Sydney Jewish Event Mass Shooting: Suspects Identified as Father in His 50s and Son in His 20s

Mass Shooting at Jewish Event Held at Sydney's Bondi Beach
Father in His 50s Killed at the Scene, Son Hospitalized
Improvised Explosive Device Found in Suspected Vehicle

Local police announced on December 15 (local time) that the two suspects involved in the mass shooting at a Jewish event held at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, have been confirmed to be father and son.

On the 14th (local time), after the shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, citizens and paramedics gathered at the scene. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to foreign media outlets such as Reuters and The Washington Post (WP), Australian police revealed that the suspects in the shooting are a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son. They stated that, at present, they are not searching for a third suspect. However, the specific identities of the suspects and their direct motive for the crime have not yet been disclosed. WP reported that the father died at the scene, while the son is hospitalized and receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.

One of the suspects has been identified as Navid Akram. According to AFP, Australia's ABC News, citing anonymous officials, reported that police raided and searched Akram's residence in the suburbs of Sydney.

Earlier, police stated that they discovered an object suspected to be an improvised explosive device in a vehicle parked near the crime scene and deployed bomb disposal personnel.

The death toll from the incident has risen to 16, including one child, and the number of injured has been tallied at 40. The ages of the victims range from 10 to 87 years old.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defined the attack as a crime deliberately targeting the Jewish community and pledged to deploy all necessary resources in response.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:45 p.m. the previous day during a Jewish event held at Bondi Beach in eastern Sydney. Two armed men opened fire on the crowd; during the incident, one of the suspects was shot and killed by police, while the other was apprehended in critical condition.

WP reported that the attack drew strong condemnation from world leaders, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the Australian government for not taking sufficient measures to prevent the spread of anti-Semitism.