Suspect in Bondi Beach Killings Is Charged With Murder and Terrorism
The surviving suspect from the mass shooting that occurred at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, has been charged with murder, terrorism, and intentionally causing grievous bodily harm, according to police officials. The tragic incident during a beachside Hanukkah celebration on Sunday resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals, including a 10-year-old girl and a Holocaust survivor with 11 grandchildren. Authorities indicated that the two gunmen, identified as a father and son, were shot by police; one was killed at the scene, while the other was taken to a medical facility. The investigation suggests their actions were driven by antisemitism linked to Islamic State ideology.
The younger perpetrator, aged 24, had been in a coma until Tuesday afternoon, as stated by Mal Lanyon, the police commissioner for New South Wales. He is currently hospitalized under police supervision. During a video bail hearing on Wednesday, no bail was sought, as per the court’s charge document. The individual, named Naveed Akram in the charge sheet, faces a total of 59 charges, including displaying a symbol associated with a terrorist organization and using explosives with the intention to inflict harm. Previous reports indicated that two black Islamic State flags and homemade explosive devices were discovered in the vehicle used by the gunmen.
Another suspect has been identified as Sajid Akram, 50 years old. Australian authorities are probing a trip the two took last month to the southern Philippines, a region where Islamist militant groups have a history of activity, some linked to the Islamic State. On Wednesday, the Philippine National Security Council released a statement confirming no verified reports or evidence that the individuals involved in the Bondi Beach incident underwent any sort of training in the Philippines.
The formal charges surfaced as the initial funerals of the victims from Australia’s worst mass shooting in 30 years commenced on Wednesday. Large crowds gathered for the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a prominent figure in organizing the beachside Hanukkah event. Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, his father-in-law, remarked that the aim of the attackers was likely for the Jewish community to cower in fear; however, he believed Mr. Schlanger would have encouraged them to act contrary to that instinct. “Let’s take off our mezuzas, take off our yarmulkes, never go to Bondi Beach again because that’s where it happened.’ But that’s not the answer,” he expressed during his eulogy. “Eli lived and breathed this idea: We can never ever allow them not only to succeed, but every time they try something, become greater and stronger.” Additional funerals for other members of Bondi’s close-knit Jewish community were scheduled for Wednesday. The youngest victim, identified only by her first name, Matilda, at the request of her family, is expected to be interred on Thursday.
Numerous others sustained injuries in the shooting, with 20 persons still hospitalized as of Wednesday. Among the injured were two police officers who responded to the scene, including a 22-year-old probationary officer, who had just begun his duties four months prior and lost sight in one eye, as conveyed by New South Wales police. As mourners continued to gather at the shooting site on Wednesday to pay their respects, some directed sharp criticism at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s administration, claiming inadequacy in response to prior alerts about the escalating antisemitism in the nation. Josh Frydenberg, a former treasurer from the conservative Liberal Party, asserted that Mr. Albanese should be held accountable for the fatalities. “We as a Jewish community have been abandoned and left alone by our government,” he stated.
Mr. Albanese defended his administration’s actions, highlighting that his government established Australia’s first antisemitism envoy and enacted laws against hate speech, stressing his condemnation of the apparent antisemitic motivations driving the attack. “This was ISIS-inspired extremist ideology leading to a terrorist act that has resulted in tragic consequences for the Jewish community in Sydney with an attack taking place at an iconic destination,” he noted on Wednesday. “I have made that front and center.” Officials in Australia announced on Wednesday that, in addition to enhancing gun regulations, they would implement measures to prevent mass protests in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. This initiative seems focused on restricting large demonstrations similar to one held in August, where protesters supporting Palestinians in Gaza occupied the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Chris Minns, the New South Wales premier, stated he would introduce legislation allowing police to deny a protest application if it might strain resources. “Protests right now in Sydney would be incredibly terrible for our community. In fact, that would rip apart our community, particularly protests about international events,” he remarked.
Published: 2025-12-17 08:52:00
source: www.nytimes.com
