The two gunmen responsible for the Bondi Beach shooting that targeted Sydney’s Jewish community have been identified as a father and son, Naveed and Sajid Akram. The attack left 16 people dead, including a child, leaving dozens injured. The massacre is being treated as an act of terrorism.24-year-old Naveed Akram was apprehended at the scene and taken to the hospital, where he remains under police guard in a critical but stable condition. His father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who owned a fruit shop, was killed during the shooting, reports the Sunday Morning Herald. Authorities say the pair had told family members they were going on a weekend fishing trip to Jervis Bay before carrying out the attack.The attack unfolded on Sunday when the two men opened fire from a pedestrian footbridge near Campbell Parade. Crowds of locals, tourists, and participants of the Chanukah by the Sea festival were caught in the attack. Witnesses reported loud bangs, injured people, and a frantic rush as beachgoers fled for their lives.A civilian hero named Ahmed tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen before police could intervene. The brave bystander crouched behind a car, approached the attacker, and wrestled the weapon away, forcing the gunman to retreat until he was later apprehended. The second gunman, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police.The attack raised questions about the police response. Grace Matthews, a survivor who sheltered nearby, told ABC News, “One of my friends was at the festival (and) he said the police were just very underprepared to respond to this kind of a threat. So that was why it required a member of the public, like a civilian, to neutralise one of the threats.” NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon defended the officers, saying they had acted “promptly and professionally.”Authorities are investigating how the pair obtained high-powered weapons and whether there were any accomplices. Police also discovered improvised explosive devices (IEDin the shooters’ vehicle and conducted raids across Sydney, including Naveed Akram’s home in Bonnyrigg.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as an “act of evil anti-Semitism” and pledged to eradicate such violence, emphasising national unity and support for Australia’s Jewish community.
