Australian authorities have formally charged the surviving gunman from the devastating Bondi Beach terrorist attack with a total of 59 criminal offences. Naveed Akram, 24, faces 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, among other serious charges.
Court Appearance and Detailed Charges
Akram appeared in court via video conference from his hospital bed on Tuesday, after awakening from a medically induced coma. He remains under police guard while receiving treatment for injuries sustained during a shootout with officers. The New South Wales Joint Counter Terrorism Team laid the extensive list of charges, which also includes 40 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder.
Additional charges relate to discharging a firearm with intent, publicly displaying a prohibited terrorist organization’s symbol, and placing an explosive in or near a building. Police allege Akram's actions were intended to advance a religious cause and instill widespread fear in the community.
Attack Details and ISIS Inspiration
The horrific attack unfolded on Sunday during a Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach’s Archer Park. The two gunmen opened fire on a crowd of more than a thousand people gathered for the festival. Akram’s father, Sajid, 50, was identified as the second attacker and was shot dead by police at the scene.
New South Wales Police stated that early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, which is a listed terrorist organization in Australia. Evidence supporting this includes the discovery of two homemade Islamic State flags and improvised explosive devices in a vehicle linked to the perpetrators.
Investigations are now probing whether Naveed and Sajid Akram, who lived together in the Sydney suburb of Bonnyrigg, traveled to Mindanao in the Philippines during November. Mindanao is a region known as a hotbed of Islamic extremism. A senior counter-terrorism official indicated authorities suspect the pair may have received military-style training while abroad.
Victims and Aftermath
The human toll of the attack is profound. Among the 15 murdered victims was Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, who had led the Chabad mission in Bondi for 18 years. His funeral was held on Wednesday. The youngest life lost was that of 10-year-old Matilda Bee Britvan.
In the immediate aftermath, forty-one people—including four children—were rushed to hospitals. As of Wednesday, 23 people remain hospitalized, according to New South Wales Premier Chris Minns. The injured also include two police officers, one of whom, probationary Constable Jack Hibbert, 22, was shot twice and lost vision in one eye.
Premier Minns praised Ahmed Al Ahmed, a man shot five times while disarming one of the attackers, calling him "a real-life hero." The community and nation continue to grapple with the shock and grief following one of Australia's deadliest terrorist incidents.
