A man has been formally charged in connection with the devastating terrorist attack on Sydney's Bondi Beach, which claimed the lives of fifteen people during a Jewish festival.
Details of the Attack and Charges
According to New South Wales Police, the incident occurred at 6.47pm local time on Sunday in the Archer Park area of the famous beach. Two individuals, identified as father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, allegedly opened fire on a crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered for a Hanukkah celebration.
Sajid Akram, 50, was shot by police and died at the scene. His 24-year-old son, Naveed, who recently awoke from a coma, now faces a total of 59 criminal charges. These include 15 counts of murder and the serious offence of committing a terrorist act.
The extensive list of other charges comprises 40 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, discharging a firearm to cause grievous bodily harm, publicly displaying a prohibited terrorist symbol, and placing an explosive near a building with intent to harm. Police stated that early indications suggest this was a "terrorist attack inspired by ISIS".
Victims and Ongoing Impact
The first funerals for the victims were held on Wednesday. Among those mourned was 41-year-old Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a father-of-five who was born in London and grew up in Temple Fortune, north London. He served as assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, where his funeral took place.
In a heartfelt address, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, told the congregation it was "unthinkable we talk about you in the past tense." He pledged that rabbis would continue the tradition of lighting Hanukkah candles on Bondi Beach this Sunday. The funeral of another victim, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, was also scheduled for Wednesday.
The attack also left two police officers injured. One has been named as 22-year-old probationary constable Jack Hibbert, who had been in the force for only four months. His family revealed he was shot twice—once in the head and once in the shoulder—while patrolling the celebration and has lost vision in one eye.
"In the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness," his family's statement said. The second injured officer, Constable Scott Dyson, was reported to be in a critical but stable condition after further surgery. NSW Health confirmed that 20 people remained hospitalised across Sydney on Wednesday following the attack.
Legal Proceedings and Investigation
Naveed Akram, who remains under police guard in hospital, was scheduled to face a bail hearing at a Sydney local court on Wednesday. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon explained that authorities waited for his medical condition to be appropriate before proceeding with charges.
The community of Bondi and the global Jewish diaspora continue to reel from the violence that targeted a peaceful festival of light, as the investigation into the full circumstances of the attack continues.
