The two men accused of carrying out yesterday’s shooting at Bondi Beach have been identified by local media as a father and son, with investigators now piecing together details of their background and possible motivations.
Australian broadcasters named the gunmen as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who was shot dead at the scene, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, who remains in hospital in a critical condition.
According to Australia’s ABC News, two Islamic State (IS) flags were found inside the gunmen’s vehicle. The broadcaster reported that one of the flags was visible on the bonnet of the car in footage taken from the scene. A senior official told ABC News the discovery is now a key part of the investigation.
Authorities are also examining possible links between the suspects and extremist networks. It is understood that Naveed Akram had previously been assessed by authorities over his close ties to a Sydney-based IS terrorism cell. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Akram first came to official attention in October 2019, but that at the time an “assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence”.
ABC News further reports that Australian counter-terrorism police believe both Sajid and Naveed Akram had pledged allegiance to the IS terrorist group.
Investigators have released additional details about the men. Sajid Akram arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, which was later transferred to a partner visa in 2001 and subsequently to resident return visas. Police confirmed he held a firearms license for recreational hunting and was a member of a gun club.
Naveed Akram, an Australian-born citizen, was previously examined by authorities because of his associations, according to ABC. Despite that scrutiny, the prime minister reiterated that earlier assessments found no evidence he posed an ongoing threat.
Police believe the pair prepared for the attack at a short-term rental property located around a 30-minute drive from Bondi Beach. A single-story grey building in the Sydney suburb of Campsie has become one of the main focuses of the investigation, with officers seen entering and leaving the property as forensic work continues.
Late last night, officers also raided the gunmen’s family home, located about an hour’s drive from the beach. A former neighbor told the BBC she was shocked when she recognized the names involved. “When she saw the news of the shooting, ‘I thought oh my goodness, it can’t be them,’” she said.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing as counter-terrorism police continue to examine the suspects’ movements, communications and any potential support networks, while Naveed Akram remains under guard in hospital.