Australian authorities have formally brought 59 criminal charges against Naveed Akram, the surviving perpetrator of Sunday’s mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. The charges include 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act, according to New South Wales Police documentation.
Akram’s father and co-attacker, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was fatally shot during an armed confrontation with responding police officers at the crime scene. The assault targeted a Hanukkah celebration event, predominantly attended by members of Australia’s Jewish community, resulting in 15 fatalities and numerous injuries. This incident represents the nation’s deadliest mass shooting event since 1996.
Additional charges against Naveed Akram encompass 40 counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, plus one count of publicly displaying a prohibited terrorist organization symbol. The accused remains hospitalized with critical injuries, necessitating his first court hearing to be conducted from his bedside. The New South Wales judicial system has scheduled subsequent proceedings for April 2026.
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon indicated investigators are awaiting reduced medication effects before initiating formal interrogation procedures. “To ensure procedural fairness, we require the suspect to fully comprehend the judicial process,” Commissioner Lanyon stated during a Wednesday press briefing.
Medical facilities across Sydney continue to treat twenty attack survivors, with one patient maintaining critical condition. Federal authorities have officially classified the violence as a terrorist incident, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirming apparent motivational links to Islamic State group ideology.
Evidence recovery operations revealed homemade IS flags and improvised explosive devices within the perpetrators’ vehicle. Investigation updates disclosed that both attackers traveled to the Philippines during November, with final destination records indicating the southern city of Davao. Border authorities confirmed Naveed Akram traveled using an Australian passport, while his father utilized Indian documentation.
Background checks established Sajid Akram’s origins in Hyderabad, India, though Telangana state police officials noted his “limited contact” with remaining family members in recent years.