‘Done swimming, going to eat now’: What ‘good boy’ Naveed told mother before launching Sydney Bondi Beach attack
Naveed Akram's mother, Verena, told the Sydney Morning Herald that her son had last contacted the family just hours before the mass shooting on Sunday
Naveed Akram, the 24-year-old alleged shooter who opened fire at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach along with his father Sajid Akhtar, killing 15 people, has been described as a “good boy” by his mother, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The father-son duo had reportedly told their family that they were going for a fishing trip to Australia’s South Coast.
According to a Reuters report, Naveed was arrested at the scene, while his father, a fruit shop owner, was killed during a faceoff with the police, taking the death toll to 16.
Naveed's mother, Verena, told the Sydney Morning Herald that her son had last contacted the family just hours before the mass shooting on Sunday.
"He rings me up [on Sunday] and said, 'Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We're going ... to eat now, and we're going to stay home now because it's very hot'," she said, adding that he told her he was in Jervis Bay with his father.
Naveed Akram’s mother insisted that she did not believe her son could be involved in violence or extremist activity.
"He doesn't have a firearm. He doesn't even go out. He doesn't mix around with friends. He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't go to bad places ... he goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise, and that's it. Anyone would wish to have a son like my son ... he's a good boy,” she told the media outlet.
The 24-year-old assailant is a Pakistani national, according to unnamed US intelligence officials cited by CBS. CBS News further said it reviewed his New South Wales driver's licence too.
Australian PM calls Sydney Bondi Beach shooting ‘pure evil’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday called the shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach “an act of pure evil” and said that the country was mourning its dead by flying national flags at half mast.
Albanese laid flowers at the entrance of the Bondi Pavilion on the beach, where the father-son duo allegedly opened fire.
"What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations," news agency AFP quoted Albanese as telling a news conference.
He also added that Australia is mourning the dead by flying flags at half-mast on Monday.
