The identities of the alleged perpetrators in the Bondi beach terror attack that left 15 people dead have been confirmed by police authorities in Australia.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the Bondi beach terror attack which targeted a crowd gathered for a Hanukkah celebration, was said to be allegedly carried out by a father-and-son duo from Sydney’s south-west.
Authorities named the alleged gunmen as Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid Akram, 50.
The attack unfolded on a Sunday evening near the iconic Bondi Beach.
The tragic event saw the two men allegedly open fire from a pedestrian footbridge, targeting hundreds of people gathered for the “Chanukah by the Sea” festival. The victims of the terror attack ranged in age from 10 to 87.
Sajid Akram, a fruit shop owner, was shot by police at the scene. His son, Naveed Akram, was apprehended by law enforcement but was in a critical but stable condition at a Sydney hospital under police guard.
Reports indicate the pair may have used legally obtained firearms in the massacre.
An imam who claimed to have provided Quran lessons to Naveed Akram at Sydney’s Al Murad Institute told the press that he was able to identify the younger shooter from video of the attack as the man he had taught.
Sheikh Adam Ismail, in a statement sent to the press, claimed that Akram had approached the center for lessons in 2019, seeking Quran recitation and Arabic language classes. He continued his lessons for a year.
Sheikh Ismail said: “I condemn this act of violence without any hesitation. What I find deeply ironic is that the very Quran he was learning to recite clearly states that taking one innocent life is like killing all of humanity. This makes it clear that what unfolded yesterday at (Bondi) is completely forbidden in Islam.”
“Not everyone who recites the Quran understands it or lives by its teachings, and sadly, this appears to be the case here,” he said.
Ismail said he produced a video message to clarify his relationship with Naveed Akram after a photograph was circulated of them together from the Al Murad Institute in 2022.
Information emerging about the alleged shooters revealed that the younger man was born in Australia while his father immigrated to the country in 1998.
Naveed’s father, Sajid Akram, was said to have arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa and later transferred to a partner visa in 2001.
In the years since then, he had taken just three trips overseas, returning on a resident return visa each time.
He was said to have held a firearms license for about 10 years, according to police, who seized six guns he owned following the attacks.
“The father has held a firearms license since 2015. We are very much working through the background of both persons” said New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon. But he added that police “know very little about them.”
“He met the eligibility criteria for a firearms license” and held a “recreational hunting license,” Lanyon said.
Meanwhile, following the Bondi beach terror attack Australia’s national Cabinet pledged to eradicate antisemitism, hate, violence and terrorism after meeting today in the wake of the attack.
Ministers discussed the ongoing work to tackle antisemitism, such as establishing the National Hate Crimes and Incidents Database, enhancing security of the Jewish community and cultural sites, and coordinating work across intelligence and police agencies, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office said in a statement.
They also urged overhauling gun laws as an immediate action, the statement said.
“Leaders agreed that yesterday’s horrific anti-Semitic terrorist attack has no place in Australia and that the evil scourge of anti-Semitism must be eradicated,” the statement added.
Below are the names of some of the victims of the Bondi beach terror attack;
Matilda, 10: The youngest victim was described by her aunt as a “very sweet, happy child, with a beautiful smile.”
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41: He was the organizer of the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach. Schlanger was a beloved member of the community and “a devoted rabbi and chaplain,” the Chabad of Bondi said.
Alex Kleytman, 87: The Holocaust survivor died while shielding his wife, Larisa, from one of the gunmen’s bullets, according to the Jewish organization Chabad.
Dan Elkayam: The French national and football fan had recently moved to Australia. His club described him as “an extremely talented and popular figure.”
Rabbi Yaakov Levitan: The secretary of the Sydney Beth Din, Rabbi Levitan was “deeply involved in Chabad operations in Sydney,” the Chabad said.
Reuven Morrison: A businessman and longtime Melbourne resident, Morrison’s “main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart,” the Chabad said.
Peter Meagher: A beloved stalwart of Randwick Rugby, Meagher had served in the New South Wales police force for almost 40 years. He was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event.
Tibor Weitzen, 78: A member of Bondi’s Chabad Synagogue, Weitzen was remembered by his granddaughter as a “sweet grandpa” who “loved life.”
Marika Pogany, 82: An avid volunteer with decades of service, Pogany was fatally shot while attending the Hanukkah event.
