Australia has been plunged into mourning after police formally charged one of the alleged gunmen involved in the deadly Bondi Beach attack with murder and terrorism, as the first victims of the tragedy were laid to rest.
New South Wales police on Wednesday confirmed that Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 15 counts of murder, committing a terrorist act, and planting an explosive device with intent to cause harm.
The charges were filed after he regained consciousness from a coma. Akram remains hospitalised under heavy police guard after being shot during the incident.
Authorities allege that Naveed, alongside his father Sajid Akram, opened fire on a Jewish cultural festival at the iconic Sydney beach on Sunday evening, killing 15 people in what investigators describe as a terrorism-inspired shooting spree. Sajid Akram, 50, was killed at the scene during a gun battle with police.
In a statement, New South Wales Police said the accused would be alleged to have “engaged in conduct that caused death, serious injury, and endangered lives in order to advance a religious cause and instil fear within the community.”
“Early indications point to a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia,” police added.
Investigators believe the attack was deliberately designed to terrorise Australia’s Jewish community. Authorities are also probing whether the suspects had links to Islamist extremists abroad, including possible meetings during a recent trip to the Philippines. Philippine officials, however, said there was no evidence their country had been used as a base for terrorist training.
Nation Gripped by Grief
As legal proceedings moved forward, scenes of raw emotion unfolded at the first funerals for the victims.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger was the first to be laid to rest, with hundreds of mourners gathering at the Chabad of Bondi Synagogue in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Dressed in black, grieving congregants filled the synagogue and spilled onto surrounding streets.
Heart-wrenching scenes followed as mourners collapsed in sorrow. Two young women cried out in anguish as they threw themselves upon the rabbi’s coffin, draped in black velvet and adorned with the Star of David.
Schlanger, a father of five, was remembered as a devoted community leader whose life was cut short by senseless violence.
As Australia continues to grieve, flags remain at half-mast and vigils are being held nationwide, with leaders and citizens alike calling for unity in the face of hatred and extremism.
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