By Laura Sharman, CNN
Some of the floral tributes laid at the scene of the attack. Photo: Saeed Khan
As authorities investigate the motives behind the deadly Bondi Beach attack, leading criminologists note an unusual characteristic differentiating this mass shooting from others: the suspected gunmen were family members working together.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed Akram are accused of killing 15 people at the iconic Sydney shoreline, a crime that could be "the first father-son combination of perpetrators ever" for such an attack, according to Dr James Densley, a criminology professor and an expert in mass shootings at Metro State University in Minnesota.
Mass killings are typically the work of lone actors. Less than 2 percent of mass shootings studied involved two or more perpetrators, according to research from the Rockefeller Institute of Government - an even rarer act of violence when accounting for 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 who commit crimes together tend to be "less performative", with trust and proximity replacing online networks that are 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," Densley said.
"Family members already share time, space, routines, and private conversations. They can test and rehearse ideas without social friction, providing mutual reinforcement."
Cases that demonstrate this include the 2022 Wieambilla shootings in Australia, where two brothers and a spouse acted together to kill three people, and the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack in France by two brothers.
Two of the bombers who carried out the 2019 Sri Lanka terror attacks were sons of a wealthy trader, meanwhile, whole families moved to Syria and Iraq at the height of the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate. And the 2015 San Bernadino terror attack was carried out by a married couple.
Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid target people at Bondi Beach during the attack on 14 December. Photo: Supplied
But a father-son led terror attack sets a new precedent.
At Bondi Beach, police say Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, 24, targeted a Jewish celebration, motivated by Islamic State ideology.
The two travelled to the Philippines last month, visiting a region that has endured a painful history of Islamist extremism, and homemade Islamic State flags were found in their car after the attack.
The pair are alleged to have recorded videos in which they shared views suggesting they adhered to "religiously motivated violent extremism ideology" and they also practised shooting ahead of their attack in a rural part of Australia, according to an alleged statement of facts released by a magistrate on Monday.
Family dynamics have an impact
Family hierarchy and dependency are also factors that can influence who initiates, who leads and who follows, according to Densley. That was most evident with the two brothers who orchestrated the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, detonating two pressure-cooker bombs near the finish line that killed three people and injured more than 260 others.
"In that case, the older brother had a dominant role whilst the younger brother followed," Densley said.
Praise and approval are other social dynamics in father-son violence, according to Professor James Alan Fox, criminology professor at Northeastern University in Massachusetts.
"The father praises his son for following his lead, and the son seeks the approval of the dad," Fox told CNN. "To some extent the son is cooperating and participating in the killing in order to please his dad, but may not himself be committed to the mission."
Age often factors into these dynamics too, he adds. "Typically it is the older person as the leader, the general, and the younger as the follower, the foot soldier, if you will."
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government confirmed last Monday it would pursue increased criminal penalties for hate speech offences and a new aggravated offence for adults who are found to be radicalising children.
"This unprecedented radicalisation of our youth must stop. We will not allow extremists to groom and brainwash our children into hate or terrorism," Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his wife Jodie Haydon attend the memorial held for the victims of a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on 21 December 21, 2025. Photo: SAEED KHAN / AFP
Logistics of attack scrutinised
Logistics can change when an attack is carried out by more than one person, Densley explained. Having two people splitting tasks -scouting, planning, sourcing weapons, transport and surveillance - allows for a more organised attack without a big external conspiracy.
In a father-son attack, parents can also "remove practical barriers, especially if they control the money, transportation, or weapons", Densley said.
In the Bondi case, 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 of the attack days in advance, according to court documents.
Following the attack, police seized six guns owned by Sajid Akram who had a gun licence. Authorities confirmed he "met the eligibility criteria for a firearms licence" and held a "recreational hunting 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?'"
This is highlighted by experts in the 2021 Oxford High School shooting in Michigan, where 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley gunned down four classmates and wounded six others and a teacher.
His parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, became the first in the US to be held criminally responsible for a mass school shooting by their child, each sentenced for up to 15 years for manslaughter, while Ethan received life without parole for first-degree murder.
Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Matthews told the court that James Crumbley provided "unfettered access to a gun or guns as well as ammunition in your home", while Jennifer Crumbley "glorified the use and possession of these weapons".
"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."
In the US, mass shootings have decreased in 2025 but are still demonstrably higher than in other developed nations. In Australia, with some of the world's strictest gun laws, the reality is different. The Bondi Beach massacre marked the nation's deadliest mass shooting in almost 30 years.
Naveed Akram now faces 59 charges including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. Sajid was killed in a shootout with police at the scene.
- CNN
