The surviving alleged gunman from the Bondi Beach massacre has been charged with 59 criminal offences, including terrorism and murder, over the mass shooting that left 15 people dead during a Jewish community event in Sydney.
Naveed Akram, 24, was formally charged on Wednesday afternoon from his hospital bed, a day after waking from a coma sustained during the police shootout that ended the attack. He did not appear in bail court and made no application for bail, which was formally refused.
Police allege Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, opened fire on crowds attending the Chanukah By The Sea celebration at Bondi Beach on Sunday night.
Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed was critically injured and taken into custody.
According to NSW Police, Akram has been charged with one count of committing a terrorist act, 15 counts of murder, and 40 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder. He also faces additional charges, including discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, publicly displaying a prohibited terrorist symbol, and placing an explosive in or near a building with intent to cause harm.
In a statement, police said they will allege the accused “engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and create fear in the community”. Investigators have said early indications suggest the alleged attack was inspired by Islamic State ideology.
Akram, who is from Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s south-west, was represented in court by barrister Ken Buckman, appearing on behalf of Legal Aid NSW. His matter was mentioned briefly in online bail court on Wednesday afternoon. He is due to return to court on Monday, when prosecutors are expected to seek a suppression order over court documents, before the case resumes again in April.
As authorities continue to identify victims of the attack, Boris Tetleroyd was named on Wednesday as the latest of the 15 people killed. Jewish community leader Edith Brutman, vice-president of B’nai B’rith NSW, was also among those who lost their lives.
Married couple Boris Gurman, 69, and Sofia Gurman, 61, were killed while attempting to intervene and stop Sajid Akram during the shooting. Thirteen of the 15 victims have now been formally identified, including French national Dan Elkayam, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, Alex Kleytman, Reuven Morrison, Peter Meagher, Tibor Weitzen and Marika Pogany. The youngest victim was Matilda, who had just turned 10.
A further 41 people, including four children, were injured in the attack. Twenty victims remain in hospitals across Sydney.
Two police officers were also wounded in the exchange of gunfire. Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, 22, survived gunshot wounds to his head and shoulder but has lost sight in one eye. Constable Scott Dyson, 24, sustained a shoulder injury and underwent emergency surgery.
The Bondi Beach shooting has been formally declared a terrorist incident, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Australia in recent years.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
