SYDNEY—Bondi Beach would usually be buzzing with summer fun on a Monday morning, but on Dec. 15, sadness lingered in the coastal Sydney suburb.

As visitors left flowers and police continued investigations, the death toll from the brutal mass shooting targeting the first night of the Jewish Hanukkah climbed to 15 victims plus one shooter.

The Epoch Times visited Bondi Beach to talk to locals who shared the impact the tragic events had on them.

Changing for the Worse?

Miguel (surname withheld) is a former local resident who made the trip to Bondi in Sydney’s east to check on his friends.

He had a downbeat view on recent events and said the terror attack is proof Australia is changing for the worse.

“I believe Australia is going south,” he told The Epoch Times. “I think there used to be a time when Australia was good, and I don’t think Australia is going in the right direction, actually.”

Miguel holds his Christian faith close and believes Australia’s culture has suffered through a lack of adherence to its Christian roots.

“The way the people view the world is changing, and this is affecting how people vote, and affecting who’s in power—so the government in power and the decisions they are making. And so eventually it leads to, I believe it’s what you see here,” he said.

“It leads to death. That’s my thoughts about Australia. I believe it cannot be worse.”

Miguel wants to see a more Christian worldview in the government, as it had in the past.

“But I don’t think they‘ll do it,” he said. “And so I think they’ll continue to make decisions that will end up in what you see now, in death. That’s my view as a Christian.”

A Bit of Light and Kindness to Push Away the Darkness

Chaim Hirschowitz was en route to the festivities when he heard the terrifying news of the attack.

His friend’s brother-in-law, the popular Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was one of those killed in the mass shooting.

“It really, really hurts,” he told The Epoch Times.

Hirschowitz explained the meaning of Hanukkah and said it embodied the message of light overcoming dark.

A priestly Jewish tribe known as the Maccabees had come under persecution from the Greek-speaking, Syrian-based Seleucid Empire, before successfully defeating them in 164 BCE.

“They came to the temple, and there’s no oil to light these special menorah, the candelabra on the temple, which is the whole purpose, is to spread lights, not only in a physical sense, but spiritual sense,” Hirschowitz said.

But according to Jewish faith, the tiny amount of oil, which had only been enough for a day, burned for eight nights in the temple.

“That’s the main idea of the festival, and it applies to everyone, adding lights, doing acts of kindness, looking out for people around you, in your community, friends, you might need a little hand,” Hirschowitz said.

“And that’s the message of Hanukkah, really, little light pushes away a lot of darkness.”

‘We Have to Stay Strong’

Hugo was in a pub when it was forced into lockdown during the harrowing events.

He recalls how that terrifying moment affected him.

“It’s very, very sad,” he said. “Everyone’s very shaken by it.”

Hugo’s message is one of resilience.

“I think we can’t change our way of life,” he said. “[We] have to make sure we stay strong.”

A Nation Still Coming to Terms

The mass shooting unfolded at Sydney’s world famous Bondi Beach at around 6:40 p.m., Dec. 14, after gunmen started shooting at a large crowd gathered to celebrate Hanukkah.

A 50-year-old shooter, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police, while his son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, was also shot by police and taken to hospital under police guard.

Fourteen people died at the scene, including the shooter, with a 10-year-old girl and 40-year-old man later dying in hospital.

According to police, 42 people were initially taken to hospital, with six of them still in critical condition.