Bondi Beach shootout: Sydney shooter’s mother in denial over terror attack

Verena, mother of NaveedAkram, one of the shooters, struggles to wrap her head around the events in Australia’s Bondi Beach.

It’s been a day after the atrocious terror attack during a Jewish festival at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.Verena, the mother of one of the shooters, NaveedAkram (24), is still unable to wrap her head around the events at the beach in Australia.

Naveed’s mother is in denial over the terror attack in Bondi Beach.

Verena’s husband, SajidAkram (50), was also shot dead after their son Naveed allegedly opened fire at a religious event to mark the beginning of the 8-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Naveed, who was with his father during the attack, was caught at the crime scene and is now in custody. Verena, speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, said that Naveed and Sajid went to Jervis Bay for a weekend fishing trip. She said, “He rings me up [on Sunday] and said, Mum, I just went for a swim. I went scuba diving. We’re going … to eat now, and then this morning, and we’re going to stay home now because it’s very hot.” In the hours following the terror attack, leaving 15 people dead, an image of Naveed with a firearm at the scene of the attack went viral. However, Verena doesn’t believe her son could be involved in violent activities.

What did Verena say about her son allegedly opening fire at Bondi Beach?

She said, “He doesn’t have a firearm. He doesn’t even go out. He doesn’t mix with friends. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t go to bad places … he goes to work, he comes home, he goes to exercise, and that’s it,” she said. “Anyone would wish to have a son like my son … he’s a good boy.” Naveed worked as a bricklayer but was laid off months back when the company he worked for became insolvent. His father, Sajid, owned a fruit shop. The two lived with Verena, Naveed’s brother (20) and a sister (22) in a house in western Sydney that they bought last year.

Investigators are still trying to confirm the motive behind the attack. Among the 15 victims, there is a 10-year-old. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as an act of “pure evil.” He said, “What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores.” Allegedly, the father-son duo rained bullets from long-barreled guns for at least 10 minutes before police shot Sajid dead.