What we know about victims, Naveed Akram, Bonnyrigg and Campsie police raids and more

There were 15 shooting victims aged between 10 and 87. The youngest was a child who died at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park confirmed.

The older gunman also died.

A further 40 people were injured, including four children who were transferred to Sydney Children’s Hospital.

As of late Monday afternoon, 27 people remained in hospital, according to NSW Health. Twelve were critical and 15 were stable.

Two police officers – a constable and a probationary constable – were in serious but stable conditions.

Who were the victims?

The youngest victim was 10-year-old Matilda, who died in hospital from gunshot wounds.

Matilda’s aunt, Lina, said she was struggling to come to terms with the death of her “happy, bright” niece, a former student of Bellevue Hill’s Harmony Russian School of Sydney.

She said Matilda was initially expected to survive her injuries.

“I will never see her smile again; only in my photographs.”

Another victim was 41-year-old father-of-five and assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, Rabbi Eli Schlanger. He had a newborn baby and organised Chanukah by the Sea.

French national Dan Elkayam, in his late 20s, also died, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed. Elkayam worked as an IT analyst for NBC Universal and had been in Australia for years.

Victim Alex Kleytman, Holocaust survivor and Ukraine native, “died shielding [his wife] from the gunman’s bullets”, Chabad reported.

Also killed while protecting others, according to Chabad, was father and grandfather Tibor Weitzen. Robert Gregory of the Australian Jewish Association said Weitzen, believed to be in his 70s, was a familiar face at Bondi Chabad events.

Businessman Reuven Morrison, another member of the Chabad community, also died, Chabad reported. He came from the Soviet Union before he “discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney”.

Another victim honoured was volunteer and member of Sydney’s Jewish community, 82-year-old Marika Pogany.

She was a 20-year member of Rose Bay’s Harbour View Bridge Club. The club’s director Matt Mullamphy described Pogany as a “terrific person, excellent bridge player, and an even better friend”.

Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, who served as secretary of the Sydney Beth Din (a rabbinic court) and worked at the BINA Centre of Jewish learning, was also shot dead. His close friend Rabbi Schapiro described his close friend as “always a bright light and never cowered”.

Who are the shooters, Naveed Akram and Sajid Akram?

The two gunmen are a father and son who had told their family they were going on a weekend fishing trip.

Recently unemployed bricklayer, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, was arrested and taken to hospital under police guard in a critical but stable condition. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said it was likely he would survive and potentially face criminal charges.

His father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, died at the scene. He held a firearms license for recreational hunting, had six guns legally in his possession and was a member of a gun club, Lanyon said, adding he brought six registered guns to the beach on Sunday, which were seized.

Lanyon said police knew of one shooter, but not that they were planning an attack.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealed Sajid arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, but would not say where from.

Naveed is an Australian-born citizen, and came to the attention of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in October 2019, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

He was assessed to have no indication of a threat of violence and ASIO’s concerns were based on his associates rather than his own character, Albanese said.

What do we know about hero bystander Ahmed el Ahmed?

People were most likely saved by 43-year-old father-of-two Ahmed el Ahmed, a bystander who courageously lunged at one shooter to steal his rifle before suffering gunshot wounds.

Ahmed is understood to have no experience with guns and was at Bondi to grab a coffee with his cousin, Jozay Alkanj, when bullets began raining.

“He was very scared,” Alkanj said.

“He said ‘I’m going to die – please see my family [and tell them] that I went down to save people’s lives’.”

Speaking in Arabic to journalists outside hospital as his son awaited surgery, Ahmed’s father called his son a hero and said he was in “good spirits” last night.

“He said he thanks God that he was able to do this, to help innocent people and to save people from these monsters, these killers.”

Albanese praised Ahmed, saying his actions – along with those of police – stood in stark contrast to the “horrific act” committed by the killers.

Where at Bondi Beach did the shooting take place?

Footage showed two men firing what appeared to be rifles from the pedestrian bridge linking Campbell Parade and Bondi Pavilion.

The map below shows where the incident unfolded within the broader context of Bondi:

Was this a terrorism incident?

Yes. Lanyon declared the shooting a terrorism incident.

Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns vowed to fight antisemitism in Australia.

How did police respond?

Multiple police vehicles and dozens of officers rushed to Bondi Beach.

Police confirmed the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) seized three firearms and two improvised explosive devices (IED) from Bondi last night as well as another firearm and third IED there today.

Lanyon described the scene as “incredibly chaotic and terrifying” for even the most experienced officers.

What happened at Bonnyrigg and Campsie?

Investigators raided properties in Bonnyrigg and Campsie following the attack and seized two firearms.

A forensics team arrived at the Bonnyrigg house on Monday morning. Alleged shooter Akram lived there with his parents, 22-year-old sister and brother, 20. Police had closed off sections of the street.

In the days before the shooting, the father and son are understood to have stayed at a small grey rental home in Campsie, which was also raided.

On Monday afternoon, counterterrorism police were seen seizing two guns from the property in large brown paper evidence bags.

What have people said about it?

Albanese condemned the “act of evil antisemitism” against Jewish Australians and “every Australian”, while Minns said hearts were bleeding for the Jewish community.

US President Donald Trump sent well-wishes to Albanese and Australians over the “terrible” and antisemitic shooting.

Co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Alex Ryvchin feared that the “shredded” Jewish community may never recover from the “almighty blow”.

Rabbi Mendel Kastel, chief executive of Jewish House who lost multiple family members in the shooting, said it was easy to “become very angry” and “blame people” but this was “not what this is about”.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the community had repeatedly warned during the “summer of terror earlier this year” that it was only a matter of time until blood was spilt.

Wentworth MP Allegra Spender said the profound and awful mass shooting was an attack on modern Australia and our values, telling Nine News the federal government should have done more in response to a report from Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal.

Segal earlier told ABC Radio National that the federal government must “accelerate” and “fully endorse” recommendations of her review into antisemitism.

What next steps will authorities take?

After Albanese and Minns vowed to introduce tougher gun laws, an urgently convened meeting of National Cabinet on Monday afternoon agreed to renegotiate the National Firearms Agreement, established after the 1996 Port Arthur tragedy.

Other reforms to be explored include the requirement of Australian citizenship to gain a gun license, capping the number of licenses one person can be issued, limiting open-ended license terms, restricting the types of guns that can be obtained legally, and fast-tracking the national gun register.

The Albanese government vowed to crack down on firearms imports, 3D printing and equipment that can hold large amounts of ammunition.

The prime minister, state premiers and chief ministers said in a statement that National Cabinet pledged to eradicate anti-Semitism, hate, violence and terrorism.

Meanwhile, Lanyon promised a “very thorough and transparent investigation” into the massacre.

NSW Police confirmed the JCTT has begun an investigation, led by NSW Police under Operation Arques and include the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission.

More coverage on the Bondi terror attack