One day after the 14/12 shooting at Bondi beach, Verena, wife of gunman Sajid Akram and mother of gunman Naveed, expressed profound disbelief regarding her family's involvement. The attack, which left 16 people dead and 40 injured, occurred as over 1,000 people gathered for the Jewish Hanukkah festival. The motive of the two gunmen, father and son, is currently unknown, though Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as a terrorist act, antisemitic, and utterly evil.

Verena recounted her last conversation with her son on 14/12. "My son called me on 14/12 and said, 'Mom, I just finished swimming and snorkeling. Now dad and I are going for breakfast, then we'll stay indoors because it's very hot outside'", Verena recalled. She mentioned Naveed and his father had gone to Jervis Bay for fishing over the weekend.

Suspect Naveed at the scene of the shooting. Photo: Facebook/Wais Barakzai

Hours after the attack, images of Naveed holding a gun at the scene spread rapidly. Despite this, Verena still does not believe her son was involved in violent acts. She asserted her son did not own a gun and rarely went out or socialized with friends. "Everyone wishes they had a son like mine. He was a good, gentle son", Verena stated, adding that Naveed did not drink alcohol or smoke, only went to work, exercised, and stayed at home.

Naveed worked as a construction worker but lost his job a few months prior when the company he worked for went bankrupt. Sajid, Naveed's father, owned a fruit store. The family, including a 22-year-old sister and a 20-year-old brother, lived together in a new home purchased last year in western Sydney. Neighbors were also shocked when Sajid and his son were announced as suspects. Glen Nelson, a resident living opposite, stated that the family lived very normally and never caused any trouble.

Minute-by-minute developments of the Australia beach shooting. Video: BBC

Ngoc Anh (According to NDTV, Yahoo News, News.com.au)