Bondi Beach shooting: Pakistani national among father-son gunmen

Two gunmen who were behind the Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney that left 16 people dead have been identified as a father and a son with one of them, Naveed Akram, reportedly being a Pakistani national.

CBS News reported that the nationality of the 24-year-old Naveed Akram was revealed by US intelligence officials who were briefed about the incident.

Naveed Akram undergoing treatment

While the 50-year-old father, yet to be named by law enforcement agencies, was fatally shot by police, Akram is undergoing treatment at a hospital, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told reporters.

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"Based on his medical condition, it is likely that the person may face criminal charges," Lanyon said on Sunday (December 15) without divulging further details.

Although earlier the Australian police said that they were looking for a likely third suspect, Lanyon made it clear that the possibility no longer exists, stating,"I can say that we are not looking for a further offender.”

‘The father, a licensed gun-owner’

The report further stated that although the name of the father is yet to be released, Australian authorities have said that he has been identified as a licensed gun owner.

Speaking to reporters, Lanyon said that police have recovered six of the suspect's licensed firearms from the crime scene, adding that the older suspect had a gun license for about 10 years.

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He also said that the suspect met the eligibility criteria for a recreational hunting license and "was a member of a gun club," According to police. Improvised explosive devices were from one of the suspects’ vehicles, police said.

"We will look at the motives behind this attack, and I think it is important as part of the investigation," added Lanyon.

The backdrop

More than 1,000 people had gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday when the shooting took place. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the gunmen were “deliberately targeting the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.”

The attack at the popular beach left at least 40 people injured, Australian authorities said, including two police officers and three children.

Among those hurt was 43-year-old fruit seller Ahmed al Ahmed, who was shot after confronting one of the attackers and managing to wrestle the firearm away, according to Agence France-Presse.

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Footage shared on social media showed al Ahmed emerging from behind a parked car along Campbell Parade — a major road running parallel to Bondi Beach — before tackling one of the suspects moments after shots were fired and disarming him.

US President Donald Trump, speaking at an event at the White House on Sunday, said al Ahmed’s actions “saved a lot of lives.”