Naveed Akram: 5 key things to know about Bondi Beach shooting suspect
A mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney resulted in 12 fatalities and many injuries. Naveed Akram is one of the suspected gunmen identified by authorities.
Australian authorities are continuing to investigate a deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left at least 12 people dead and dozens injured, according to reports by ABC News. The attack unfolded on Sunday evening as per local time, as crowds gathered at the popular beachfront location.
The shooting prompted a massive emergency response from police and ambulance services.
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Law enforcement sources have since identified Naveed Akram, a man from Sydney’s south-west, as one of the alleged gunmen involved in the attack.
The shooting has raised questions about how the attack unfolded, the background of the suspected gunmen, and what is known so far about their connection to authorities. As investigators work to establish more details, here are five key things we know about Naveed Akram and the Bondi Beach shooting.
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1. Identified by police sources; key details unclear
A senior law enforcement official told ABC News that one of the two suspected gunmen was Naveed Akram, a Sydney resident from the suburb of Bonnyrigg. The source said police were conducting a raid at his home on Sunday night as part of the investigation.
However, authorities have not confirmed publicly whether Akram was the shooter who died at the scene or the one taken into custody in critical condition. NSW Police have said one attacker was killed during the incident, while the second was hospitalised under police guard.
2. Attack unfolded during major public gathering
The shooting occurred at around 6:45pm AEDT, at the Bondi Beach, where crowds had gathered for the first night of Hanukkah.
According to ABC News, at least 12 people were killed, including one of the alleged gunmen. Twenty-nine others, among them two police officers, were injured and taken to hospitals across Sydney.
3. Witnesses described shooters opening fire from bridge
Footage and eyewitness accounts indicate that two men dressed in black opened fire from a small footbridge near the Bondi playground car park.
A witness said the gunmen fired into a crowd gathered below, describing how they “mowed down” people. The witness said the shooting lasted roughly 10 minutes and called the scene “absolute hell on Earth”.
4. One gunman was disarmed by bystander
New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns said footage showing a man disarming one of the shooters was unlike anything he had seen before. He described the moment as “the most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen.”
Police have not yet released details about the civilian who intervened.
5. Police say suspect not high-risk individual
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said one of the shooters was known to police, but only in a very limited capacity.
“The person that we know has very, very little knowledge to the police,” he told reporters, adding that the individual was not someone authorities would have been actively monitoring.
The Bondi Beach area remains a major crime scene, with a large police and forensic presence. Authorities have urged the public to avoid speculation as investigations continue, while support services have been activated for victims, witnesses and the wider community.
Further updates are expected as NSW Police release confirmed identities and establish the circumstances that led to the attack.
