Australia Mass Shooting Leaves at Least 15 Dead

1:12 PM PT -- Australian officials have just given an update on the victim count ... announcing 15 people have been killed while more than 40 are injured. The situation is fluid and those numbers are subject to change.

Australia's Bondi Beach turned into a nightmare Sunday evening when gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration ... killing at least 12 people, including one of the gunmen, and injuring 29 more in what leaders are calling a cowardly and targeted attack on the Jewish community.

The chaos erupted as hundreds gathered for Chanukah by the Sea, a family-friendly celebration of the first night of the holiday. Instead, beachgoers were sent screaming and sprinting for their lives as gunshots echoed over the sand.

According to officials, the attackers positioned themselves on a pedestrian bridge overlooking Bondi Park before unleashing a hail of bullets onto the crowd gathered near the playground.

"This cowardly act of terrifying violence ... represents some of our worst fears about terrorism in Sydney," New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, calling the massacre a deliberate strike on Sydney's Jewish community.

One gunman was killed at the scene, while the second was taken into custody in critical condition. Police reportedly revealed one suspect had been on a watchlist, though not considered an immediate threat.

Authorities also discovered multiple improvised explosive devices scattered around the crime scene and inside the suspects' vehicle.