Sajid and Naveed Akram: What We Know So Far About the Australia’s Bondi Beach Father-and-Son Attackers

Bondi Beach shooting investigation reveals key details about father-and-son attackers Sajid and Naveed Akram, their immigration history, firearms licences, intelligence scrutiny and the events leading to Australia’s deadliest recent terror attack.

WEBDESK – MediaBites

Australian authorities are piecing together the background of Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, identified by local media as the alleged perpetrators of the deadly Bondi Beach shooting. This attack has shaken Australia and sparked intense debate over extremism, gun laws and identity.

The shooting at Bondi Beach left at least 15 people dead, with Sajid Akram killed in an exchange of fire with police. His son Naveed Akram survived and remains under police guard in the hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. The New South Wales Police have not yet formally released the identities of the attackers, but senior government officials have confirmed key details about their backgrounds.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Sajid Akram arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa, later obtaining a partner visa in 2001. He was issued resident return visas on multiple occasions and had legally held six firearms licences for more than a decade, authorities confirmed. Police say all weapons linked to the attack have now been accounted for.

Naveed Akram, the younger suspect, was born in Australia and held Australian citizenship by birth, Burke said. Security agencies have confirmed that Naveed had previously come to the attention of intelligence authorities. According to Australia’s public broadcaster ABC, the domestic intelligence agency ASIO examined Naveed in 2019 for suspected links to a so-called Islamic State-associated network in Sydney. After months of monitoring, he was not assessed as an immediate threat at the time.

ABC further reported that two IS flags were recovered from the attackers’ vehicle, a detail now central to the counterterrorism investigation. Officials have acknowledged that one of the attackers was previously known to authorities, raising difficult questions about intelligence assessments and long-term risk monitoring.

The father and son lived in Bonnyrigg, in southwest Sydney, about an hour from Bondi Beach. Investigators believe they had recently rented accommodation in Campsie, possibly used to plan the attack. Neighbours described the family as quiet and withdrawn, saying the revelations have left the community stunned and fearful.

As investigations continue, the Bondi Beach attack has reignited national debate over antisemitism, gun licensing, intelligence oversight and community safety, with authorities facing growing pressure to explain how a legally armed individual and a previously flagged suspect were able to carry out one of the deadliest attacks in recent Australian history.