Australian authorities have charged Naveed Akram, the surviving suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach, with 59 criminal offences, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, deepening the sense of shock following the country’s deadliest gun attack in nearly three decades.
New South Wales Police said Akram, who remains hospitalized with critical injuries, appeared in court from his hospital bed on Wednesday. Proceedings were adjourned until April 2026. His father, Sajid Akram, 50, who allegedly took part in the attack, was killed at the scene during a confrontation with police.
The assault, which unfolded during a public Hanukkah celebration near Bondi Beach, left 15 people dead and dozens wounded. Authorities have classified the attack as terrorism, saying it was aimed at Australia’s Jewish community and appeared to be inspired by Islamic State ideology.
In addition to the murder charges, Akram faces 40 counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, along with charges related to the display of a prohibited terrorist symbol. Police said they were delaying formal questioning until medication administered during emergency treatment had worn off, to ensure he fully understood the proceedings.
Twenty people injured in the attack remain hospitalized across Sydney, one of them in critical condition. Among the wounded are two police officers; one, 22-year-old Jack Hibbert, has lost sight in one eye and faces what his family described as a long recovery.
Investigators said they recovered homemade Islamic State flags and improvised explosive devices from the vehicle used by the attackers. Authorities also revealed that the father and son had traveled to the Philippines in November, spending nearly four weeks there before returning to Australia. Naveed Akram entered using an Australian passport, while his father traveled on an Indian passport. Sajid Akram, originally from Hyderabad in southern India, was said to have had limited contact with relatives there.
The victims include two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda, whose death has become a painful symbol of the attack’s brutality. Boris and Sofia Gurman, a couple who were filmed trying to restrain one of the gunmen, were also killed.
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On Wednesday morning, mourners gathered for the funeral of British-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who had helped organize the Hanukkah event. Speaking there, Rabbi Levi Wolff called his death an “unspeakable loss,” praising his devotion to the community.
More funerals are expected in the coming days, as Australia confronts a tragedy that has reopened difficult questions about extremism, security, and the cost of hatred.