Bondi Beach Pogrom
Bondi Killer's Mother: My Son is a "Good Boy"
Verena Akram denies her son Naveed could be involved in the massacre that killed fifteen and left dozens injured. She claims he and his father went on a fishing trip as photos and video show them opening fire on hundred of Jews gathered to celebrate Chanuka.
The mother of Naveed Akram, the 24-year-old alleged to have taken part alongside his father in the deadly terror attack at a Chanuka celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, has publicly denied that her son could be responsible, describing him as “a good boy.”
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Verena Akram said she does not believe her son was involved in the shooting that left at least 15 people dead, including a child. According to her account, Naveed and his father, Sajid Akram, told the family they were going on a weekend fishing trip.
“He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t even go out,” she said. “He goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise. Anyone would wish to have a son like my son.”
Akram also said she spoke with her son just hours before the attack, during what she believed was a recreational trip involving swimming and scuba diving.
Her comments came as investigators continue to piece together the events surrounding the attack, in which father and son allegedly opened fire from a raised boardwalk at a large Chanuka gathering attended by hundreds, possibly more than a thousand, people. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed was wounded and taken into custody.
Images and video footage from the scene, including material broadcast by Sky News, appear to show Naveed armed during the attack. Authorities have said long-barreled firearms were used, and police are examining additional weapons and explosive devices linked to the suspects.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has since described the shooting as “an act of pure evil” and explicitly labeled it antisemitic terrorism.
While investigators have not yet publicly detailed the attackers’ motives, the deliberate targeting of a Jewish religious celebration has intensified scrutiny of rising antisemitic violence in Australia and the wider West.
For now, law enforcement officials say the focus remains on establishing the full chain of responsibility, regardless of family members’ claims or disbelief.