The mother of one of the shooters allegedly responsible for the Bondi Beach massacre has insisted her son is a "good boy".
Father and son, Sajid and Naveed Akram, aged 50 and 24 respectively, have been identified as the alleged shooters behind Sunday’s horrific attack by Australian media.
The pair began shooting at a crowd in the Archer Park area at 6.46pm on Sunday, according to New South Wales Police, in a massacre which killed 15 people and left others hospitalised.
The force confirmed that the attack, which targeted a group of people celebrating the first day of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, has been identified as a terrorist incident.
The older of the pair was killed by police officers, whilst the younger Naveed, was shot and transported to hospital, where he is in a critical condition.
Naveed’s mother Verena, has spoken to reporters at her home in Bonnyrigg, whilst officers surround the premises.
Addressing the Sydney Morning Herald, she said: “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.”
Among the victims of Sunday’s tragic incident were a holocaust survivor, a ten-year-old girl, and a British-born Rabbi.
Mal Lanyon, the commissioner for the New South Wales Police, confirmed that Sajid, 50, was licensed for six firearms and recovered six from the scene in Bondi Beach.
It has been reported that the pair told their family they were on a fishing trip in Jervis Bay over the weekend.
The last time Verena spoke to Naveed was on Sunday.
She said: “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.”
Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, branded the attack "an act of pure evil" and described Sunday as a “dark day in our nation’s history.”
Speaking at a press conference, he said: "What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil. An act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores, in an iconic location - Bondi Beach - that is associated with joy, associated with celebrations, that is forever tarnished by what happened last evening.
"This was an attack deliberately targeted at the Jewish community, on the first day of Hanukkah. The Jewish community is hurting today.
"Today, all Australians wrap our arms around them and say we stand with you. We will do whatever is necessary to stamp out antisemitism. It is a scourge, and we will eradicate it together."
