The two men responsible for the Bondi Beach shooting that left 16 people dead, including a child, were a father and son who told their family they were going on a fishing trip, the mother of one of the alleged attackers has revealed, according to the Sunday Morning Herald.24-year-old Naveed Akram was taken into custody at the scene and hospitalised under police guard in a critical but stable condition. His father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram a fruit shop owner, was killed during the attack. The duo had opened fire near a Hanukkah festival, targeting the Jewish community gathered in hundereds.Speaking to the media as police surrounded their Bonnyrigg home in western Sydney, Naveed’s mother, Verena, described the morning before the attack. She said her son had recently lost his job as a bricklayer and last spoke to the family hours before the shooting.“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 then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot,” she said.Verena said she did not believe her son could be involved in violent or extremist activities and said her son was just another innocent individual. “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,” she said. “Anyone would wish to have a son like my son … he’s a good boy.”Naveed Akram had previously completed Koran studies at Al-Murad Institute in Heckenberg, Sydney. He lived with his parents, a younger sister and brother at a three-bedroom home purchased in 2024. Verena said her son enjoyed fishing, swimming, scuba diving and exercising, and had been laid off two months ago when his construction employer became insolvent.Police still remain on site at the family home to prevent public access as investigations continue into the Bondi Beach assault.
