Naveed Akram: Mother Shares Insights on Shooter

SYDNEY: Australian police on Monday confirmed that the two alleged gunmen involved in the deadly shooting at a Jewish celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach were a father and son, an attack that left 15 people dead.

According to Australian media reports, the son, Naveed Akram, was apprehended at the scene and taken to hospital, where he remains under police guard in a critical but stable condition. His father, Sajid Akram, who was reportedly a fruit shop owner, was killed at the scene.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Sajid arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, which was later converted to a partner visa in 2001. He subsequently held a resident return visa. Burke confirmed that Naveed, born in 2001, is an Australian citizen.

Family members reportedly told authorities that the pair had said they were travelling to the South Coast for a fishing trip. Naveed’s mother, Verena, said he had gone to Jervis Bay with his father and last contacted the family on Sunday morning.

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Verena described Naveed as an unemployed bricklayer who lost his job about two months ago after his employer became insolvent. She said he had been sociable during his school years at Cabramatta High School but was generally quiet and not heavily active online.

Media reports noted that Naveed appeared in a now-deleted 2022 social media post indicating he had completed Quran studies at the Al-Murad Institute in Heckenberg. A person featured in the same image, who was not identified, said he had lost contact with Naveed in early 2022 and expressed devastation over the attack, adding that his family had received death threats and were forced to leave their home.

Verena told reporters she could not identify her son from images at the shooting scene and insisted she did not believe he was capable of violent or extremist acts, saying he did not own a firearm.

Police were present at the family’s home in Bonnyrigg, western Sydney, restricting public access to the area. Reports said the family purchased the three-bedroom property in 2024 and had previously lived in Cabramatta. Investigations into the attack are ongoing.