At least 15 people have died in a shooting that has rocked Australia over the weekend, and some victims have now been identified.
Multiple people were shot and killed and at least 40 people were wounded in a shooting that occurred on a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Australia, on December 14.
Police have called the incident a terrorist attack and have stated that the age of the deceased victims ranges from 10 to 87 years old.
Video footage from the incident shows two gunmen standing on a bridge that crosses from a car park towards the beach and opening fire on the crowds of people gathered.
According to a report by the Guardian, a 10-year-old girl was among those who lost her life in the shooting. She has been identified as Matilda, and a member of her family gave permission to the outlet for her name and photos to be shared.
The child’s aunt, Lina, wrote on social media: “A great tragedy has happened to my family.
“My beloved niece Matilda was killed during a terrorist attack in Bondi beach. I don’t know how we survive such grief.”
Matilda’s school, Harmony Russian school of Sydney, also issued a statement once they heard of her death.
It read: “Her memory will remain in our hearts, and we honor her life and the time she spent as part of our school family.”
The child was taken to Sydney children’s hospital on Sunday night where she later died.
Another victim of the killings was a Holocaust survivor. He was identified as Alexander Kleytman, and his wife, Larisa Kleytman, spoke to local media about the terrorist attack.
Speaking to the publication The Australian, she said: “We were standing and suddenly came the ‘boom boom’, and everybody fell down.
“At this moment he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me.”
The pair were both Holocaust survivors and had previously recounted their experience in a concentration camp as Jewish children.
Following the initial incident, a statement from New South Wales Police said: “An extensive crime scene has been established and inquiries are now underway. There have been NO reports of any other incidents in Sydney connected to this incident.”
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese also released a statement following the tragedy.
He said: “The scenes in Bondi are shocking and distressing. Police and emergency responders are on the ground working to save lives.
“My thoughts are with every person affected. I just have spoken to the AFP Commissioner and the NSW Premier.
“We are working with NSW Police and will provide further updates as more information is confirmed.
“I urge people in the vicinity to follow information from the NSW Police.”