Bondi Beach shooters: Everything we know about 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed AkramKimberley BraddishThe NightlyMon, 15 December 2025 8:22AMCommentsCommentsEmail Kimberley Braddish
Police have confirmed the Bondi Beach terror attack was allegedly carried out by a father and son, and say they are not searching for any other suspects.
The pair have been identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s south-west, who had been staying in Campsie in the lead-up to the shooting.
Who are the alleged gunmen?
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the older man was killed, while his son remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition under police guard.
Police allege the two men opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, leaving at least 15 people dead and many more injured.
Mr Lanyon confirmed the 50-year-old held a firearms licence and had been a licensed gun owner in NSW for about a decade. He told reporters that licensed firearms were used in the attack and that the father had six registered guns.
Raids and seized firearms
Overnight, officers raided properties linked to the pair in Bonnyrigg and Campsie, seizing six firearms belonging to the older man. “Ballistics and forensic investigation will determine those six firearms are the six that were licensed to that man,” Mr Lanyon said.
“We will continue to investigate this matter thoroughly,” he added, as detectives worked to map the men’s movements in the days before the attack. Large sections of Bondi Beach remain a crime scene as police and forensic teams continue to comb the area.
Bondi shooter’s mother in shock
The mother of Naveed Akram has broken her silence, revealing what her son said to her before the deadly shooting.
Naveed’s mother, Verna, who appeared shocked by the horrific mass shooting, said her son, the alleged gunman who is still alive, is a “good boy”.
Verna says her son told her he was on a weekend away in Jervis Bay on the NSW coast when she last spoke to him on Sunday morning.
“He rings me up and said, ‘Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving’,” Verna said, according to the SMH.
She claimed he also said: “We’re going … to eat now, and then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot.”
The mother was reportedly in disbelief over her son’s involvement, saying he did not own a gun. Sajid, however, owned six guns.
NSW Police on Monday confirmed Sajid held a gun licence for around 10 years.
“He (Naveed) doesn’t have a firearm,” Verna said.
“He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix around 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.
“Anyone would wish to have a son like my son … he’s a good boy.”
Naveed lives with his mother and father at a property in Bonnyrig in Sydney’s west.
It is understood other family members also live at the home.
Akram had been working as a bricklayer until about two months ago, when he lost his job after the company he worked for became insolvent. He had since been searching for new work.
Although Akram had plenty of friends from his days at Cabramatta High School, Verena said he had never been especially outgoing and didn’t seem to spend much time online. Outside of work, he enjoyed fishing, scuba diving, swimming, and keeping fit.
A now-deleted social media post from 2022 appears to show Akram celebrating his completion of Koran studies at the Al‑Murad Institute in Heckenberg, which offers classes in Arabic and Islamic studies.
Motive and early investigation
The Commissioner said there was “no indication” either man had been planning the attack ahead of time and declined to comment on any possible motive. “We’re still very early in the investigation, we’re happy to provide information,” he said.
“I want to give our investigators the opportunity to investigate thoroughly without speculation. We heard a lot of information was coming forward. I want to make sure it’s accurate … our investigation will be thorough.” He confirmed police and ASIO were aware of the 24-year-old but had no intelligence that an attack was being prepared.
Bondi beach attack
At least 15 people were killed when the pair allegedly opened fire on crowds gathered for a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as beach goers fled and emergency services raced to treat the wounded.
Mr Lanyon gave no further details about “improvised explosives” that were reportedly found in a car linked to one of the alleged shooters near the beach.
The bomb squad removed the suspected devices, and the exclusion zone at Bondi was later scaled back, although parts of the foreshore remain cordoned off.
Terror threat level
NSW Police have declared the shooting a terrorist incident and are being supported by the Australian Federal Police and ASIO. ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said the national terrorism threat level remains set at “probable”, meaning authorities believe there is a greater than 50 per cent chance of a terror attack or planning in the next year.
“I don’t see that changing at this stage,” he said, describing the Bondi Beach shooting as a “horrific act” on Australian soil.
If you have been affected by the Bondi attack, support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Children can call the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
The NSW Mental Health Line is available on 1800 011 511.
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails
Read more on The West Australian
