What we know about the father and son suspects in the Bondi Beach attack

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the suspects were “motivated by Islamic State ideology.” They had traveled to the Philippines prior to the attack, officials said.

A father and son who lived in a quiet Sydney suburb — one a licensed gun owner, the other previously investigated for potential extremist associations — are suspected of turning an oceanside Hanukkah celebration into a killing ground.

With 15 people confirmed dead, Sunday's attack on the famous Bondi Beach is Australia's deadliest shooting in decades. Officials said the shooters targeted the Jewish community and were “motivated by Islamic State ideology” when they unleashed a volley of bullets from a bridge at the gathered crowds.

They had traveled to the Philippines, where ISIS militants are known to operate, prior to the assault.

The attack has set off renewed scrutiny of not only Australian gun laws and efforts to combat antisemitism, but also what authorities knew about the duo accused of carrying out the attack.

“Early indications point to a terrorism attack inspired by the Islamic State,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett told reporters Tuesday.