Many hundreds of people were at Bondi beach on Sunday when 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 people.

Many witnesses saw people be seriously injured or die. These experiences are considered traumatic events, even when you don’t know the person who was harmed.

While some people will be able to process such events with some coping strategies, others will will find their extreme distress impacts their mental health.

If you witnessed the Bondi Hanukkah attack, here’s what you might be going through – and when you might need additional support.

People who witnessed the attacks may be affected in different ways.

Factors that make people more vulnerable to traumatic responses, such as extreme distress or mental health challenges, include:

being closely involved in the attack, placing you in immediate physical danger or witnessing somebody else be seriously injured

thinking your life was at risk or being extremely fearful during the attack

having a history of traumatic experiences

being from a minority background

being part of a targeted group, with the Jewish........

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