"The attack concluded approximately six to seven minutes after it began."
Bondi Beach Hanukkah Attack: A Timeline of Tragedy and Justice
On December 14, 2025, a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Sydney, was shattered by a terrorist attack that left 15 people dead and dozens wounded. Two perpetrators, a father and son, have been identified, with one killed at the scene and the other facing 78 charges. The following article details the attack, the perpetrators, the investigation, and the subsequent legal proceedings.
The Attack
At approximately 18:47 local time, police received reports of a shooting at "Chanukah by the Sea," a Hanukkah celebration held at Archer Park, Bondi Beach. The event had begun at 17:00.
Two individuals, Sajid Akram (50) and his son Naveed Akram (24), approached the area via Campbell Parade and a pedestrian bridge overlooking the park. The attack lasted just six to seven minutes.
- Sajid Akram is reported to have moved from the bridge into the park, discharging a firearm.
- Naveed Akram is reported to have remained on the bridge and fired from that position.
- A bystander, Ahmed al Ahmed, intervened and disarmed Sajid Akram, sustaining two gunshot wounds in the process.
- Sajid Akram subsequently returned to the bridge and resumed firing.
- Police arrived and exchanged gunfire, resulting in Sajid Akram being killed. Naveed Akram was critically injured and taken into custody.
The final death toll was 15, including a 10-year-old girl. Twenty individuals were hospitalized, with one in critical condition. The total number of gunshot victims is reported as 55.
Two police officers, Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert and Constable Scott Dyson, were shot and seriously injured during the incident. Detective Senior Constable Cesar Barraza is believed to have shot and killed Sajid Akram.
The Perpetrators
Sajid Akram, 50, was originally from Hyderabad, Telangana, India. He migrated to Australia in 1998 and reportedly had no criminal record in India. He married a woman of European origin and had visited India on six occasions since migrating, primarily for family and property matters. His family in India stated they had no knowledge of any radical activities or beliefs.
Naveed Akram, 24, was born in Australia and holds Australian citizenship. He was previously known to Australian intelligence agencies (ASIO). In 2019, he was investigated for his association with a group of individuals later identified as an Islamic State cell in Sydney's west. At the time, he was assessed as not posing a violent threat. He was listed on a counter-terrorism database but was reportedly downgraded in the years prior to the attack.
The Charges Against Naveed Akram
Naveed Akram faces a total of 78 charges. He has not yet entered a plea.
Initial Charges (59):
- 15 counts of murder
- 40 counts of attempted murder
- 1 count of committing a terrorist act
- 1 count of displaying a prohibited terrorist organization symbol
Additional Charges (19):
- 10 counts of "shoot at with intent to murder"
- 6 counts of discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest
- 3 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder
The evidence brief contains over 230,000 CCTV images.
Legal Proceedings: Family Suppression Order Denied
Naveed Akram's legal team applied for a 40-year suppression order to prevent the publication of the names and home address of his mother, brother, and sister, citing death threats and harassment.
Evidence of threats reported by the family included:
- In-person death threats, threats via phone and online chat
- Uninvited individuals arriving at their home late at night
- Pork and a bottle containing suspected urine being left at their residence
- Eggs thrown at their home
- Vehicles driving past with occupants yelling threats
On April 2, 2026, Judge Hugh Donnelly of the Downing Centre Local Court denied the application. The court’s reasoning included:
- The request did not meet the threshold for "exceptional circumstances."
- Naveed Akram's driver’s license, containing the family’s home address, had already been widely circulated on social media domestically and internationally.
- Akram’s mother had given an interview to a media outlet after the attack.
- A suppression order would be ineffective against overseas publishers.
- No evidence was presented of threats at the family’s workplaces or schools.
- No psychiatric or psychological evidence was provided to demonstrate a risk of mental harm.
- The court noted that Akram's brother and sister are not anticipated to be called as witnesses.
Several media organizations, including News Corp, Nine newspapers, The Guardian, and the ABC, opposed the suppression orders, arguing that there was no evidence of an imminent, specific risk.
Naveed Akram's case is scheduled to return to court on April 8, 2026.
Investigation and Motivation: An IS-Inspired Plot
Police have designated the attack as a terrorist incident. Investigators allege the act was motivated by the ideology of the Islamic State (IS) group.
A report by Australian counterterrorism experts Andrew Zammit and Levi West, published by the West Point Combating Terrorism Center, links the attack to a rise in IS-inspired anti-Western plots. Key findings include:
- The attack coincided with multiple foiled plots in December 2025 targeting tourist locations in Europe, the US, and Turkey.
- A January 2024 speech by an IS spokesperson is identified as a key mobilization tool, which called for attacks on Jewish and Christian gatherings and provided tactical advice.
Police evidence of planning and motivation includes:
- Video Manifesto: A video recorded in October 2025 allegedly shows both individuals in front of an Islamic State flag, discussing their motivations and condemning "Zionists." Naveed Akram is alleged to recite a passage from the Quran.
- Firearms Training: A video allegedly shows the pair conducting firearms training in rural New South Wales in October, "firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner."
- Reconnaissance: CCTV footage from two days before the attack reportedly shows the Akrams at Bondi Beach, walking along the footbridge used in the attack.
- Explosives: Police allege four undetonated explosive devices—including a "tennis ball bomb" and three homemade pipe bombs—were thrown at the start of the attack. The devices were assessed as "viable." A fifth device was found in their vehicle.
- Flags: Two hand-painted Islamic State flags were found in the boot of the vehicle used by the perpetrators.
The Akrams also traveled to the Philippines in November 2025, spending approximately one month there. Authorities are investigating the purpose of this trip but have found no evidence they received military-style training or had direct contact with IS members while there.
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess stated that the Akrams demonstrated a "high level of security awareness" to avoid detection, including avoiding phone and computer communications, radical networks, and prayer centers.
Both ASIO and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) conducted internal reviews of their intelligence handling and concluded they had not acted negligently in their prior assessments of Naveed Akram. A Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is examining the circumstances of the attack, including the threat level assessment and the security provided at the event.
Police Response at Bondi Beach
On December 14, 2025, three general duties police officers and one supervisor were assigned to the Hanukkah event. An operations inspector instructed officers to provide a high-visibility policing presence but noted no need to remain for the full duration.
The Community Security Group (CSG), a Jewish community safety organization, had warned police before the event that its terror rating was "high" and that a terrorist attack against the NSW Jewish community was "likely."
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is examining the decision to deploy only three officers to the event, compared to six officers at the same event in 2023.
Related Incident
A 22-year-old man was arrested in Bondi Beach for allegedly mimicking firing on people near the pedestrian bridge used in the December attack. The incident, which occurred around 7:00 pm on a Saturday, reportedly caused fear and intimidation among witnesses.
This story was compiled from multiple news sources and represents a synthesis of all available information as of the date of compilation.