The family of Sajid Akram — one of the gunmen involved in the shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia — said they were shocked by the news and had not been in touch with him for many years. Sajid Akram’s brother, who lives in Hyderabad, told TNM that Sajid had left Hyderabad for Australia more than 25 years ago and later married a Christian, after which the family cut ties with him.
According to sources, Indian authorities visited the family and collected details. The brother said that their mother, who is an octogenarian, has been unwell, and Sajid had not even enquired about her.
A source in the government said that Sajid’s father, after coming back from Saudi Arabia many years ago, bought an apartment in Hyderabad. Around this time, Sajid left for Australia in 1998 on a student visa. Indian agencies have found in a preliminary probe that Sajid came to Hyderabad a few years ago and the brothers had a fallout over property. Sajid’s other family members in Hyderabad will also be questioned.
The shooting took place on the evening of December 14 near Bondi Beach, where a crowd had gathered for a Hanukkah celebration. Sajid (50) and his son Naveed (24) opened fire at the gathering killing 15 people, while at least 24 were injured and undergoing treatment. While Sajid was shot dead by the police at the scene, Naveed, who was in hospital in a coma, has regained consciousness.
Several witnesses to the crime recorded videos which have since been widely circulated on social media. The videos show two gunmen opening fire from a footbridge overlooking a park near the beach.
According to a report by Time Magazine, the first shots were fired around 6.42 pm, triggering panic as people fled the area. One of the gunmen, dressed in black, remained on the bridge firing towards the park, while the other, wearing white pants, moved closer to the crowd.
Nearly three minutes into the attack, a bystander – identified as 43-year-old Ahmed-al-Ahmed – intervened after seeing the gunman in white reload his weapon. Ahmed tackled the shooter and briefly disarmed him before retreating. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and remains in hospital after undergoing surgery. Shortly after this, the gunman returned to the bridge and resumed firing with a different weapon.
Police soon engaged the attackers in a prolonged exchange of gunfire. Video footage shows the gunman in white being shot by a police officer from behind approximately four-and-a-half minutes into the attack. The second gunman continued firing before turning towards the police and was shot multiple times, eventually collapsing on the bridge. Despite attempts to get back up, he was shot again and fell to the ground.
In the minutes that followed, bystanders approached the scene even as police continued to secure the area. Officers were seen providing first aid to the gunmen, one of whom appeared to be dead, while others restrained the growing crowd.
At a press conference on Monday, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said that the younger man could face criminal charges depending on his medical condition. Lanyon also said the deceased gunman was a licensed firearms holder who legally owned six firearms and that police were not searching for any additional suspects.
Australian police also confirmed that the two gunmen had travelled to the Philippines last month, where they stayed for 28 days before returning to Australia. Philippine immigration authorities said Sajid Akram travelled on an Indian passport, while Naveed Akram used an Australian passport. Both entered the country on November 1 and departed on November 28, declaring the southern city of Davao as their destination. Investigators said the purpose of the trip is under examination as part of the broader probe into the attack.