Australia police charge alleged Bondi Beach gunman with 59 offences, including terror

Police in Australia said on Wednesday they had charged a man who allegedly opened fire on a Jewish event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach with 59 offences, including a terror charge.

The alleged father-and-son perpetrators opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach on Sunday, in an attack that shook the nation and intensified fears of rising antisemitism and violent extremism.

Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon after also being shot by police.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said earlier on Wednesday the surviving gunman would be charged within hours, but New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a news conference the force was still waiting for medication to wear off before formally questioning him.

Funerals of the Jewish victims of Sunday’s attack began on Wednesday, amid anger over how the gunmen – one of whom was briefly investigated for links to extremists – were allowed access to powerful firearms.

Chris Minns, the Premier of New South Wales state where the attack took place, told a news conference parliament would return on December 22 to hear “urgent” reforms, including capping the number of firearms allowed by a single person and making certain types of shotguns harder to access.

The state government will also look at reforms making it harder to hold large street protests after terror events, in order to prevent further tensions.