Bondi Beach turned from a place of celebration into a scene of horror when a father-and-son duo allegedly launched a terrorist attack on a Jewish Hanukkah event. The incident, described as Australia’s worst mass shooting in decades, claimed 15 lives and left dozens injured. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Bondi Beach shooting, the suspects, their preparations, and the ongoing investigation.
The Attack: Timeline of the Bondi Beach Chanukah Shooting
The target was the “Chanukah by the Sea 2025” event in Archer Park, a family-friendly gathering marking the start of Hanukkah. Around 6:50 pm on December 14, two armed men—identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram—allegedly positioned themselves on a footbridge overlooking the crowd.
- They threw four improvised explosive devices (IEDs)—three aluminum pipe bombs and one tennis ball bomb filled with black powder and steel ball bearings—into the crowd. Fortunately, none detonated, though police confirmed they were “viable.”
- The pair then opened fire with three firearms, including shotguns and a rifle, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more.
- Police responded swiftly: Sajid Akram was fatally shot at the scene, while Naveed was wounded in the abdomen, hospitalized in critical condition, and later arrested.
Months of Planning: Firearms Training, Pipe Bombs, and Reconnaissance
Court documents and police statements reveal the attack was “meticulously planned for many months”:
- October 2025: Videos on Naveed’s phone show the pair conducting tactical firearms training in rural New South Wales, firing shotguns and moving strategically. Another clip depicts them in front of an IS flag, with Naveed reciting Qur’an passages in Arabic and both condemning “Zionists” while outlining their motives for the Bondi attack.
- November 2025: The Akrams traveled to the Philippines, staying in Davao City—movements now under investigation.
- Early December: Naveed rented an Airbnb in Campsie, Sydney, where weapons and bomb-making materials were later found.
- December 12: CCTV captured them conducting reconnaissance at Archer Park, walking the footbridge they would later use.
- December 14: Hours before the attack, they loaded weapons, IEDs, and IS flags into their vehicle and drove to Bondi.
Searches of their properties uncovered additional items: a homemade firearm, bow and arrows, more explosives, and a highlighted Qur’an.
Charges and Court Updates
Naveed Akram faces 59 charges, including:
- 15 counts of murder
- 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder (for injured survivors)
- 1 count of committing a terrorist act
He appeared in court via video from hospital on December 21 and was transferred to prison shortly after. The case is set for further mention in February 2026.