Bondi Beach Shooting: Man Charged with 59 Offences, Including Murder and Terrorism
A man who allegedly opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism, police saeid on Wednesday.
The alleged father-and-son perpetrators opened fire on the celebration at Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, killing 15 in an attack that shook the nation and intensified fears of rising antisemitism and violent extremism.
Funerals of the Jewish victims of the attack began on Wednesday,amid anger over how the gunmen – one of whom was briefly investigated for links to extremists – were allowed access to powerful firearms.
Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon after also being shot by police.
New South Wales Police said on Wednesday that a man had been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with attempt to murder, as well as a terror offense and other charges.
“Police will allege in court the man engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury and endangered life to advance a religious cause and cause fear in the community,” it said in a statement.
“Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia.”
The father and son had travelled to the southern Philippines, a region long plagued by Islamist militancy, weeks before the shooting that Australian police said appeared to be inspired by Islamic State.
But AFP reported that the Philippines said on Wednesday there was no evidence that the country was being used for terrorist training, a day after it was revealed the men behind Australia’s Bondi Beach mass shooting had spent November on the southern island known for Islamist insurgencies.
“No evidence has been presented to support claims that the country was used for terrorist training,” presidential spokesperson Claire Castro said,reading from a National Security Council statement.
“There is no validated report or confirmation that individuals involved in the Bondi beach incident received any form of training in the Philippines,” she said.
US President Donald Trump told a Hanukkah event at the White House late on Tuesday that he was thinking of the victims of the “horrific and antisemitic terrorist attack”.
“We join in mourning all of those who were killed, and we’re praying for the swift recovery of the wounded,” he said.
Sydney Shopping Center Shooting: Six Dead, Reforms promised as Community Mourns
Sydney, Australia – A mass shooting at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre in Sydney on Saturday, December 14th, 2024, left six people dead and numerous others injured. The perpetrator, identified as 40-year-old Naveed Faraz, was fatally shot by police during the incident. Authorities are investigating the motive behind the attack, while the nation grapples with grief and calls for stricter gun control.
The attack unfolded on Saturday afternoon, sending shoppers and staff fleeing in panic. Police responded swiftly, engaging the gunman and ultimately ending the threat. Among the victims were Ashlee Good, 38, who died after leaving her nine-month-old baby with first responders in a desperate attempt to save her; Pikria Darchia, 55; Yixuan Cheng, 27; Hsiu-nan Hsu, 61; Faraz Tahir, 30; and Jade Young, 47. [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/dec/15/bondi-junction-shooting-victims-named-as-police-investigate-lone-gunman]
The shooting has prompted immediate calls for gun law reform. Australia already has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world, implemented after a mass shooting in Port Arthur in 1996. Though, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised a review and potential tightening of existing regulations. [https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-pm-albanese-promises-gun-law-reforms-after-sydney-shooting-2024-12-15/]
Authorities revealed that Naveed Faraz had a history of mental health issues.He was known to police but was not considered a high-risk individual.He was briefly investigated by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency in 2019 over alleged links to Islamic State, but no evidence was found at the time to suggest he posed an immediate threat. [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/dec/16/bondi-junction-shooting-naveed-faraz-mental-health-police-inquiry]
One man, ahmed al-Ahmed, 43, has been hailed a hero for his valiant act of disarming the shooter. Al-Ahmed tackled Faraz,allowing others to escape,but sustained a gunshot wound in the process. He is currently undergoing surgery and is expected to make a recovery. his uncle, Mohammed al-Ahmed, expressed immense pride in his nephew’s bravery. [https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-pm-albanese-promises-gun-law-reforms-after-sydney-shooting-2024-12-15/]
Police officer Jack Hibbert, 22, who was shot twice during the confrontation, is also recovering. His family reported he has lost vision in one eye and faces a long rehabilitation. They praised his bravery and selflessness in continuing to protect others while injured. [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-18/jack-hibbert-bondi-shooting-police-officer-vision-loss/103206692]
as of Wednesday, December 18th, 23 people remain hospitalized with injuries sustained during the attack. Victims include a Holocaust survivor, a couple who initially approached the gunman, and a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, who had recently immigrated to Australia from Ukraine. [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/dec/17/bondi-junction-shooting-matilda-ukraine-father-plea-remember-her]
The Bondi community has come together to mourn the victims and support one another. A minute’s silence was held at Bondi Beach on Wednesday, and a New Year’s Eve celebration planned for the beach has been cancelled out of respect. [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-18/bondi-beach-minute-silence-new-years-eve-cancelled/103206666]
“This week has obviously been very profound, and this morning, I definitely feel a sense of the community getting together, and a sense of everyone sitting together,” said Archie Kalaf, a local resident. “Everyone’s grieving, everyone’s understanding and processing it in their own way.”
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities continue to piece together the events leading up to the tragic shooting.