Bondi beach terror attack: father and son duo alleged to be behind shooting using licensed firearms

The alleged gunmen behind the Bondi beach attack were a father-son duo who are suspected to have used legally obtained firearms to commit the massacre, according to police.

Naveed Akram, 24, was arrested at the scene and was taken to a Sydney hospital with critical injuries. His 50-year-old father, who the Sydney Morning Herald first reported to be Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police. Police would not confirm their names.

The pair allegedly killed 15 people, with dozens more injured in the shootings which took place on Sunday, during a gathering to celebrate the first night of Hanukah.

The son was known to New South Wales police and other agencies, while his father had a firearms licence with six weapons registered to him, authorities confirmed on Monday. All six have been recovered, police said.

At least three of these weapons, longarms believed to include a rifle and shotgun, were seized at the scene in Bondi, with other weapons also found during a police raid at a house in Campsie, in Sydney’s south-west.

The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, said the men had lived at another house in Bonnyrigg, in the city’s west, which was also raided on Sunday night.

Lanyon said there was nothing “to indicate that either of the men involved in yesterday’s attack was planning the attack”, and confirmed the older man held a gun licence for a decade.

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said there would “almost certainly” be changes to gun laws, and police were investigating whether there had been a failure of their systems in relation to how licensed weapons could have been used in a terror attack.

While police did not confirm the duo’s names to Guardian Australia, they have released details of their ages, the suburb in which they lived and information about the older man’s firearms licence.

He held a Category AB licence, police said. This is a licence which requires a person to demonstrate to police they have a “special need” for certain weapons, which can include muzzle-loading firearms (other than pistols); centre-fire rifles (other than self-loading); and shotgun/centre-fire rifle combinations.

Colleague recounts dealings at worksites

Until recently, Naveed Akram had been working as a bricklayer.

One former colleague told the Guardian he had worked with him on and off at various work sites for about five years, last seeing him a few months ago.

He described Naveed as a strange colleague but a hard worker who had an interest in hunting.

“No one was close to him,” said the former colleague, who did not wish to be named.

“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.

“He … worked hard, wouldn’t have days off.”

Although authorities have not said the son was a licensed firearms holder, the colleague claimed he hunted regularly, and spoke about shooting rabbits and other game around Crookwell, in the state’s southern tablelands.

They worked across Sydney, with the last job in which he saw Naveed on a site in Penrith.

Only weeks ago, Naveed told their boss he had broken his hand, so would be unable to work until 2026, the colleague said.

There has also been unconfirmed claims that Naveed was a member of a hunting club, after images emerged of what appears to be a membership card said to have been found in his wallet.

It’s not yet confirmed if he was a member of the club.

In a social media post on Sunday night, the club said it would be closed until 15 January.

The building at the club’s listed address was empty, except for a lone ute parked out the front, when the Guardian visited on Monday morning.

At Bonnyrigg, reporters and police were gathered outside the home that remained cordoned off with blue tape on Monday morning. Two police cars were parked out the front of the home.

At around noon, three people returned to the house, which is owned by Naveed’s mother. A young man, and two women, who held paper over their heads to shield themselves from being filmed, exited a car and walked into the home.

Another person who lives on the street said she was at work when she got a phone call from her parents to say something was happening on the street. She said she was shocked to learn it was related to the attack.

“We’re so sad for what has happened,” she said. “I left a very dangerous country to be safe here.”