As dawn broke over Sydney\u2019s Bondi Beach on Tuesday, the sand was quiet, the surf gentle, and the shock still heavy in the air. Flowers piled up near the Bondi Pavilion, just metres from where, a day earlier, gunfire had shattered one of Australia\u2019s most beloved public spaces, killing 15 people and leaving dozens wounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Australian police say the attack \u2014 one of the country\u2019s deadliest mass shootings \u2014 was carried out by a father and son, Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24. Sajid was killed by police at the scene, while Naveed remains in critical condition in hospital after being shot. The final death toll stands at 16, including Sajid himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday, Indian police confirmed that Sajid Akram was originally from Hyderabad, the capital of India\u2019s southern Telangana state. Yet authorities in India were quick to distance the country from any role in the men\u2019s alleged radicalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe factors that led to their radicalisation appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana,\u201d the state police said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to investigators, Sajid Akram migrated to Australia in 1998 after completing a commerce degree in Hyderabad. He later married a woman of European origin and settled into life in Australia, raising two children. Telangana police said he had no criminal record in India and visited the country six times over the years, largely for family reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Family members, police added, expressed no knowledge of his alleged extremist beliefs or activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trail now under scrutiny stretches beyond Australia and India to Southeast Asia. Australian authorities confirmed that both Sajid and Naveed travelled to the Philippines last month, arriving on November 1 and departing on November 28. Immigration officials in Manila said Sajid entered on an Indian passport, while Naveed used an Australian one. Their listed final destination was Davao, in the southern Philippines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The purpose of the trip remains unclear. Officials said it was too early to conclude whether the men had links to any terrorist organisation or received training during their stay. Philippine police have launched their own investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Philippines has long been a concern for security agencies, with weakened but still active Islamic State-linked networks operating in parts of the country\u2019s south. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said early indications suggested the Bondi Beach attack was inspired by Islamic State ideology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese are the alleged actions of those who have aligned themselves with a terrorist organisation, not a religion,\u201d Barrett said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police said a vehicle registered to Naveed Akram contained improvised explosive devices and homemade flags associated with Islamic State, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by Australia and many other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the assessment, saying the attack appeared to be driven by \u201cIslamic State ideology\u201d. He revealed that Naveed had previously come to the attention of Australia\u2019s intelligence agency in 2019, but was not considered an imminent threat at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey interviewed him, his family members, and people around him,\u201d Albanese said. \u201cHe was not seen then as a person of interest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The attack unfolded over roughly 10 minutes during a Hanukkah celebration, as the gunmen allegedly opened fire on hundreds of people gathered at the beachfront. Victims included a rabbi who was a father of five, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda Britvan. Two police officers were also critically wounded and remain in hospital in stable condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amid the horror, one act of courage stood out. Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old Muslim father of two, charged one of the gunmen and seized his rifle. Shot during the confrontation, he remains hospitalised but has been hailed as a hero around the world. A GoFundMe campaign set up in his name has raised more than A$1.9 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the country mourns, political and social tensions have resurfaced. Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon visited Bondi on Tuesday, urging stronger protections for Australia\u2019s Jewish community. Intelligence officials have warned that anti-Semitism now poses one of the most serious threats to public safety in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The attack has also reignited debate over Australia\u2019s gun laws. Police confirmed Sajid Akram was a licensed gun owner who held six registered firearms, receiving his licence in 2023. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said existing regulations, introduced after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, would be reviewed. Former prime minister John Howard cautioned against allowing the gun debate to overshadow the need to confront rising anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For residents and visitors, Bondi Beach \u2014 normally a symbol of leisure and openness \u2014 has become a place of grief. Under grey skies, locals stopped by the growing memorial, some in silence, others in tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is the country our grandparents came to so we could feel safe,\u201d said Olivia Robertson, a 25-year-old who visited the site before work. \u201cAnd now this has happened right here in our backyard. It\u2019s shocking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As investigators piece together the men\u2019s movements and motives, many questions remain unanswered. What happened in the Philippines? When did radicalisation take hold? And could the warning signs have been missed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now, Bondi waits \u2014 grieving, searching for answers, and trying to make sense of a violence that arrived without warning on a sunny stretch of sand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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