In a tragic turn of events, the death toll from the recent terror attack has unfortunately climbed to 15 victims, alongside one of the attackers. The other assailant, however, is currently in police custody, hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities expect he will recover and subsequently face charges for his involvement in the horrific incident.

Among the innocent lives claimed, the youngest was a mere 10-year-old girl, Matilda Bee Britvan. At the other end of the age spectrum was 87-year-old Alex Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor whose resilience through history was tragically cut short.

The attack also claimed the life of Peter Meagher, a former police officer who was present at the Chanukah by the Sea event, capturing moments with his camera when he was fatally shot. Adding to the devastation, two rabbis, Eli Schlanger and Yaakov Levitan, were also among those who perished.

As of this evening, hospitals continue to care for 27 individuals injured in the attack. Of these, six remain in critical condition, while another six are critical but stable, fighting for their lives amidst an atmosphere of grief and uncertainty.

Authorities have identified the perpetrators as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveen, bringing a chilling clarity to the investigation as the community mourns and seeks justice.

Sajid was killed by police during the attack while Naveen was critically wounded.

This afternoon, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the younger man, who is an Australian-born citizen, had been on authorities’ radar six years ago, having been investigated by ASIO for six months.

“The son first came to attention in October 2019,” he said.

“He was examined on the basis of being associated with others and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence.

“(He was investigated because of) people he was associated with, rather than things that he, himself, had done.”

Sajid, meanwhile, was a licenced gun owner and gun club member who legally owned six longarm firearms.

He had moved to Australia in 1998 on a student visa, transferred to a partner visa in 2001, and understood to be on a resident return visa (RRV) at the time of the shooting.

But as the country learnt more about the men who carried out the vile attack, so too did everyday citizens do their part to help out.

Injured in the aftermath, he is now recovering in hospital, has met with Premier Chris Minns, and can look forward to an astounding reward for his incredible bravery: a crowdfunding effort has already raised more than $1 million for the fruit shop owner.

In Canberra, politicians turned to what they can do in the aftermath of the deadliest shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Also from the prime minister – and many other leaders – was a call for unity, for Australians to embrace each other in the wake of the country’s worst-ever terror attack.

“What I want is for Australians to come together,” Anthony Albanese said.

“For this to be reinforcing the need for us to promote national unity. And that is critical.

“There is no place in Australia for antisemitism.

“There is no place for hatred.”

If you have been impacted by the terror attack in Bondi there is support available.

To contact Lifeline Australia, call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14. For people under 25 years old, you can contact Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800. Both of these are available on a 24/7 basis.