named so far.

Eli Schlanger

London-born clergyman Eli Schlanger, 41, was the first to be publicly identified.

Reportedly a father-of-five, he was the assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi. Family members and acquaintances remembered him as “vivacious, energetic, full of life and a very kind and sociable person who loved to help people”.

“How is it possible that a happy rabbi who went to a beach to spread happiness and light, to make the world a better place, lose his life in this way?” a family member remarked.

Schlanger and his wife had recently celebrated the arrival of their youngest child in October.

Alexander Kleytman

Alexander Kleytman was also confirmed among the deceased, as stated by his wife.

She described the moments before the shooting, stating they were standing when the shooting began. “He moved to protect me because he wanted to stay near me,” she recalled.

The pair were both Holocaust survivors, having endured unspeakable terror in their childhood. They had later immigrated to Australia from Ukraine.

Dan Elkayam

French foreign ministry have announced that French man Dan Elkayam is among the victims.

Officially, a senior official expressed that France shared the grief of his family, the Jewish community, and the Australian people.

“This low act is a new, tragic manifestation of a disgusting rise of antisemitic hatred that we must eradicate,” the statement continued.

One Child

A child who was taken to the a children's hospital has been confirmed among the fatalities, authorities stated.

One Israeli Citizen

One victim from Israel was a fatality in the incident, according to reports citing the Israeli government.

Those Injured

From the 42 people transported to hospitals, a significant number are still under care, with a number in a critical state. The injured comprise two officers who responded to the attack.

One of the injured is a member of the public who attempted to intervene to confront one of the gunmen. Hailed as a hero, he sustained gunshot wounds but is recovering well in hospital.

Arsen Ostrovsky

Among the injured is Arsen Ostrovsky, a human rights lawyer. Reports indicate he was injured and is receiving treatment in hospital.

Communicating, he described the incident as an “absolute bloodbath,” but also noted the actions of those who came to assist. He stated he believed it was a “miracle” he was alive.

Evan Zlatkis

Evan Zlatkis, a media director, was also injured in the shooting. He said he listened to “dozens and dozens” of gunshots.

“Initially, I believed it was something less lethal, but it penetrated my own skin and into my leg,” he said. “I’ve been shot myself. They bandaged me up. I’m ok.”