It is the worst mass shooting Australia has witnessed in decades. As members of Sydney’s Jewish community gathered at a small park behind the famous Bondi Beach, a father-son duo unleashed terror. Around 18.47 local time on Sunday, shots were fired, targeting the Jewish community, which was celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah.
The suspects have been identified as Sajid Akram, the 50-year-old who was killed at the scene, and
Naveed Akram, his 24-year-old son, who is in a critical but stable condition. Some reports claim that they are of Pakistani origin.
The attack, declared a terrorist incident, targeted the
Jewish Australian community, killing at least 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl.
The father-son duo behind the Bondi Beach attack
During a press conference on Monday morning (December 15), Lanyon stated the two men, a 50-year-old and a 24-year-old, have been identified as the only shooters involved in the attack. The search for a third shooter was called off.
Law enforcement sources identified the older man as Sajid Akram and the younger man as Naveed Akram. Police killed the father at the scene, while the son is in a critical but stable condition, authorities said.
Naveed Akram was apprehended at the scene and taken to the hospital. While Lanyaon did not name him, he shared that the suspect remained under police guard.
One of the shooters was known to the police, but officers had no indication that an attack was planned, he was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herland (SMH).
Several media reports claim that Naveed is of Pakistani origin. After his photo from the shooting emerged, his licence was circulated online, in which he was seen wearing a Pakistani jersey. However, the police have not identified his origins.
Among of 2 Terrorist, who carried out a mass shooting in Bondi beach Sydney, Australia, killing 10 innocent people
Naveed Akram from Pakistan. He’s wearing Pakistan cricket jersey in the license picture.
Second guy also looks Paki. pic.twitter.com/AJwRJbLu3w
— Global perspective (@Global__persp1) December 14, 2025
However, when New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon was asked if the two shooters were Australian citizens, he said, “I’m not prepared to comment on that.”
Sajid Akram, a fruit seller with guns
The Akrams reportedly lived in Sydney’s Bonnyrigg.
Sajid Akram was a fruit seller. The 50-year-old suspected shooter was licensed to own guns in NSW, and brought six of his registered guns to the beach on Sunday, Lanyon said.
The older gunman “met the eligibility criteria for a firearms licence,” Lanyon said. He had a licence since 2015. “There are two types of hunting licences: the ability to hunt on a property or also as part of a hunting club, or gun club,” he was quoted as saying by ABC.
The suspected shooter was a member of a gun club and entitled under the Firearms Act to have a firearms licence issued, he said. Lanyon said Sajid Akram held a Category AB licence, which entitled him to have the long-arm firearms that were used on Sunday.
Naveed Akram, an unemployed bricklayer
As police surrounded the Bonnyrigg house, Naveed Akram’s mother, Verena, said her son was an unemployed bricklayer. He recently lost his job.
Naveed Akram was reportedly a student at Al-Murad Institute of Heckenberg, New South Wales, which teaches Arabic and the Quran. The institute operates as a registered business entity and lists Sheikh Adam Ismail as its owner.
He was described as a model student of the Al-Murad Institute. After the Bondi Beach attack, a photo featuring the younger Akram and Ismail went viral. However, Ismail told SMH that he had not contacted the alleged shooter or his family for years.
“I last had contact with him in early 2022, but we just strictly teach people to read the Quran here, nothing else,” Ismail told the publication.
“I am devastated by the images of the victims in Bondi,” he said, adding that he and his family had been receiving death threats and harassment because of the image being shared. “I have a young family, and we’ve been harassed with death threats. We’ve had to evacuate our home, and have needed police assistance, for which we’re very thankful.”
According to the suspected gunman’s Facebook page, viewed by The Jerusalem Post, he also studied at Central Queensland University in Sydney and Hamdard University in Islamabad.
The two gunmen told their family that they were going on a fishing trip to the South Coast. Naveed Akram’s mother said that the family last spoke to her son on Sunday morning, hours before the terror attack. She said he had gone to Jervis Bay with his father for the weekend, reports SMH.
“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… we are going to stay at home now because it is very hot.”
Verena said that she did not believe her son could be involved in violent or extremist activities and that he was just another individual, reports The Times of India. “He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t go out, he doesn’t mix around with friends. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t go to bad places. Anyone would wish to have a son like my son… he’s a good boy.”
Naveed Akram likely to face criminal charges
The father and son were staying at a short-term rental in Campsie, a suburb in New South Wales. Police have raided this place and the Bonnyrigg home.
During the investigation, officers also found explosive devices in a vehicle parked near Bondi Beach. It is reportedly linked to one of the shooters.
While talking to the Australian media, Commissioner Lanyon said that the search for a third attacker was called off.
Naveed Akram is likely to survive his injuries from the Bondi incident. “Based on his medical condition, it’s likely that person may face criminal charges,” Lanyon said.
We need to fight antisemitism, says NSW premier
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said law reform would almost certainly come in the aftermath of the massacre, including changes to the state’s gun laws. “We need to send a strong and clear repudiation of antisemitism in all of its forms, there is no tolerance for racism or Jewish hatred in NSW or Australia,” Minns said.
“Whether it’s destructive, horrible acts of violence, or chants, mottos and internet posts. Wherever it is, we need to fight antisemitism, it is toxic, it is cancerous within a community, and as you can see from last night, it leads to devastating, devastating implications for the people of our country,” he said.
The victims of the attack
At least 15 people have been killed in the attack, their ages range from 10 to 87. The youngest victim is a 10-year-old girl identified as Matilda.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger was also killed in the attack. He was assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi as well as a chaplain for the local community, the SMH reported. According to Schlanger’s LinkedIn, he has held the position at Chabad of Bondi for over 18 years.
With inputs from agencies
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