SYDNEY ¨C Among the thousands of people who flocked to Sydney¡¯s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, some were seeking relief from the steamy weather while others joined a local Jewish group to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of light. Advertisements promised a petting farm, face painting and donuts and proclaimed the goal was to ¡°fill Bondi with joy and light.¡±
Hours later the scene was a bloodbath. For between 10 and 20 minutes, two gunmen opened fire on attendees at the event, gunning down men, women and children as terrified beachgoers fled. More than a dozen people were killed and at least 40 wounded, some critically, including two police officers.
The moments when the Hanukkah turned from celebration to fear have now been pieced together through interviews with more than a dozen witnesses, comments from police and officials, video footage of the shooting and media reports.
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