A 24-year-old man accused of carrying out the Bondi Beach mass shooting has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, as Sydney began holding the first funerals for victims of the attack that killed 15 people.
The charges against Naveed Akram include a terrorism offence, 15 counts of murder, and 40 counts relating to wound/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder.
He has also been charged with the alleged firing of a weapon, displaying the symbol of a banned terrorist group, and placing an explosive device in or near a building.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, prosecutors will argue that Akram’s actions were intended to advance a religious motive and were carried out in a way that caused deaths, inflicted severe injuries, and put the wider public at risk.
The charges were laid even as families, faith leaders, and political figures gathered in Sydney on Wednesday to mourn the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.
The first funerals marked a sombre turning point for a nation still reeling from Sunday’s violence, which left 15 people dead after two gunmen – Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24 – opened fire at a beachfront Hanukkah celebration attended by Jewish families.
One of the earliest services was held at the Chabad of Bondi synagogue for Rabbi Eli Schlanger, whose death has become emblematic of the scale of loss suffered by the local Jewish community. Outside the synagogue, mourners packed the streets in silence as Schlanger’s coffin – draped in black velour embroidered with the gold Star of David – was carried inside. Family members leaned over the coffin, weeping.
Schlanger, 41, was an assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and the organiser of the “Chanukah by the Sea” event at Bondi Beach. A father of five, his youngest child is just two months old.
Often referred to as the “Bondi Rabbi”, Schlanger was widely known for his work supporting Jewish life in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Chabad described him as a tireless community figure devoted to strengthening faith and connection.
During the funeral service, his father-in-law Rabbi Yehoram Ulman struggled to speak through tears.
“Whatever I say today will be an understatement to what you mean to everyone and to your family and to me personally,” he said. “You are my son, my friend, my confidant.”
He added: “A day without you is impossible.”
Prime minister Anthony Albanese, speaking earlier to reporters, said Schlanger’s loss was felt far beyond his immediate family.
“He was clearly much loved in the community, not just by his family as well,” Mr Albanese said.
