One of the gunmen responsible for the horrific mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach has regained consciousness, Australian media reported on Tuesday night. Naveed Akram, 24, woke from a coma and remains under armed police guard in hospital, becoming a pivotal figure in the investigation into the attack that claimed 15 lives at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.
The Attack and Its Aftermath
The violence erupted on Sunday evening at a crowded Hanukkah event, where approximately 1,000 people had gathered. Authorities state that Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, used long-barrelled firearms to deliberately target Jewish attendees. Police shot and killed Sajid at the scene, while his son was critically injured and hospitalised.
The attack resulted in a devastating loss of life. Among the 15 victims were a 10-year-old girl, two Holocaust survivors, and a married couple who were killed while trying to intervene. In total, 42 people were hospitalised, including two police officers wounded in the gunfight. Australia began burying its dead on Wednesday, with the first funeral held for Eli Schlanger, a father of five known as the "Bondi rabbi."
Investigations Point to Extremist Motive
Investigators have labelled the assault an act of terrorism, motivated by extremist ideology. Two homemade Islamic State flags were found in a car registered to Naveed Akram near the beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the shooting as a clear act of antisemitism aimed at terrorising the Jewish community, stating it "would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology."
Authorities are probing the attackers' possible overseas connections, examining a recent trip by the duo to the southern Philippines where they may have met Islamist extremists. It has also emerged that Naveed Akram was known to Australia's intelligence agency in 2019 but was not considered an imminent threat at the time.
National Response and Future Steps
In the wake of the tragedy, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns formally declared the incident an act of terrorism, activating a joint federal-state counter-terrorism operation. Prime Minister Albanese convened a meeting with state and territory leaders, agreeing to explore stricter gun control measures.
The proposed reforms include:
- Stricter background checks for firearm licenses.
- Barring non-nationals from obtaining gun licences.
- Implementing further limits on legal firearms.
With Naveed Akram now conscious, investigators are poised to question him directly, hoping to uncover the full extent of the planning behind an attack that has profoundly shaken the nation. As Australia mourns, the focus turns to both justice for the victims and preventing such a tragedy from ever occurring again.
