Mental Health Crisis Counselors Deploy After Beach Massacre

Mental health professionals deployed across Sydney Monday to support survivors and witnesses of the Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the antisemitic terrorism while laying flowers at the site as Australia mourned with flags at half-mast following the nation’s deadliest gun violence in decades.
Counseling services recognized that trauma extended beyond the approximately 1,000 Jewish community members directly targeted during the roughly ten-minute attack. Thousands of beachgoers witnessed the violence or its aftermath, while first responders processed their own trauma from engaging father-son shooters Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24. Security forces killed the elder and critically wounded the younger, with the father’s death bringing total fatalities to sixteen.
Specialized trauma counselors worked with children who attended the holiday celebration, many of whom struggled to process why someone would target a religious gathering. Families sought guidance on helping young witnesses cope with fear and confusion. Support also extended to the forty people hospitalized, including two police officers whose serious injuries had stabilized, as they processed both physical and emotional recovery.
Among those receiving support was 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, who confronted one attacker despite being shot, grappling with the psychological aftermath of his split-second decision to fight rather than flee. Mental health experts noted that even heroes experience trauma requiring professional support. The age range of victims from ten to 87 meant counselors needed expertise across developmental stages and cultural contexts.
This incident marks Australia’s worst shooting in nearly three decades, requiring unprecedented mental health mobilization. Experts warned that trauma responses often emerge weeks or months after events, necessitating sustained support services. Community organizations coordinated with healthcare providers to ensure long-term access to counseling for all affected. As the nation mourned, recognition grew that psychological wounds from targeted violence require as much attention as physical injuries, with healing measured in years rather than days.