The mother of one of the men involved in the Bondi Beach terror attack has insisted her son is “a good boy”, saying she does not believe he was capable of violence or extremist activity. Naveed Akram, 24, and his father, Sajid Akram, 50, have been identified by Australian authorities as the two alleged gunmen behind the attack on a Hanukkah celebration near Bondi Beach in Sydney. At least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured in what police have described as Australia’s deadliest terror attack. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald as police surrounded the family’s home in Bonnyrigg, Akram’s mother, Verena, said her son had last spoken to the family on Sunday morning (Dec. 14), just hours before the shooting. She said he had told her he was in Jervis Bay with his father on what the pair had described as a fishing trip. “He rings me up [on Sunday] and said, Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We’re going … to eat now, and then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot,” she said. Verena said she could not believe her son was involved in the attack and rejected suggestions he held extremist views. “He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix around with friends. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t go to bad places … he goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise and that’s it.” “Anyone would wish to have a son like my son … he’s a good boy.” According to his mother, Akram had been looking for work after losing his job as a bricklayer around two months ago when his employer became insolvent. She said that while he had many friends as a teenager, he was not particularly social and preferred fishing, scuba diving, swimming and exercise. Akram’s employer at his bricklayer job, who took him on as an apprentice six years ago, described him as a hardworking and quiet employee who rarely took time off. He rejected suggestions that Akram had lost his job, as reported by The Guardian, saying he remained willing to keep him on and that his work was consistently good. Another former colleague described Akram as a capable but socially withdrawn worker who kept largely to himself on site. “You spend a lot of time together, obviously bricklaying – [which is a] pretty mind-numbing job, so you do a lot of talking, but he was just a weird operator.” While authorities have not said Akram held a firearms licence, the colleague claimed he spoke about hunting rabbits and other game in regional New South Wales. Claims that Akram belonged to a hunting club remain unconfirmed. Police have maintained a heavy presence around the family’s Bonnyrigg home, cordoning off the street as investigators continued their inquiries. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have condemned the shooting as an act of anti-Semitic violence, while Australian authorities have not publicly confirmed any foreign involvement. Akram had been placed on a watchlist in 2019 and was believed to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as cited by The Telegraph. While Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), and local police said Akram was known to authorities, he had not been assessed as posing an “immediate” threat. Investigations into the motive and any potential networks linked to the attack are still ongoing. Photo from TheProjectUnity/X
