A man accused of opening fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach has been formally charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism, police announced on Wednesday.
The alleged father‑and‑son pair unleashed a torrent of gunfire at the holiday gathering on Sunday, claiming 15 lives and sending shockwaves through the nation, while intensifying fears of growing antisemitism and violent extremism. Funerals for the victims started on Wednesday amid anger over how the gunmen were able to acquire powerful firearms.
Sajid Akram, aged 50, was shot dead by police on the scene, while his 24‑year‑old son Naveed Akram, who had been in a coma, emerged from hospital care on Tuesday after police also fired at him. New South Wales Police said the charges against Naveed comprise 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with an attempt to murder, a terror offence and other related allegations.
“We will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,” the statement read. Early indications suggest the attack was inspired by ISIS, a designated terrorist organisation in Australia. Naveed Akram remains in a Sydney hospital under tight police protection and will appear via video link before a local court on Monday.
The father and son had travelled to the southern Philippines, a region long plagued by Islamist militancy, weeks before the shooting that Australian police say was inspired by Islamic State. President Donald Trump referenced the tragedy during a Hanukkah event at the White House, saying the attackers had been involved in a “horrific and antisemitic terrorist attack.”
The state of New South Wales has pledged to reconvene parliament on December 22 to pass sweeping gun reforms and new protest‑law measures. Premier Chris Minns said the reforms would cap the number of firearms a single person could own and restrict certain types of shotguns. He also noted the government would consider tougher rules on large street protests after terror incidents to curb further tension.
The funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, an assistant rabbi at Chabad Bondi Synagogue and a devoted father of five, took place Wednesday. The rabbi was renowned for visiting prisons and engaging with Jewish residents in public housing.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced criticism that his centre‑left government did not do enough to curb antisemitism during the Israel‑Gaza conflict, but he stated the government would work with the Jewish community “to stamp out and eradicate antisemitism from our society.”
The government and intelligence services are under pressure to explain how Sajid Akram was allowed to obtain the high‑powered rifles used in the attack, with Albanese noting that a 2019 domestic‑intelligence review found no evidence of a threat at the time.
One of the most heroic acts emerged from Ahmed al‑Ahmed, 43, who tackled a gunman to disarm him and suffered gunshot wounds. He is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday.
His uncle told Reuters that Ahmed is a hero and that families back home in Syria are proud of him. The family of 22‑year‑old police officer Jack Hibbert, shot twice during the incident, said the officer had lost sight in one eye and faces a “long and challenging recovery” ahead.
Twenty‑three people remain in hospitals across Sydney, according to Premier Minns.
Other victims included a Holocaust survivor, a married couple who first approached the gunmen before the shooting began, and a 10‑year‑old girl named Matilda. Matilda’s father urged the community to remember her at a Bondi vigil, describing her name as the most “Australian” he could think of. Swimmers on Bondi Beach observed a minute’s silence, and a planned New Year’s Eve party was canceled.
“This week has obviously been very profound, and this morning, I definitely feel a sense of the community getting together, and a sense of everyone sitting together,” said Archie Kalaf, a 24‑year‑old Bondi resident, to Reuters. “Everyone’s grieving, everyone’s understanding and processing it in their own way.”
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