Naveed Akram, Bondi Beach shooter, spoke to his mother hours before tragedy, who claimed he ‘did not have a firearm’; fresh details about the suspect surface

Bondi Beach Shooting Updates: The shooting incident at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening (December 14, 2025) left the city reeling, with at least 15 people losing their lives and dozens of others sustaining injuries. Tragedy unfolded at Bondi Beach after two gunmen opened fire on an event marking the first day of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach. The two gunmen involved in the terrorist attack reportedly targeting Sydney’s Jewish community are father and son, according to reports.

The two suspects, identified as Naveed Akram, 24, and Sajid Akram, 50, had told their family they were going on a South Coast fishing trip, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Naveed was apprehended at the shooting scene and was rushed to hospital, while the other suspect, who was his father, died at the scene. Sajid owned a fruit shop.

Naveed Akram spoke to his mother hours before the attack

Verena, the mother of Naveed Akram, revealed that her son spoke to her on Sunday morning, hours before carrying out the terror attack that left 15 dead and dozens wounded. Speaking with this masthead as police surrounded her house in Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s west, Naveed’s mother said her son had gone to Jervis Bay with his father for the weekend.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Naveed was an unemployed bricklayer. “He rings me up [on Sunday] and says, ‘Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We’re going … to eat now, and then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot,” Verena was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying.

Verena failed to identify Naveed Akram

Naveed’s mother was unable to identify Akram from a photo from the scene of the shooting. She didn’t believe her son could be involved in any violent or extremist activities.

“He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix around with friends. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t go to bad places … He goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise, and that’s it,” she said, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald. “Anyone would wish to have a son like my son … He’s a good boy,” she further stated.

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Akram lost his job about two months ago when the company he worked for became insolvent, and he has been looking for work since then. While he had many friends during his high school days at Cabramatta High School, Verena said he wasn’t particularly social. She said he didn’t appear to spend a lot of time online. He loved fishing, scuba diving, swimming and exercising.

Naveed’s mother is a stay-at-home parent, caring for her elderly mother nearby. He lived at the property with his parents, younger sister (22), and brother (20). The property was bought in 2024. The family previously lived in Cabramatta.