The surviving suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach, Naveed Akram, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, New South Wales police have confirmed.
Akram’s father, Sajid Akram, 50, was killed in a gunfight with police at the scene. Fifteen people were killed in total and dozens more were injured when two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach, in what authorities have described as Australia’s deadliest shooting since 1996.
Police said Akram also faces 40 charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, as well as one charge related to the public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol. Critically injured during the attack, Akram appeared for his first court hearing from his hospital bed. The case has been adjourned until April 2026.
FLAVIO BRANCALEONE/EPA/SHUTTERSTOCK
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said officers are waiting for Akram’s medication to wear off before formally questioning him, stressing the need for him to fully understand the process.
Twenty victims remain hospitalised across Sydney, with one person still in critical condition. The attack has been formally classified as a terrorist incident. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it appears to have been motivated by Islamic State ideology.
Investigators have confirmed that Naveed and Sajid Akram travelled to the Philippines in November, spending nearly four weeks there before returning to Australia. Naveed travelled on an Australian passport, while his father used an Indian passport. Sajid Akram was originally from Hyderabad in India and reportedly had limited contact with relatives there.
Among those killed were two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10 year old girl named Matilda. Boris and Sofia Gurman, a couple filmed confronting one of the attackers during the early moments of the assault, were also killed. Two police officers were injured, one of whom, 22 year old Jack Hibbert, has lost vision in one eye and faces a prolonged recovery.
Thousands gathered earlier on Wednesday for the first funeral of the victims, honouring Rabbi Eli Schlanger, one of the organisers of the Hanukkah event. Further funerals, including for Matilda, are expected in the coming days as the investigation continues.
