At least ten people have been killed and many injured in the shooting on the popular tourist beach Bondi Beach in Sydney.
Liam Madigan is visiting his father and they were in the apartment right on the beach when they heard bangs.
It sounded like fireworks or something so I went to the window and saw shots being fired and all the people running, he tells TT's correspondent.
It all happened just a few dozen meters away. The father says he has a hard time believing what they just witnessed.
It was right in front of our eyes. We saw about six bodies on the ground.
At the request of the police, they were not allowed to leave the house for a few hours.
"It's scary. It happened right outside our door. The world is a scary place right now. The weapons they had were huge, like in a movie. Everything looked like in a movie," says Liam.
Many were shocked
TT's reporter describes how many people have moved away from the area in shock to try to get home. Basically only journalists and emergency personnel remain. A helicopter hovers over the site, which is surrounded by large barriers.
Police have confirmed that the mass shooting at Bondi Beach was targeted at a Jewish celebration. Levi Wolff, a local rabbi at the nearby synagogue and who knows several of the victims, is shocked, but not surprised.
The rabbi believes that when anti-Semitism is allowed to spread in society and the law does not crack down on such hateful statements, violence is given free rein.
Unfortunately, it was inevitable, we knew this would happen, he tells TT's reporter.
"It is a shocking and terrible day for the Jewish community in this country," he says.
“We must be strong”
Chanukah is the festival of lights and Sunday was the first day of the celebration. The Jewish community will do everything to ensure that this continues to be the case, Levi Wolff continues.
We will not allow darkness to obscure the light, but we will be strong and resilient. We think of those affected and their families so that they can find strength during these difficult times.
Georgia Kirby is in Sydney on holiday with a friend and lives near Bondi Beach. She says they were just about to head back down to the beach when she got the news flash.
I thought, oh my God. Horrible, hearing about people being killed, especially so close to Christmas.
"When we saw all the pictures, and followed the news, I thought that could just as well have been us," says Kirby.
