Twenty-four-year-old Naveed Akram has been accused of taking part in a mass shooting alongside his father during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, an attack that claimed the lives of 15 people, including a young child. He is currently under police custody while authorities continue their investigation into the incident.
According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald, one of the suspected gunmen contacted his mother just hours before the deadly attack. During the phone call, Naveed Akram reportedly told her that he had gone swimming and scuba diving and was planning to go out for a meal. At the time, nothing in the conversation suggested that violence was imminent.
Speaking to the newspaper as police surrounded her home in Bonnyrigg, in western Sydney, Naveed’s mother, Verena, said her son last spoke to her on Sunday morning. She explained that he was on a short weekend trip to Jervis Bay with his father, Sajid Akram, and appeared relaxed and unconcerned.
Recalling the conversation, Verena said Naveed told her that he had just finished swimming and scuba diving and that the two of them were about to eat. He also mentioned that because of the heat, they planned to return home rather than continue travelling. She said the call seemed completely ordinary and gave no indication of what would unfold later that day.
Just hours after that conversation, Australian authorities say Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire at a Hanukkah event being held at Bondi Beach. The attack killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old child, and left several others injured. Police later confirmed that the shooters were a father-and-son pair.
During the police response, Sajid Akram, aged 50, was shot dead at the scene. Naveed Akram was wounded in the operation and taken to the hospital for treatment. After receiving medical care, he was placed under police guard and formally taken into custody.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese strongly condemned the shooting, describing it as an act of antisemitic terrorism. He said the attack represented “an act of pure evil,” emphasising that it was motivated by hatred and targeted violence carried out on Australian soil.
At the time of the shooting, officials said around 1,000 people had gathered at Bondi Beach to mark the beginning of the eight-day Jewish festival. The attackers reportedly positioned themselves near a raised boardwalk area close to swimmers. They fired long-barrelled weapons for at least 10 minutes before police intervened and brought the situation under control.
Verena said she was unable to recognise her son in photographs taken at the crime scene and expressed disbelief that he could be involved in such an act. She insisted that the allegations did not align with her understanding of his character or lifestyle.
She described Naveed as someone who did not own a firearm and rarely socialised. According to her, he did not drink alcohol, smoke, or frequent places associated with trouble. She said his routine was simple, involving work, exercise, and spending time at home.
Verena also revealed that her son had been unemployed for about two months after losing his bricklaying job when the company he worked for became insolvent. She said he had been actively searching for new employment during that period and had not shown signs of distress or radical behaviour. Emphasising her belief in his character, she said that any parent would wish to have a son like him.
Meanwhile, investigators are continuing to piece together the motive behind the attack, which has deeply shaken Australia and prompted heightened security measures around religious and public sites across the country. Authorities have said the investigation remains ongoing as they seek to establish how and why the attack was carried out.
