Prepared, Not Scared

From Bondi Beach to Brussels: Terror at Holiday Gatherings and the Path to Prevention

Sydney, Australia (December 14, 2025): What should have been a peaceful first night of Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach turned into a mass-casualty terror incident when gunfire erupted into a crowd, triggering panic, flight, and an immediate multi-agency response (Kaye & McKenzie, 2025). Australian Jewish leaders have described the event as a heartbreaking escalation after a period of rising antisemitic incidents, underscoring how quickly “public celebration” can become “public target” when violence finds opportunity (Kaye & McKenzie, 2025). We must follow the mantra: Prepared Not Scared.

This is not a lesson about any one faith or any one community; instead, it’s a sober reminder that violence/evil is the threat and opportunity enables the cycle. Only through the lens of prevention will we reduce these occurrences. A key portion of this read should offer the reader hope of a solution, especially as crowds begin to gather around the world for the holidays, concerts, markets, and community events.

The Risk Around Holidays and High-Density Gatherings, Prepared Not Scared

History has shown that attackers across ideologies gravitate toward symbolic dates and high-density environments because they maximize attention, confusion, and harm. Europe’s post-2015 wave illustrated the pattern clearly: the Charlie Hebdo attack in January 2015 killed 12 and helped mark the onset of years of recurring mass-casualty incidents and attempted plots (Pineau, 2025; Reuters, 2020). In the same week, the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket attack killed four hostages and reinforced how quickly violence can cascade across multiple locations (Reuters, 2025a; Reuters, 2025b).

The same hard truth applies to “everyday venues,” too: Christmas markets and other seasonal public spaces remain attractive targets, as seen in Germany’s Magdeburg Christmas market vehicle-ramming attack in December 2024 (Reuters, 2024a; Reuters, 2024b). In the United States, federal authorities investigated the January 1, 2025 vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans as terrorism, another case study in how quickly celebration can turn into catastrophe (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2025a; Police probe motive, 2025).

A Decade of High-Impact Attacks (“Selected” Timeline, 2015 – 2025)

• January 7, 2015 Paris, France (Charlie Hebdo): 12 killed in an attack that became a defining marker for modern European terrorism risk (Pineau, 2025; Reuters, 2020).
• January 9, 2015 Paris, France (Hyper Cacher supermarket): Four hostages killed in a targeted hostage attack days after Charlie Hebdo (Reuters, 2025a; Reuters, 2025b).
• November 13, 2015 Paris, France (multi-site attacks): 130 killed across coordinated shootings and bombings; commemorations and court reporting continue to document the scope and impact (France marks 10th anniversary, 2025; Salaün et al., 2022).
• March 22, 2016 Brussels, Belgium (airport/metro bombings): 32 killed; later court proceedings confirm the scale and coordination of the attack (Belgian court convicts, 2023; Victim death toll revised, 2016).
• December 19-20, 2016 Berlin, Germany (Christmas market truck attack): Reuters reporting documents the mass-casualty nature of the Christmas market attack and the sustained security implications (Death toll rises, 2016).
• May 22, 2017 Manchester, UK (Arena bombing): 22 killed; inquiry findings highlight response and preparedness gaps that matter for every major event plan (2022).
• April 21, 2019 Sri Lanka (Easter bombings): More than 200 killed and hundreds injured in coordinated attacks on churches and hotels (Bombs kill more than 200, 2019).
• December 20, 2024 Magdeburg, Germany (Christmas market vehicle-ramming): Reuters and AP document the incident’s severity and ongoing investigation (Reuters, 2024a; Reuters, 2024b; Associated Press, 2024).
• January 1, 2025 New Orleans, USA (vehicle-ramming terrorism investigation): FBI statements and congressional correspondence document timing, investigative posture, and national security concerns (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2025a; Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, 2025; Police probe motive, 2025).
• December 14, 2025 Sydney, Australia (Bondi area incident): Reuters reporting captures the immediate national and community impact and the context of heightened threat concerns (Kaye & McKenzie, 2025).

Preparedness Without Fear: Why “Response-Only” Is Not Enough

If this past decade has taught us anything, it is that you cannot “respond your way out” of a problem that unfolds in minutes and hours. Communities need prevention-first planning that still ensures excellence in response. We continue to focus on response and call them “first responders,” even though the people in the event from the second it begins are the actual first responders.

That is exactly why the P.R.O. Model™ exists: (Prevention. Response. Options.). The framework is designed to reduce opportunities for violence, improve survival outcomes during crises, and ensure that layered options, including technology, policy, and training, are tailored to the environment (Active Shooter Prevention Project, n.d.-a; Active Shooter Prevention Project, n.d.-b). This same whole-community, end-to-end approach is consistent with broader preparedness standards such as NFPA 3000, which addresses preparedness, response, and recovery for active shooter/hostile events (National Fire Protection Association, n.d.-a; National Fire Protection Association, n.d.-b).

