Chris Minns Stands Firm on Police Actions in Bondi Shooting Incident

Tue Dec 16 2025 15:09:43 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In the wake of a tragic shooting at a Jewish festival in Bondi Beach, NSW Premier Chris Minns defends police efforts amid public scrutiny regarding their response time and preparedness.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has rebuffed criticism of police responses to the recent shooting at a Jewish festival in Bondi Beach, asserting their bravery and integrity despite calls for better security. Witnesses have claimed the police were slow to react, but Minns emphasized the officers faced immediate danger and acted valiantly. While critical care officers have been reported, inquiries into prior intelligence about the shooters remain ongoing.

The New South Wales (NSW) premier has strongly rejected criticism of the police response to the attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, saying officers acted with bravery and integrity.

Some witnesses have suggested police were too slow to disarm the two gunmen, who killed 15 people and injured dozens at an event celebrating Hanukkah at Australia's best known beach.

There are two officers in critical care... at the moment, Chris Minns said after sustained questioning from reporters. They weren't shot in the back as they were running away. They were shot in the front.

There have also been questions about whether adequate security was provided before the shooting took place.

They shoot, shoot, change magazine and just shoot, one witness, Shmulik Scuri, told reporters the day of the assault, adding he thought officers froze.

Asked about these criticisms, Minns said the rush to conclusions about the police operation was disrespectful. They didn't take a backward step. They engaged the gunmen on the footbridge with handguns. The offenders had long range rifles, Minns said.

If there's any suggestion that NSW Police didn't live up to their responsibilities to the people of this state, it should be rejected because it's not consistent with the facts.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon avoided questions about how many officers had been deployed to police the event in advance. He told reporters police regularly patrol that area as we did on that day and that police presence was based on the threat that exists at the time.

Australia's security agency has stated that the younger alleged gunman in the father-son duo, Naveed Akram, had come to their attention in 2019 due to his associations, but that there was nothing to suggest he was a risk of violence.

Had there been intelligence that there was a particular threat at that location, or to that event, we may have had a different policing response, Commissioner Lanyon said.

Police received reports of gunfire at a park in Bondi Beach at 18:47 (07:47 GMT) on Sunday. The gunmen carried out a shooting spree that lasted around ten minutes before police shot both men, killing one and critically injuring the other.

Dr. Vincent Hurley, a former police officer who lectures on policing at Macquarie University, told the BBC it was unrealistic to expect police to know how to react to every possible scenario. He pointed out that responding to a mass shooting involves unavoidable chaos and dangerous decisions.