US Trends

who were the bondi shooters

The Bondi shooters refer to a father-and-son duo behind a tragic mass shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney, on December 14, 2025, targeting a Hanukkah celebration attended by around 1,000 Jewish community members amid summer crowds.

This terrorist attack, inspired by Islamic State ideology, killed at least 15-16 people (aged 10-87) and injured over 20 others, including police.

Key Perpetrators

Authorities identified the suspects as Sajid Akram, 50, a licensed firearms owner for 10 years with six guns recovered from Sydney suburbs like Bonnyrigg and Campsie, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram.

  • Sajid was fatally shot by police at the scene after firing from a bridge near Archer Park.
  • Naveed, previously linked to a 2019 investigation (via associates, not direct actions), was critically injured, hospitalized, and faces charges.

Incident Timeline

The attack unfolded around 6:18 PM local time (7:07 GMT), with gunfire erupting during "Chanukah by the Sea."

  1. Two gunmen opened fire on the crowd from a parking bridge, causing chaos as hundreds fled.
  1. A brave bystander disarmed one shooter, who retreated as the second continued firing.
  1. Police responded swiftly; Sajid was killed, and the area locked down.

Motivations and Context

Classified as a terrorist act by Australian federal police, the shooting was driven by anti-Semitic motives tied to ISIS ideology, per Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

  • The elder Akram held legal firearms; questions arose over security agencies' prior awareness of the son.
  • No group claimed responsibility immediately, but it echoed global antisemitism trends post-2023 Israel-Hamas war.

Aftermath and Response

Australia vowed tighter gun laws and anti-antisemitism measures; Premier Chris Minns confirmed rapid response.

  • Victims included locals, tourists, and festival-goers; eyewitness videos captured the horror.
  • Debates rage on licensed guns in terror contexts and intel-sharing failures.

TL;DR: Father Sajid Akram (killed) and son Naveed (hospitalized) carried out the ISIS-inspired Bondi Beach Hanukkah shooting, killing 15+.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.