Local Jewish Rabbi: First Victim Of Deadly Australia Beach Attack Identified

The first victim from the shooting in Sydney's Bondi Beach today has been identified as Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

Schlanger was an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi as well as a chaplain for the local community, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.  According to Schlanger's LinkedIn, he has held the position of assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi for over 18 years. 

"He wasn't some distant figure. He was the guy staying up late planning the logistics for a Menorah lighting that most people will take for granted. The one stressing about the weather. The one making sure there were enough latkes and the kids weren't bored," Schlanger's friend Eliezer Tewel wrote in a Facebook post.

"He was just doing his job. Showing up. Being the constant, reliable presence for his community. And that's where the gut punch lands: He was killed while doing the most basic, kindest, most normal part of our lives. It wasn't a battlefield. It was a Chanukah party," he added. 

Eleven people were shot dead when two gunmen opened fire at Sydney's Bondi Beach during a Jewish religious event. Police said one of the gunmen was killed in retaliatory firing, while several, including cops, have been injured. Mal Lanyon, the New South Wales Police Commissioner, has declared the shooting a "terrorist incident".

The attacks occurred around 6:30 pm local time and targeted a crowd celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival. Eyewitnesses said the two gunmen fired around 50 shots. 

A senior law enforcement official said one of the shooters has been identified as 24-year-old Naveed Akram from Bonnyrigg, Sydney. Originally from Lahore, Pakistan, Akram was a student at Sydney's Al-Murad Institute, according to social media reports.