15 Killed in Sydney Hanukkah Festival Shooting

In a devastating attack on a Hanukkah festival at Sydney's Bondi Beach, a father and son opened fire on Sunday evening, killing 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl, and wounding at least 11 others in critical condition. The gunmen, identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, both Indian nationals, used multiple high-powered rifles in the assault that sent hundreds fleeing in panic along the crowded shoreline.

The youngest victim, Matilda Poltavchenko, was shot while playing at a petting zoo set up for children during the event. Her parents, Valentyna and Michael, who emigrated from Ukraine to Australia before the Russian invasion, spoke publicly for the first time at a vigil on Monday attended by over 2,000 mourners at Bondi Pavilion forecourt. Clutching a framed photo of their daughter, Michael explained that he chose her name to honor their new life in Australia. "We came here from Ukraine and I named her Matilda because she was our firstborn in Australia," he said, his voice breaking. "And I thought that Matilda was the most Australian name that could ever exist. So just remember, remember her name." Valentyna described the unimaginable...