Rare Father-Son Shooting: Most Mass Attacks Are Lone Acts

Australia is grappling with the aftermath of a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney that left 15 people dead, with authorities labeling the attack an antisemitic act of “terrorism.” The shooting, carried out by a father and son allegedly motivated by Islamic State ideology, has prompted calls for tougher gun laws and increased penalties for hate speech.

Unusual Family Dynamic in Bondi Beach Attack

As authorities investigate the motives behind the deadly Bondi Beach attack, criminologists have noted an unusual characteristic differentiating this mass shooting from others: the suspected gunmen were family members working together. Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, are accused of the killings at the iconic Sydney shoreline.

According to Dr. James Densley, a criminology professor and expert in mass shootings at Metro State University in Minnesota, this could be “the first father-son combination of perpetrators ever” for such an attack. Mass killings are typically the work of lone actors, with less than 2 percent of mass shootings involving two or more perpetrators, and even fewer involving family ties.

“When relatives commit mass violence together, the risk factors look different,” Densley told CNN, noting contrasts in motivations, power dynamics and logistics from lone attackers. Relatives tend to be “less performative”, with trust and proximity replacing online networks often used by lone actors. “These attacks grow out of a shared worldview that’s cultivated over time, rather than a single individual seeking notoriety or recognition.”

Family members already share time, space, routines, and private conversations, allowing them to “test and rehearse ideas without social friction, providing mutual reinforcement.” Similar cases include the 2022 Wieambilla shootings in Australia, the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack in France, the 2019 Sri Lanka terror attacks, and the 2015 San Bernardino terror attack.

Attack Details and Investigation

Police say Sajid and Naveed Akram targeted a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach. The pair travelled to the Philippines last month, visiting a region with a history of Islamist extremism, and homemade Islamic State flags were found in their car after the attack. They are alleged to have recorded videos expressing views suggesting adherence to “religiously motivated violent extremist ideology” and practised shooting in a rural part of Australia, according to court documents.

Footage shows Naveed Akram shooting at crowds from a bridge overlooking the beach. The pair are also alleged to have conducted reconnaissance, visiting the site days in advance. Police seized six guns owned by Sajid Akram, who held a recreational hunting licence and met the eligibility criteria for a firearms licence.

“This exposes a blind spot in Australia’s otherwise strong gun laws because risk is relational, not just individual,” Densley suggested. “In a lone-actor case, the key question is usually ‘how did this person get the gun?’ In a parent-child case, the question becomes ‘who controlled the environment where the gun was already present?’”

The 2021 Oxford High School shooting in Michigan, where a teenager gunned down four classmates and wounded seven others, resulted in the parents being held criminally responsible for the shooting. The father provided “unfettered access to a gun or guns as well as ammunition,” while the mother “glorified the use and possession of these weapons,” according to the court.

“One way of thinking about this is that a parent doesn’t just supply a weapon, they supply legitimacy,” Densley added. “When firearms are legally owned, stored in the household, and normalised as part of everyday life, that dramatically lowers the barrier for entry for a younger family member.”

Australia, with some of the world’s strictest gun laws, experienced its deadliest mass shooting in almost 30 years with the Bondi Beach massacre. Naveed Akram now faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. Sajid Akram was killed in a shootout with police at the scene.