Australian authorities have identified the gunmen behind the deadly attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach as a father and son, an assault that claimed at least 15 lives.
Police identified the suspects as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram. Sajid died after police shot him during a confrontation at the scene. At the same time, officers arrested Naveed and took him to the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition under police guard.
According to police, the attackers opened fire on crowds with long-barrelled firearms, sparking panic at one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations on a clear Sunday afternoon. Investigators say Sajid held legal licences for six firearms, all of which they believe the attackers used during the shooting.
Authorities said 42 people were hospitalised, including two police officers. The youngest victim was a 10-year-old girl, who later died in a children’s hospital. The oldest victim was 87.
BREAKING: Bondi Beach attackers were a 50-year-old and 24-year-old father and son.
The father, now deceased, had six firearms licensed to him.
New South Wales police commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed police are not looking for a third offender.https://t.co/zc1kMYxkES pic.twitter.com/I7dceUsy9y
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 14, 2025Australian media reported that the two men had told family members they were travelling to the South Coast for a fishing trip.
Naveed Akram, whom officers apprehended at the scene, faces allegations of involvement in the shooting. At the same time, his father, a fruit shop owner, died in a gunfight with police, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Verena, Naveed’s mother, said her son last contacted the family on Sunday morning, just a few hours before the attack.
Read: Sydney Bondi Beach Shooting Leaves 10 Dead, Multiple Injured
“He told me he had gone for a swim and scuba diving,” she said, adding that he claimed to be in Jervis Bay with his father. She said she struggled to recognise her son in images from the scene and insisted she did not believe he was capable of violence.
Bondi Beach attackers were a 50-year-old and 24-year-old father and son.
The father, now deceased, had six firearms licensed to him. Police isn’t looking for a third shooter. #bondibeach pic.twitter.com/fl1TtZnrXH
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) December 14, 2025“He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, and he doesn’t mix with bad company,” she said. “He goes to work, comes home, and exercises. Anyone would wish for a son like him.”
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Naveed Akram was an unemployed bricklayer who lost his job around two months ago after his employer became insolvent. His family said he had been actively looking for work.
He attended Cabramatta High School and was described by relatives as quiet and not particularly social. His hobbies included fishing, swimming, scuba diving, and fitness.
A 2022 social media post tagged Naveed indicated he had completed Koran studies at the Al-Murad Institute in western Sydney. The family lives in a three-bedroom house purchased in 2024, after previously residing in Cabramatta. Naveed lived there with his parents, a sister and a younger brother.
Police said investigations are ongoing as authorities work to establish motive and assess whether the attack had broader ideological or extremist links.
