Naveed Akram, one of the suspects in the mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia, woke up from a coma on the evening of Tuesday, December 16. The suspect in the Bondi Beach shooting is being questioned by police and is expected to be charged in the coming hours, according to Australian media.
Naveed Akram and his father, identified as Sajid Akram, opened fire on a Hanukkah gathering of Jews at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, killing up to 15 people. Those killed were between the ages of 10 and 87.
While Sajid Akram was shot, Naveed fell into a coma and was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. According to the latest media reports, Naveed Akram is now in coma and in police custody.
How did the Bondi Beach attack unfold?
According to reports quoting Naveed Akram’s mother, the 29-year-old told his family that he was taking his father on a fishing trip. While in Sydney, Naveed also called his mother and told her about his stories about diving, the food he ate and the heat.
In an interview with local media, his mother said Naveed was a “good boy”.
“Everybody wishes they had a son like my son… he’s a good boy,” she said.
It was later revealed that the father and son duo had actually been staying on Airbnb the whole time. Police also recovered two weapons from their residence.
On Sunday afternoon, the duo went to Bondi Beach. According to AFP, they parked their car when more people started arriving on the beach for the Hanukkah holiday. Also read | New twist in Bondi Beach shooting case – Suspect’s father entered Philippines as ‘Indian national’, report says
Hanukkah celebrations were in full swing when Sajid and Naveed, armed with long-barreled guns, got out of the car and started shooting. “For a split second I felt sorry for him because I thought he tripped and took the crutches … but it’s a gun,” witness Bridget Sarks told ABC.
Police said the first reports were sent out around 6:47 p.m.
As the duo continued shooting, some even thought it was a fireworks display.
Around the same time, Sajid Akram left the footbridge that offered a spectacular view of the area and proceeded towards the festival. As Sajid fired into the crowd, fruit vendor Ahmed Al Ahmed jumped on him from behind and wrested his gun from him.
Naveed stayed on the bridge and fired round after round with cool determination. Sajid was killed in a shootout with the police. Naveed fired until he too was apparently shot and detained.
