Painful Sydney attack involves father-son, police announces end to search for more suspects

A suspected gunman who, along with his son, shot and killed 15 people on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, has been identified by police.

According to a report by the British news agency, police said in a press conference on Monday morning that the 50-year-old father was killed on the spot, bringing the death toll to 16, while his 24-year-old son is being treated for serious injuries in a hospital.

State broadcaster ABC and other local media have identified the father and son as Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, respectively.

Authorities have described Sunday's shooting as a premeditated anti-Semitic attack.

Police said that 40 people are still in the hospital, including two police officers who are in critical condition. The victims' ages range from 10 to 87 years old.

Eyewitnesses said that due to the intense heat, a large number of people were present on the beach, and the attack lasted for about 10 minutes, after which hundreds of people ran for their lives on the sandy beach and nearby streets.

Police said that about 1,000 people were attending the targeted event, which was held in a small park near the beach.

A video has emerged of a bystander who disarmed one of the gunmen during the attack, and is being hailed as a hero, with many saying his actions saved several lives.

According to Seven News Australia, the man's name is Ahmed Al-Ahmad. A relative said that the 43-year-old fruit shop owner was shot twice and underwent surgery.

A fundraising page set up for the man had collected AU$350,000 (approximately £233,000) by Monday afternoon.

Police have not released the names of the attackers, but said that the father had a gun license since 2015 and had six licensed firearms. Interior Minister Tony Burke said that the father had arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998, while the son was born in Australia and is an Australian citizen.

Police did not provide details about the firearms used, but videos from the scene show the attackers firing bolt-action rifles and shotguns.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lenehan told reporters that "we are thoroughly investigating the backgrounds of both individuals. At this stage, we have very little information about them."

Morgan Gabrielle, a 27-year-old resident of Bondi, said she was on her way to a nearby cinema when she heard what sounded like gunfire, and then people ran into her street. She said, "I gave shelter to six or seven people. Two of them were close friends, and the rest were people from the street. People had left their phones on the beach, and everyone was just trying to save their lives."

She added that the atmosphere on Monday morning was very somber. "Usually, on Mondays, it's crowded here, people are swimming, surfing, and running, but today everything is very quiet, and there's a sense of mourning in the air."

A makeshift memorial has been set up near the Bondi Pavilion, with flowers and Israeli and Australian flags, and an online condolence book has been created.

The suspects' home, located in the Bonnyrigg area, about 36 kilometers west of Sydney, was under heavy security on Monday, with several neighboring houses cordoned off.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Bondi Beach on Monday morning and laid flowers at the scene.

He said, "What we saw yesterday was pure evil, anti-Semitic hatred, and an act of terrorism in our country, at an iconic Australian location." He added, "Today, the Jewish community is in mourning. Today, all Australians stand with them. We will take every possible step to eradicate anti-Semitism. It's a scourge, and we will overcome it together."

Later, Albanese appealed to the Australian public to light a candle in solidarity with the Jewish community. "So that we can say that light will overcome darkness."