Witness Grace Matthews recounted on 15/12 hearing gunshots while walking to an event at Bondi Beach and quickly seeking shelter in a nearby church.

"A friend attending the festival said the police were completely unprepared to handle this type of threat. That's why a civilian had to rush in and disarm the gunman. It should never have come to a point where a civilian, or even an off-duty officer, had to confront the shooter", Matthews stated.

Matthews also questioned why, despite a police station being only one block from the shooting, forces took so long to respond.

Armed police at the scene of the Bondi Beach shooting, Australia, 14/12. AFP

Witness Shmulik Scuri, who was with his family when the suspects began firing from a bridge, said police "stood still" amidst the chaos.

"For 20 minutes, the gunmen continuously fired and reloaded", Scuri recounted.

However, New South Wales police chief Mal Lanyon defended his force's response, stating he was "extremely proud" of their actions during the shooting.

Australian media reported that police and local emergency response agencies were mobilized to manage the situation. Officers worked overtime, triaged victims at the scene, and many were dispatched to drive ambulances transporting victims to hospitals.

"Unfortunately, we learned a great deal after the attack at Westfield Bondi Junction. Police, ambulance services, and other forces acted quickly and professionally to do a good job", Lanyon affirmed.

At least 16 people, including the suspect, died and 40 were injured in the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney on 14/12. The attack occurred as over 1,000 people gathered at Bondi Beach for the Jewish Hanukkah festival.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated the suspect "deliberately targeted the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah". New South Wales Police confirmed the shooting is considered a terrorist attack. The two gunmen were a father and son, and their motive remains unclear.

By Ngoc Anh (Based on NZ Herald, Yahoo News, AFP)