Father and Son Killed 15 at Bondi Beach Hanukkah Event After ISIS Pledge, Australian Police Say

Key facts

• Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, allegedly opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, 2025.
• Fifteen people were killed and more than 40 wounded in Australia's deadliest mass shooting since 1996.
• Sajid Akram was shot dead by police; Naveed Akram was critically injured and later charged with 59 offences.
• The pair had pledged allegiance to ISIS, according to a briefing distributed to U.S. law enforcement.
• Naveed Akram was previously investigated in 2019 for possible ties to a Sydney-based ISIS-linked cell.
• Ahmad Al Ahmad, a bystander, intervened and wrestled a gun away from Sajid Akram, sustaining injuries.
• The attackers threw four improvised explosive devices that failed to detonate; police described them as 'viable' IEDs.
• issued 14 initial recommendations, including increased security around Jewish events and gun reforms.

Attack Unfolded From a Footbridge Overlooking the Beach

On the evening of Dec. 14, 2025, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed stood on an overpass bridge near a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, shouting 'Allahu Akbar' as they opened fire on the crowd below. Video footage captured the moment a bystander, Ahmad Al Ahmad, jumped in and wrestled a gun away from the elder Akram, who was then shot and killed by police. Naveed Akram was critically wounded and later hospitalized with an abdominal injury. Police documents released after Naveed Akram's video court appearance from a Sydney hospital revealed that the pair had recorded footage justifying the meticulously planned attack. They had rented a room in the Sydney suburb of Campsie for three weeks before leaving at 2:16 a.m. on the day of the attack, carrying two shotguns, a rifle, five improvised explosive devices and two homemade ISIS flags wrapped in blankets.

Suspects Pledged Allegiance to ISIS, Had Prior Investigation

Australian law enforcement determined that the suspects had pledged allegiance to ISIS, according to a briefing distributed to U.S. law enforcement. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the attack was inspired by ISIS, but it appeared 'they weren't part of a wider cell.' Naveed Akram was previously investigated in 2019 due to possible ties to a Sydney-based ISIS-linked cell. The father and son had taken a month-long trip to the Philippines, where an ISIS-affiliated militant group operates in a remote area in the south. However, a receptionist at a hotel in Davao City told CBS News that the attackers never left their room for more than a day.

Bystander Disarmed One Gunman, Suffered Injuries

Ahmad Al Ahmad, the bystander who intervened, was injured and hospitalized, New South Wales Police confirmed. He later recounted, 'I know I saved lots of people's lives.' The attack stunned Australia, a country known for its strict gun laws, and prompted widespread calls for enhanced measures against antisemitism and tighter firearm controls. Thousands gathered at Bondi Beach to mourn the victims, whose ages ranged from 10 to 87, according to the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team.

Improvised Explosive Devices Failed to Detonate

The attackers began their assault by throwing four improvised explosive devices toward the crowd, but none detonated. Police described the devices as three aluminum pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb containing explosive, gunpowder and steel ball bearings, calling them 'viable' IEDs. The largest IED was found after the gun battle near the footbridge in the trunk of Naveed Akram's car, which had been left draped with ISIS flags. Police released images of the gunmen shooting from the footbridge, which provided an elevated vantage point and the protection of waist-high concrete walls.

Royal Commission Recommends Security Upgrades, Gun Reforms

from the Royal Commission into the shooting advised increased security around Jewish public events and further gun reforms among 14 initial recommendations. found that Australia's legal and regulatory frameworks did not hinder security agencies in preventing or responding to the attack. Prime Minister Albanese said his government would adopt all the recommendations, with five remaining classified due to sensitive national security concerns. 'This is as the government envisaged — that the first task of the Royal Commission, the priority, was to look at the security elements of these issues,' Albanese told reporters. The attack prompted calls for enhanced measures against antisemitism and tighter firearm controls, including gun buybacks and more counter-terrorism powers.

Naveed Akram Charged With 59 Offences, Transferred to Prison

Naveed Akram, 24, was charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with attempt to murder, one count of committing a terrorist act, and other charges. He was transferred from a hospital to a prison on Monday, the state government confirmed, though authorities identified neither facility. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told reporters that Naveed is an Australian-born citizen, while his father Sajid arrived in 1998 on a student visa. The attack at the start of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration was Australia's worst mass shooting since a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania in 1996.

The bottom line

• A father-son duo, Sajid and Naveed Akram, killed 15 and wounded over 40 at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach after pledging allegiance to ISIS.
• A bystander, Ahmad Al Ahmad, disarmed one gunman and was injured; he is credited with saving lives.
• The attackers threw four viable IEDs that failed to detonate; they had obtained firearms training together in New South Wales.
• Naveed Akram faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and a terror offence; his father was killed by police.
• recommended increased security around Jewish events and gun reforms; the government will adopt all 14 recommendations.
• The attack was Australia's deadliest mass shooting since 1996, prompting national grief and calls for stronger anti-antisemitism measures.