The Sydney authorities have named the two men behind the deadly Bondi Beach shooting: 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. The attack near a Hanukkah celebration killed 16 people, including a child, after a gunman opened fire into the crowd. A police statement has described the incident as a "targeted antisemitic terror attack."
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Family shocked by the violence
As per a report by Moneycontrol, 24-year-old Naveed Akram's mother, Verena, who spoke to the media outside their house in Bonnyrigg in western Sydney, expressed disbelief over her son's involvement. She recollected that her last conversation with him was just hours before the attack.
"He rings me up (on Sunday) and says, 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.
Verena insisted that her son was a quiet, disciplined young man who had no interest in violence or extremism. “He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix 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.
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Naveed's background
Reportedly, Naveed had attended the Al-Murad Institute in Heckenberg, Sydney, to study the Koran and resided with his parents and younger siblings in a three-bedroom house that was bought in 2024. According to his mother, Naveed loved fishing, swimming, scuba diving, and exercise. He had recently lost his construction job due to the insolvency of the company.
His father, Sajid Akram, was shot dead at the scene, while Naveed remains in hospital under police guard in critical but stable condition. Police continue to investigate the attack and remain stationed at the family home as inquiries progress.
