Bondi shooter from Hyderabad; family cut ties over Christian wife
What's the story
The family of Sajid Akram, one of the gunmen behind the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney, Australia, had immigrated from India in 1998 while his son was born in Australia, ThePrint reported. "He hailed from Old Hyderabad city and still has family here, including two brothers," a source told ThePrint. They said Sajid did not even fly to India when his father died in 2009, and that his last visit to the country was in 2022.
Family background
Sajid's father bought apartment in Hyderabad
Speaking to TNM, his family expressed shock at their actions. They said they had severed ties with Sajid years ago. Sajid's brother told TNM that he had moved to Australia over 25 years ago and married a Christian woman, leading to their estrangement. The sources said after Sajid's father returned from Saudi Arabia long ago, he bought an apartment in Hyderabad. Indian agencies found that Sajid had visited Hyderabad a few years ago, but there was fallout over property matters.
Attack details
Bondi Beach shooting leaves 15 dead, 24 injured
Earlier, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration informed Reuters that the father-son duo visited the nation last month, with Sajid using an Indian passport. They arrived and departed on the same flight on November 28, weeks before the incident occurred, the bureau said. "The reasons why they went to the Philippines, and the purpose of that, and where they went, is under investigation at the moment," New South Wales Police commissioner Mal Lanyon told reporters.
Video evidence
Eyewitness videos capture Bondi Beach shooting
In a press conference on Tuesday, Lanyon confirmed the recovery of two homemade ISIS flags from the vehicle used by the two. "I also confirmed that the vehicle which is registered to the younger male contained IEDs. But I also confirm that it contained two homemade ISIS flags," he said. Lanyon also said that the duo had travelled to the Philippines but refused to reveal details around their travel there or their association with ISIS.
Official statement
New South Wales Police Commissioner addresses media
While he didn't confirm their links to ISIS, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese stated that the attack was driven by the terror group's ideology. He called the attack "meticulous, calculated, and cold-blooded" and said the investigation so far indicated that the father-son duo acted alone. Lanyon said criminal charges could be filed against Naveed. He also confirmed that the deceased gunman was a licensed firearms holder with six legally owned weapons.
Heroic intervention
Bystander intervenes, gunmen continue firing
The Bondi Beach shooting occurred on December 14 during a Hanukkah celebration. Sajid (50) and his son Naveed (24) opened fire on the crowd, killing 15 and injuring at least 24 others. While Sajid was killed by police at the scene, Naveed has since regained consciousness after being hospitalized in a coma. A bystander, 43-year-old Ahmed-al-Ahmed, intervened after seeing one of the gunmen reload his weapon. Ahmed tackled him and briefly disarmed him but was shot multiple times in return.