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| Australia Sea beach Gun shooting news. (image: Getty Images) |
According to New South Wales police, Naveed Akram, the surviving suspect in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, has been charged with 59 offenses, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. Akram, 24, was critically injured during the incident. An altercation of fire with police on the scene claimed the life of his 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram. The attack, which targeted Australia's Jewish community at a Hanukkah celebration, resulted in the deaths of 15 people and the injuries of dozens more. Since 1996, it was the nation's deadliest shooting.
Akram also faces 40 charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, as well as one charge of causing a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol.
According to the local New South Wales court, Akram had his first hearing from his hospital bed. The case has been adjourned until April 2026, the court added.
Mal Lanyon, the commissioner of the New South Wales Police, stated earlier on Wednesday that they would not officially question Akram until the effects of the medication had worn off. "For his fairness, we need him to understand what is exactly happening," Lanyon said.
17 people are still being treated in Sydney hospitals as of Wednesday evening local time. Four others are described as critical but stable, and one is in critical condition. Police have designated the attack a terrorist incident, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying it appears to have been "motivated by Islamic State" group ideology.
On Tuesday, it emerged that the father and son had travelled to the Philippines in November.
The Philippine immigration bureau told the BBC that they were in the country from 1 November to 28 November. Their final destination was the southern city of Davao, an immigration spokesperson said.
Border officials in Manila told the BBC that Naveed Akram used an Australian passport to travel to the Philippines, whereas his father Sajid used an Indian passport. Sajid Akram was originally from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, but had "limited contact" with his family there, a police official from the Indian state of Telangana said.
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| Gun shooting at australian sea bach(Image: Sutter stock) |
Two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl whose family gave her the name Matilda were among the victims of the attack. Boris and Sofia Gurman, a couple filmed wrestling with one of the gunmen during the early stages of the attack, were also among the victims.
Another 27 people were taken to hospital with injuries, including two police officers.
His family said in a statement that one of the officers, identified as 22-year-old Jack Hibbert, has lost vision in one eye and faces a "long and challenging recovery." At the first funeral for the shooting victims, thousands gathered earlier in the day to mourn British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was not present. Asked on ABC NewsRadio about his absence, he said: "I would attend anything that I'm invited to. These are funerals that are taking place to farewell people's loved ones."
The Jewish community has criticised Albanese for not taking enough action on antisemitism - he defended himself against those accusations, telling ABC NewsRadio he had taken a series of measures including appointing the country's first antisemitism envoy, toughening hate speech laws and increasing funding for social cohesion projects and Jewish institutions.
Speaking at Rabbi Schlanger's funeral, Rabbi Levi Wolff described his death as an "unspeakable loss" for the community.
"Eli was ripped away from us, doing what he loved best," he said.
"Spreading love and joy and caring for his people with endless self-sacrifice in his life and in his death, he towered above as one of the highest and holiest souls."
Rabbi Schlanger had helped organise Sunday's Hanukkah event.
Funerals for the other victims are expected to happen over the coming days, including for the youngest victim, Matilda, on Thursday.
Source: BBC
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