The Active Shooter Prevention Project™ (ASPP™) #NEVERHERE™

The Active Shooter Prevention Project™ (ASPP™) is built around a single unifying objective: stop tragedies before they become headlines without fear-based training. ASPP™ provides a prevention-first approach while still delivering coordinated training for response, anchored in the P.R.O. Model™ and the mission of #NEVERHERE™ (Active Shooter Prevention Project, n.d.-a; Active Shooter Prevention Project, n.d.-b).

If you are looking for active shooter prevention training, workplace violence prevention training, risk assessments, or practical preparedness guidance, you can explore resources at aspppro.com and view media interviews and public safety commentary at chrisgrollnek.com (Active Shooter Prevention Project, n.d.-a; Grollnek, n.d.-a; Grollnek, n.d.-b). ASPP™ also emphasizes broad access to education and awareness, offering substantial free resources alongside professional services, because preparedness should not be reserved for only those with the largest budgets (Active Shooter Prevention Project, n.d.-a).

Closing Thought

Bondi Beach to Brussels is not a story about religion; it’s a warning about the opportunity for evil and violence that can occur anywhere. Although the likelihood is low, we can’t hope for the best. We honor victims best by doing the work early: prevention-centered planning, calm and credible training, layered security options, and leadership that chooses preparedness over panic.

As a society, we cannot wait for the unthinkable to happen before we begin planning for it, preparedness has to come before tragedy, not after. That is why we offer an extensive library of free resources on our website, because this work is not about profiting from crisis, it is about ensuring everyone has access to information that can save lives.

The Active Shooter Prevention Project has helped establish “A” National Standard for prevention, adopted across the U.S. Government and used by multiple federal departments, including the Department of Justice, national nuclear agencies, and hundreds of public and private organizations. Our mission is unwavering and straightforward: to reduce opportunity, strengthen prevention, and help communities prepare with confidence, not fear.

Chris Grollnek, Active Shooter Expert (Prevention First)

Filed under: Prepared Not Scared 5783

References:

Active Shooter Prevention Project. (n.d.-a). Active Shooter Prevention Project (ASPP™). https://aspppro.com/ (ASPP PRO)

Active Shooter Prevention Project. (n.d.-b). P.R.O. Model™ (Prevention. Response. Options.). https://activeshooterpreventionproject.com/p-r-o-model/ (Active Shooter Prevention Project)

Associated Press. (2024, December 20). At least 2 dead and 60 hurt after a car drives into a German Christmas market in a suspected attack. AP News. (Reuters)

Belgian court convicts six of murder for 2016 Brussels bombings. (2023, July 25). Reuters. (Reuters)

Bombs kill more than 200 in Sri Lankan churches, hotels on Easter Sunday. (2019, April 21). Reuters. (Reuters)

Death toll rises to 12 after truck plows into German Christmas market. (2016, December 20). Reuters. (Reuters)

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2025a, January 1). FBI statement on the attack in New Orleans. https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-statement-on-the-attack-in-new-orleans (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

France marks 10th anniversary of deadly Paris attacks. (2025, November 13). Reuters. (Reuters)

Grollnek, C. (n.d.-a). Active Shooter Expert Chris Grollnek (official site). https://www.chrisgrollnek.com/ (COPS Office)

Grollnek, C. (n.d.-b). Active shooter media interviews. https://www.chrisgrollnek.com/active-shooter-media-interviews/(GSIS)

Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee. (2025, January 21). Letter regarding January 1, 2025 attacks (New Orleans and Las Vegas) [PDF]. U.S. Senate. (Homeland Security Committee)

Inquiry says victim could have survived Manchester Arena bombing but for flawed response. (2022, November 3). Reuters. (Reuters)

Kaye, B., & McKenzie, P. (2025, December 14). For Australia’s Jews, Bondi shooting feels tragically inevitable.Reuters. (Reuters)

National Fire Protection Association. (n.d.-a). NFPA 3000 standard development. https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-3000-standard-development/3000 (NFPA)

National Fire Protection Association. (n.d.-b). Active shooter resources (NFPA 3000 overview).https://www.nfpa.org/about-nfpa/press-room/resources-for-breaking-news/active-shooter (NFPA)

Pineau, E. (2025, January 7). France commemorates victims of Charlie Hebdo attacks 10 years on. Reuters. (Reuters)

Police probe motive after New Orleans truck rampage. (2025, January 2). Reuters. (Reuters)

Reuters. (2020, September 2). Charlie Hebdo attackers killed to avenge Prophet Mohammad, French court hears.Reuters. (Reuters)

Reuters. (2024a, December 20). Driver kills at least two after ramming into crowd at German Christmas market.Reuters. (Reuters)

Reuters. (2024b, December 22). Suspect in German Christmas market attack held on murder charges after night of grief. Reuters. (Reuters)

Reuters. (2025a, January 6). French weekly Charlie Hebdo marks 10th anniversary of attack with special edition.Reuters. (Reuters)

Reuters. (2025b, January 6). French weekly Charlie Hebdo marks 10th anniversary of attack with special edition.Reuters. (Reuters)

Salaün, T., Achi, C., & Melander, I. (2022, June 29). Main suspect handed life sentence for 2015 Islamist attacks on Paris. Reuters. (Reuters)

Victim death toll from Brussels bombings revised down to 32. (2016, March 29). Reuters. (Reuters)