Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday apologised to the country’s Jewish community following a deadly mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people.
Speaking after the attack, Albanese expressed regret over the tragedy and pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Jewish Australians and safeguarding their rights.
“As Prime Minister, I feel the weight of responsibility for an atrocity that happened while I’m Prime Minister, and I’m sorry for what the Jewish community and our nation as a whole have experienced,” he said.
He assured that the government would work continuously to ensure the safety of Jewish Australians and uphold their rights to practise their faith, educate their children and participate fully in Australian society.
The shooting occurred on December 14 during a family-oriented Hanukkah event attended by about 1,000 people at Bondi Beach. Police said they received the first reports of gunfire at about 6:47 p.m.
A father and son, Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, are accused of opening fire on the crowd, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in one of the deadliest mass shootings in Australia’s history.
According to court documents released on Monday, police alleged that the suspects meticulously planned the attack over several months, including undergoing firearms training believed to have taken place in rural parts of New South Wales. Investigators also said the pair conducted a reconnaissance visit to Bondi Beach days before the shooting.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed the suspects walking along a footbridge from which the attack was later launched. Authorities said the two men recorded a video denouncing “Zionists” and outlining their motives for the killings.
Police further alleged that the suspects rented a room in a shared house days before the attack and were captured on camera on the morning of the incident loading long and bulky items wrapped in blankets into a vehicle. The items allegedly included three firearms, four homemade explosive devices and two Islamic State flags.
Victims of the attack included a 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and a married couple who were shot while attempting to stop the attackers. Funerals have since been held for most of the victims.
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Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene. He was an Indian national who entered Australia on a visa in 1998. His son, Naveed Akram, an Australian-born citizen, was wounded and taken to hospital, where he emerged from a coma three days later.
Naveed has been charged with terrorism offences, 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, and displaying symbols of a prohibited terrorist organisation. He was transferred from hospital to prison on Monday and will remain in custody pending his next court appearance.
Investigators also revealed that the suspects travelled to the southern Philippines for four weeks shortly before the attack, though the purpose of the trip remains unclear.
Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, confirmed that Naveed Akram had been investigated in 2019 over concerns of possible radicalisation but was assessed at the time not to pose a threat. His father was also interviewed during that review. Despite this, police said Sajid Akram later obtained a gun licence that allowed him to own multiple rifles, three of which were recovered at the scene.