- Gunmen in Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack were father Sajid and son Naveed Akram
- Naveed was unemployed and had recently lost his bricklaying job
- Attack left 15 dead, including a 10-year-old girl; 42 others hospitalised
The gunmen behind the deadly attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach have been identified as a father and son, a shooting that killed at least 15 people.
Police said the attackers were 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Sajid was shot dead in a gunfight with police at the scene, while Naveed was caught and taken to hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition under police guard.
Australian media reported that the pair opened fire on crowds using "long arms," according to a police statement. Sajid Akram was licensed to own six firearms, all of which police believe were used in the attack.
It is reported that the two men had told family members they were travelling to the South Coast for a fishing trip. Naveed Akram was arrested at the scene, while his father, a fruit shop owner, died during the confrontation with police, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Sajid Akram arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, which was transferred to a partner visa in 2001, and he has been on a resident return visa ever since, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said.
Naveed's mother, Verena, said her son last contacted the family on Sunday morning, hours before the shooting.
"He rings me up [on Sunday] and said, Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We're going ... to eat now, and then this morning, and we're going to stay home now because it's very hot," she said, adding that he told her he was in Jervis Bay with his father, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Verena said she was unable to identify her son from images taken at the scene and insisted she did not believe he could be involved in violence or extremist activity.
"He doesn't have a firearm. He doesn't even go out. He doesn't mix around with friends. He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't go to bad places ... he goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise, and that's it," she said.
"Anyone would wish to have a son like my son ... he's a good boy," she added.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Naveed Akram was an unemployed bricklayer who had lost his job about two months ago after his employer became insolvent. His mother said he had been searching for work.
Verena said her son, who attended Cabramatta High School, was not particularly social and did not appear to spend much time online. She said he enjoyed fishing, scuba diving, swimming and exercising.
Naveed Akram appeared to have been tagged in a 2022 social media post stating that he had passed his Koran studies at the Al-Murad Institute in Heckenberg, western Sydney.
The family lives in a three-bedroom house purchased in 2024, having previously resided in Cabramatta. Naveed lived there with his parents, his 22-year-old sister and 20-year-old brother. His mother is a stay-at-home parent who also cares for her elderly mother nearby.
The shooting at Australia's most famous surf beach on a blue-skied Sunday sent waves of panic through terrified crowds at a tourist hotspot that encapsulates the country's love of the sea.
The youngest victim was a 10-year-old girl who died in a children's hospital, police said. The oldest was 87.
Another 42 people were hospitalised, including two police officers.
(With inputs from agencies)
